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Xmera: Flexible, Fast, and Reconfigurable Space Simulation Framework

Xmera is an open-source software framework for real-time and faster-than-real-time spacecraft simulation, designed for both astrodynamics research and mission development. Developed by the Autonomous Vehicle Systems Lab and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Colorado Boulder), Xmera blends the flexibility of Python with the execution speed of C/C++.

Get Started

.. grid::

    .. grid-item-card:: 🚀 Installation Instructions
        :link: install
        :link-type: ref
        :link-alt: Installation instructions

        Get started by installing a Xmera development environment.

    .. grid-item-card:: 📚 Learning Resources
        :link: developer
        :link-type: ref
        :link-alt: Learning resources

        Quickly grasp key concepts.

    .. grid-item-card:: 📖 API and Modules Reference
        :link: api
        :link-type: ref
        :link-alt: API and Modules Reference

        Detailed module documentation.

Introduction

Conceptual diagram of simulation framework

Conceptual diagram of Xmera simulation framework

Xmera allows users to create, configure, and execute spacecraft simulations involving orbit and attitude dynamics, hardware-in-the-loop scenarios, and Monte-Carlo analyses. Its modular design supports rapid development and validation of flight software, autonomy solutions, and mission concepts.

Key features include:

  • Real-time and faster-than-real-time simulation capability
  • Reconfigurable Python interface over C/C++ core
  • Native Monte-Carlo engine for repeatable studies
  • Integrated unit-testing and validation support
  • Hardware-in-the-loop compatibility
  • Cross-platform (Linux, Windows, macOS)

Use Cases

Xmera is actively used for:

  • Astrodynamics research modeling
  • Guidance, estimation, and control algorithm development
  • Mission concept support and validation
  • Flight software (FSW) development and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
  • Spacecraft autonomy research and AI-based system development
  • Post-flight data analysis and validation

Who Uses Xmera?

Xmera Users

  • Startup space companies
  • Academic research labs
  • Space mission analysts and contractors
  • Autonomous vehicle systems designers
  • International space organizations

Xmera serves a diverse user community ranging from academic researchers to mission developers and commercial ventures.

Xmera Design Goals

At its core, Xmera is designed to balance several challenging goals:

  • Speed: High-performance simulations via C/C++ back-end
  • Flexibility: Reconfiguration via Python scripting
  • Analysis Integration: Built-in numpy/matplotlib support
  • Realtime Capabilities: Hardware-in-the-loop synchronization
  • Data Control: Managed communication via message-passing interface (MPI)
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Linux, Windows, and macOS supported
  • Validation and Testing: Robust, integrated unit and scenario tests
  • Monte-Carlo Simulations: Bit-for-bit repeatability

Related Publications

For a complete list of academic publications utilizing Xmera:

📄 :ref:`View full references <publications>`

Highlights include research on attitude control, solar radiation pressure modeling, spacecraft autonomy, and hardware-in-the-loop simulation architectures.

🤝 :ref:`Support and Contribution <developer>`

.. toctree::
   :maxdepth: 1
   :hidden:

   learn/index
   api/index
   install/index
   developer/index
   releases/index