Case Study: Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands achieves streamlined development of advanced satellite system simulators with MathWorks

Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands Streamlines Development of Advanced Satellite System Simulators

Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands needed to develop the attitude and orbital control system for ESA’s Herschel/Planck mission under tight schedules while integrating existing sensor and actuator models and coordinating with external contractors. To accelerate design, enable reuse, and support collaborative simulation and review, the team adopted MathWorks Model-Based Design tools, including MATLAB, Simulink, Simulink Coder, and the Control System Toolbox.

MathWorks delivered a Model-Based Design workflow—using Simulink and S-functions to integrate C models, Simulink Coder to auto-generate C for EuroSim hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing, and MATLAB for postprocessing and visualization—that enabled rapid model updates and hardware integration. The MathWorks solution simplified formal review processes, increased code and component reuse across projects, and improved collaboration with ESA contractors, streamlining preliminary and critical design reviews and supporting reuse in follow‑on programs like ConeXpress.

Airbus Defence and Space

Erwin Mooij

Senior Functional Specialist