Case Study: Lockheed Martin Space Systems achieves rapid, 2× development efficiency and defect‑free GN&C flight code for the IRIS satellite with MathWorks Model‑Based Design (MATLAB & Simulink)

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Develops GN&C System for IRIS Satellite with Model-Based Design

Lockheed Martin Space Systems faced a tight 23‑month schedule to design, integrate, and test the guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) system for the IRIS solar observatory and wanted to eliminate lengthy hand‑coded development and 1,000+ page algorithm documents. They partnered with MathWorks and adopted Model‑Based Design using MATLAB and Simulink (with tools such as Embedded Coder, Simulink Coverage, and Simulink Report Generator) to unify analysis, simulation, and code generation.

Working with MathWorks, the team reused SVIL plant models, ran closed‑loop and processor‑in‑the‑loop simulations, partitioned the GN&C model into software units, and generated production C code with Embedded Coder for the RAD750 processor—about 20,000 lines of defect‑free code. The result: development efficiency doubled (2–3× improvement), flight software that has performed flawlessly in orbit, and the ability to update the design and regenerate qualified code in a single day.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems

Vincentz Knagenhjelm

GN&C Engineer