With the 2024R1 release, the DME (Digital Mission Engineering) products continue to bring new features to enable pervasive mission-level simulation through model-based digital engineering methods. This collection of new features includes enhanced subsystem and sensor payload modeling, updated tools and workflows targeting large constellations of platforms and asset grouping capable of analyzing data relay routes and optimizing end-to-end connectivity solutions, as well as strengthened integration and automation capabilities through Python scripting and API enhancements.

Systems engineers will enjoy high fidelity representations of their modeled systems and streamlined methods for both representing and analyzing performance against their mission-level requirements. With fidelity improvements to urban propagation methods for RF (Radio Frequency) systems, as well as options for ingesting Google’s global photorealistic 3D data for enhanced realism, users will notice incremental workflow and usability improvements that will help reduce model configuration steps. 

In addition, capabilities between Ansys Systems Tool Kit (STK) and Ansys Orbit Determination Tool Kit (ODTK) continue to align and provide satellite and spacecraft owners and operators with enhanced flight dynamics modeling capabilities. With quicker methods for quantifying common sensor coverage metrics, installed Python examples for automated rendezvous and proximity operations, as well as new ODTK capability to process tracking measurement data for surface vehicle motion on planetary bodies, these tools are providing capabilities targeted to today's space mission design and operation needs.

And finally, Ansys DME Component Libraries are continuing to provide multi-domain mission modeling and simulations capabilities ideal for developers, systems integrators, and custom application builders. This latest release unlocks new features focusing on expanded geospatial analysis, such as multi-threaded coverage grid generation making it faster to grid larger areas of interest or generate denser coverage maps to explore system performance across geographic regions as well as updates to the libraries available for embedded 3D visualization. 

2024 R1: STK 12.8 and ODTK 7.8

2024R1 New Features

Improved Data Routing and Optimization

for Large Satellite Constellation Designs

Ansys STK now offers expanded capabilities for using chain and constellation objects to construct and analyze complex data relay and multi-object connectivity paths. Updates include additional constraints, such as the number of hops within the strands connecting source and target objects, as well as metrics to qualify optimal paths such as total distance, total time, communications metrics, and other calculations that STK can provide. All-domain connectivity is now easier than ever to assess with STK because the new enhancements remove some of the external analysis and enable you to define the complex routing situations more directly.

Python Enhancements for Ansy STK

Leveraging Ansy STK’s object model APIs for custom application development, containerization, or general workflow automations, 2024R1 introduces Python enhancements that support a new gRPC methodology for connecting to instances of STK. This improves how you can automate and interact with STK scenarios or custom STK Engine applications and offers a modern approach to packaging automated workflows via Python scripting. In addition, these enhancements greatly simplify remote API interactions to containerized STK applications and use cases.

Streamlined Aircraft Performance Modeling

with STK Premium Air

Creating detailed performance models is essential to realizing the value of Ansys STK’s Aviator capability for defining realistic performance-based aircraft trajectories. But, the complexity of these models and their interactions can present an intimidating set of options, especially if you're unfamiliar with aviation flight planning or aircraft flight performance. To help you get started quicker and reduce the steps involved in defining performance models, 2024R1 introduces enhanced, streamlined workflows for these essential aspects of Aviator.