Abstract
From computers to aeronautics, many industries have achieved great cost savings through the use of modular engineering approaches. In standardizing interfaces between elements and by reusing functional units, projects can achieve direct reductions in required development labor and secondary savings from enhanced reliability via improved process control from manufacturing identical units. Issues involved in the extension of modular design to the space industry are discussed. A cost model is developed to resolve some of the conflicting advantages and disadvantages between modular and customized designs. Key regimes are identified that represent the best opportunities for applying modular concepts.
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Enright, J., Jilla, C. & Miller, D. Modularity and Spacecraft Cost. Journal of Reducing Space Mission Cost 1, 133–158 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009901316459
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009901316459