From PLATO to EnVision: SimuCam as a Case Study of Testing Equipment Reusability in Space Missions

Space-related equipment is often highly customized for specific missions, making it inflexible and costly to repurpose for other uses. This paper discusses the technical challenges and planned modifications required to adapt the hardware and software of existing ground testing equipment to meet the needs of a new space mission. The focus is on the reutilization of validated hardware, software libraries, and FPGA IP cores. The SimuCam, originally developed for the European Space Agency's (ESA) PLATO mission as a camera simulation system by the Nucleo de Sistemas Eletronicos Embarcados at Instituto Maua de Tecnologia (NSEE-IMT), is now being repurposed to simulate the VenSpec spectrographic suite for ESA's EnVision mission to study Venus. This paper examines and describes the strategic decisions made to adapt and improve the equipment while maintaining and reutilizing an already robust solution. The expected similarities between the PLATO cameras and the VenSpec instruments are explored, with a focus on the functional requirements, the effort needed to modify the existing infrastructure, and the anticipated benefits of these adaptations. New challenges, such as implementing PUS interfaces over SpaceWire and transitioning from a DE4 to a TR4 development board due to hardware discontinuation, are also addressed, including their impact on the overall system. The proposed changes include shifting from a centralized processing architecture to a distributed processing model and migrating from NIOS II to RISC- V processors to enhance system flexibility and performance. The adoption of RISC- V, along with the transition from μC/OS-II to FreeRTOS, is expected to provide a more robust and scalable solution leading up to the mission launch. Ultimately, this study aims to illustrate how existing space-related technology can be effectively reused and adapted for new missions, reducing development time and costs while leveraging proven systems.