Session: CIE-06-01: AL/ML AI and ML for System Engineering

Paper Number: 196425

196425 - Development of System Engineering Definitions for a Sounding Rocket Using Enterprise Ai Tools 

An artificial intelligence/machine learning (AIML) technology-based design development strategy was used to develop Systems Engineering (SE) deliverables for a sounding rocket platform. Using the Systems “Vee”, design documents were iteratively developed and analyzed for system complexity, technical capabilities, and system feasibility using both ChatGPT Pro Thinking and Claude 4.5. A comparison of the two AIML designs for the design of a turn-key sounding rocket platform with modular hosting bay, enabling scientific and industrial payloads, was then used to generate a business plan for potential implementation. The work ultimately compares traditional human-powered design to the two AI generated models to determine the target similarities, divergences, and areas of possible improvement. Design deliverables compared included developing customer needs, recursive requirements generation with human-in-the-loop updates, system architecture creation, and verification and validation planning. We look at relevant metrics such as quality, quantity, and appropriateness of generated content, tendencies, and resulting utility. This work demonstrates the use of AIML tools in aerospace engineering design and applicability to business model development, while also highlighting limitations related to model bias, consistency, and traceability within complex engineering workflows. Additionally, the study provides insight into how these tools may support future rapid design cycles and early-stage concept development.

Presenting Author: Alberto Hernandez Los Alamos National Laboratory

Presenting Author Biography: Alberto Hernandez Luna is a Health Physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, specializing in radioactive air emissions and radiation detection. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University. Before joining LANL in his current role, he spent 5 years as an intern, supporting a range of technical projects, including the creation of visualizations for radioactive air emissions dose data and integrating radiation detection equipment to a site-wide system at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. He is a member of the Health Physics Society.