METASAT lifts off to design the methodology of future European satellites

Launched in January 2023, the European Commission-funded project METASAT kicked off to provide a holistic and modular model-based framework to design and test software modules that target open architecture hardware, high-performance computing platforms for the space and aviation domain.

This promising project combines the experience of knowledge generators like Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Ikerlan, and Advanced Laboratory on Embedded Systems (a Collins Aerospace Company) with technology integrators such as fentISS and OHB, one of the main end users from the space sector. Together, they will introduce a new approach of a model-based engineering (MBE) standard-based toolchain that will save time when developing and deploying final applications.

METASAT was born as a result of the need to find a solution to manage the growing complexity of new satellite designs using reliable on-board software technology. To achieve so, the consortium will develop a new model-based engineering methodology to design software modules.

To reach its vision, this EU-funded project will leverage software virtualization layers through the use of XtratuM hypervisor on top of high-performance computing platforms based on the RISC-V open standard Instruction Set Architecture. The development of a toolchain to design software modules from high-level modeling languages for this hardware/software layer and a model-based approach for hardware platform virtualization and integration will be the project's main focus. As a result, the consortium aims to impact in the time and cost of developing new systems, as currently costs are increasing due to the system complexity, reducing competitiveness, innovation, and potentially dependability across the industry.