DEFINITION:

Onboard software requirements, design, verification, validation, maintenance and qualification methods/tools. Specific aspects related to the application of modern IT technologies. Includes flight software and related simulator technologies.

(Source; ESA TD2 B)

SUBDOMAINS:

1. Methods and Tools for Onboard Software Engineering Processes: All aspects of onboard software engineering, requirement engineering, automation of the life cycle, testing, model-based development, etc. In particular, it includes software emulators of onboard processors.
2. Innovative Software Management Process: Adaptive engineering, new planning approaches, cost estimation methods, distributed development. The focus is on the system aspects of software, the system–software co-engineering. Includes also software–hardware co-engineering. (Note: The system side of system–software co-engineering, and the hardware side of software–hardware co-engineering, are covered in 1-A-1 and 1-E-3 respectively.)

3. Software Architectures: Software architectures for space segment software. Includes e.g. concepts such as Arinc653. In particular, it includes also Plug and Play technologies.