Abstract
Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) aims to bring rigor to the products and methods used in systems engineering similar to the benefits that computer-aided design (CAD) technologies have delivered to other engineering disciplines. MBSE is most often associated with the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) and its associated tools. While SysML is being developed with the intent of making the practice of systems engineering more rigorous, it isn’t the only way to do it. This chapter describes an alternative approach to model-based systems engineering that leverages semantic web technologies to provide a more flexible platform for developing and managing descriptive system models in a rigorous manner. We describe a case study, in which this platform has been put into operations on a large project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to capture, validate, configuration manage, and report on power system sizing, which is a key systems engineering concern in the design of spacecraft.
