On June 11, the SERC Talks research webinar series invited Mr. Myron Hecht, a senior project leader at The Aerospace Corporation, as a speaker. Hecht presented on how model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and SysML in particular, can enable and support certification. The abstract and video for this, as well as the complete inventory of SERC Talk videos, can be accessed via the SERC YouTube channel and the SERC Talks page.
Dr. Dinesh Verma, SERC Executive Director, moderated the session and introduced Hecht by noting that his background “makes him a natural to talk about the application of SysML methods and techniques for system certification.” In his role at The Aerospace Corporation, Hecht specializes in MBSE and in reliability, safety, and systems engineering (SE) for complex satellite, ground control, and weapons systems. He is a consultant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in reactor safety and control systems and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where he teaches reliability and MBSE. He has authored more than 100 refereed publications on topics in MBSE, reliability, and safety, and has served on committees that developed requirements for aircraft, ground, and nuclear reactor safety systems. Hecht is currently a member of the IEEE P1633 committee on software reliability and the Object Management Group Risk Assessment Modeling Language (RAAML).
In his talk, Hecht described three MBSE approaches to support certification—requirements traceability, profiles, and formal model—and provided an example and demonstration of each as well as advantages and disadvantages. He noted the overall potential benefits including complexity management, effective communication between certification authority and applicant, ease of revision, and accessible documentation of fulfillment of verification objectives. He concluded with a discussion of necessary conditions, including MBSE capabilities, within both the applicant development organization and the certification authority, establishment of ground rules, and an executable certification plan. In addition, he invited participants to share information on any current model-based certification that can further ongoing work and future discussions.
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