In collaboration with the NASA Langley Research institute, Satarla research associates UQuant are helping to quantify and understand uncertainties affecting the core stage of NASA's next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) that is planned to carry humans to Mars in the mid 2030s. UQuant's contribution to the project is the development of new computer algorithms that allow a better reconciliation of early-stage test data with the complex computer models that describe the rockets physical behaviour.
In particular, the problem addressed by the team was the improvement of computer models helping NASA to understand the rockets structural behaviour during the extreme launch conditions while it flies through the earth's atmosphere. The main difficult in these conditions is that the rockets structural dynamics are affected by too many uncertainties to be obtained are trustworthy prediction using conventional engineering methods. Therefore, UQuant employs a unique hybrid approach that combines risk quantification methods developed by Wallstreet scientists with NASA's engineering models. The results help to better understand risks and also improve safety and performance. Due to a special collaboration agreement, UQuant can commercially employ the developed methodologies in other areas as well.