Case Study: Airbus Defence and Space achieves one-day design iterations and robust upper-stage attitude control with MathWorks (MATLAB & Simulink)

ESA and Airbus Create Upper-Stage Attitude Control Development Framework Using Model-Based Design

Airbus Defence and Space, working with ESA on launcher upper stages, faced the challenge of designing and verifying attitude control that must manage separation anomalies, propellant slosh, leaks, stuck valves and other hardware faults while being tested early on representative flight computers. They used MathWorks’ Model‑Based Design approach with MATLAB and Simulink to build multidomain physical models and bring control‑algorithm testing forward in development.

MathWorks helped implement the Upper Stage Attitude Control and Design Framework (USACDF) using MATLAB, Simulink and associated toolboxes to enable closed‑loop, CFD‑coupled simulations, worst‑case optimizations, requirements tracing, automatic code generation and processor‑in‑the‑loop testing. The MathWorks solution cut design iterations from one week to one day, allowed failure modes to be modeled and eliminated, and produced a comprehensive framework for robust controller design and hardware verification, reducing development time and program risk.

Airbus Defence and Space

Hans Strauch

GNC Expert