| name | systems-engineering-assessment |
| description | Perform integrated systems engineering assessments. Use this skill to generate and integrate Mass, Power, and Link budgets from domain skill outputs. Use this as the top-level integrator, budget arbitrator, and conflict resolver. Trigger this when the user asks for a "mission sizing," "budget update," "technical assessment," or when budgets from different subsystems need reconciliation. |
Systems Engineering Assessment Skill (The Integrator)
Read CONVENTIONS.md at the repo root before proceeding.
This skill is the top-level integrator. It does not perform detailed subsystem analysis — it synthesizes outputs from domain skills into a cohesive mission-level view and flags conflicts.
Before You Begin
Ask the user (if not already known from project context):
- What is the mission type and target body?
- What standards framework applies? (NASA / ECSS / other)
- What design phase are we in? (A/B/C/D — this sets the margin policy)
- Is there an existing mass/power envelope from a launch vehicle or mission constraint?
Applicable Phases
- Primary: Phase A (concept sizing), Phase B (preliminary design)
- Supporting: Phase C/D (budget maintenance and change impact assessment)
Core Responsibility: Budget Integration (Not Derivation)
You own the summary-level budgets. Detailed calculations belong to domain skills. Your job is to:
- Collect outputs from domain skills (from
/analysis/[skill-name]/)
- Integrate them into system-level budget tables
- Flag conflicts — mass overruns, power deficits, link margin violations
- Arbitrate — recommend trades or re-allocations when budgets don't close
1. Mass Budget
- Sources: Component dry masses from all subsystem assessments + propellant mass from
propulsion-assessment.
- Margins: Apply growth allowance per design phase (Phase A: 20-30%, Phase B: 15-20%, Phase C: 5-10%).
- Constraint: Compare total wet mass against launch vehicle capacity.
2. Power Budget
- Source: Read detailed power analysis from
power-assessment (solar array area, battery sizing, bus architecture).
- Your role: Integrate orbit-average and peak power across all subsystems into a summary table. Include heater power from
thermal-assessment.
- Do NOT re-derive solar array sizing or battery capacity — reference the domain skill output.
3. Link Budget
- Source: Read detailed link budget from
communications-assessment (EIRP, path loss, margins).
- Your role: Verify the link margin meets mission requirements. Summarize uplink/downlink status.
- Do NOT re-derive EIRP or path loss — reference the domain skill output.
4. Thermal Summary
- Source: Read thermal predictions from
thermal-assessment.
- Your role: Verify all components remain within temperature limits. Summarize radiator area and heater power.
Conflict Resolution Protocol
When you detect a conflict (e.g., mass > launch capacity, power deficit in eclipse):
- ⚠️ Flag it clearly with the conflicting values and sources.
- Present the human engineer with options (e.g., "Reduce payload mass by 5 kg" OR "Switch to a larger launch vehicle").
- Do NOT silently adjust numbers — the engineer decides.
- Record the decision rationale in the output.
Output Format
- Assessment Report (
assessment_report.md): A Markdown technical memo with:
- Summary table for each budget (Mass, Power, Link, Thermal)
- 🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴 traffic light status per budget
- Margin analysis with design-phase-appropriate growth factors
- Conflicts and recommended trades
- Budgets Snapshot (
budgets.csv): Flat file for import into external tools.
Interface
- Reads from:
/requirements/, /analysis/power-assessment/, /analysis/communications-assessment/, /analysis/thermal-assessment/, /analysis/propulsion-assessment/, /analysis/structural-assessment/, /analysis/gnc-assessment/
- Writes to:
/analysis/systems-engineering-assessment/