Advancing Connected Engineering: Insights from the Space Station Design Workshop 2024

The Space Station Design Workshop (SSDW), a cornerstone initiative at the Institute of Space Systems, University of Stuttgart, has been instrumental in educating students and young professionals in space station design for over 25 years. In 2024, the workshop was conducted in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich for the first time, marking a significant collaborative milestone. Building on extensive experience, a refined methodology incorporating Connected Engineering principles was implemented, centered around the integration of the SYNERA software tool. This enhancement aimed to improve design process efficiency, team collaboration, and adaptability to evolving requirements. The integration of SYNERA led to an improvement in design iteration speed and an increase in inter-team data sharing compared to previous workshops. This paper analyzes the methodological advancements, the refined Connected Engineering workflow developed within the International Planetary Sunshade (IPSS) project framework, and practical experiences from SSDW 2024. It highlights the potential of these innovations to advance space systems design education and practice, aligning with the increasing industry demand for digital transformation and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).