A DSM-based framework for design complexity and component criticality in CubeSat missions

Abstract CubeSats, which were developed at educational institutions, often exhibit low mission success rates because of their limited design and system engineering experience. To address this issue, this study proposes a mission assurance framework that integrates system complexity evaluation with component importance analysis using the design structure matrix. Within this framework, system configuration and dependencies among components visualized through design structure matrix (DSM) and complexity calculations, previously performed manually, are automated. In addition, functions and components are categorized according to mission success levels, enabling a quantitative assessment of each component’s contribution to overall mission success. This dual approach not only reduces system complexity but also improves the distribution of critical functions across components, thereby mitigating the risk of single-point failures and enhancing system robustness. The proposed method was validated through a case study involving the BIRDS bus developed at the Kyushu Institute of Technology. The results demonstrate that DSM-based system reconfiguration can reduce system complexity by more than 80% at the highest mission success level while improving the distribution of critical functions. This framework provides an effective tool for assessing design validity from multiple perspectives during the early development phase prior to the preliminary design review. This approach is expected to increase the reliability and mission success rates of student CubeSat projects.