Customer Need: Airbus Defense and Space, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), sought to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) Spacecraft's Thruster Tranquillisation Mode. In particular, the focus was on ensuring stability during various phases, including Earth fly-bys, and guaranteeing robust control across multiple scenarios.

Derived Solution:

1. Controller Design and Tuning: A multidisciplinary approach was employed, centering on optimal controller design and tuning. This encompassed nonlinear control law adjustments tailored to the JUICE Spacecraft.

2. Optimal Sensor Fusion and State Estimation: Innovations were introduced to achieve a synergy of sensors and enhanced state estimation capabilities for improved spacecraft control.

3. System Performance Verification: Monte-Carlo methods, known for their reliability in complex systems, were utilized to verify the performance of the JUICE Spacecraft systems.

Value Delivery:

• Enhanced Spacecraft Stability: Successfully identified and addressed a crucial non-convergence issue, ensuring the spacecraft’s stability when transitioning out of the Thruster Tranquillisation Mode.

• Boosted Confidence in Earth Fly-Bys: Introduced innovative 'robustness' test scenarios, heightening confidence in the spacecraft's capability to diminish potentially harmful structural modes during abnormal Earth fly-by conditions.

• Advanced Verification Framework: Elevated the Monte-Carlo frameworks, which is crucial for the statistical verification of intricate spacecraft control systems.