Data Exchange Using STEP Now Really Working

STEP-TAS and STEP-NRF are two companion, open standards for electronic exchange and archival of space engineering data based on STEP (ISO-10303) technology:

• STEP-TAS: Definition of space missions and models used in thermal analysis.
• STEP-NRF: Discipline-independent protocol for the definition of analysis, test or operation cases/models and the bulk results produced by running such cases/models.

Associated with these standards, some high-level programs have been developed for helping with the implementation of these protocols into user applications. Now, the STEP-TAS standard has started its industrial deployment phase in Europe with the incorporation into thermal software like ESARAD and THERMICA, while the first STEP-NRF proof-of concept implementations have started with software like CORATHERM from Alcatel Space. In parallel, some proof-of concept studies are performed with NASA/JPL on various in-house and vendors software which prove that these standards could be used for the co-operation between ESA and NASA for the thermal analysis of spacecraft.

This paper presents background information on STEP and demonstrates the thermal model exchange between ESA and NASA.