Announcing NASA Space Mission Design and Navigation Software Release: GMAT R2025a

2025-04-18T21:07:31.630000Z

The NASA GSFC General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) development team is pleased to announce the release of GMAT version R2025a.
The release binaries for various operating systems are available at the following location on SourceForge:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gmat/files/GMAT/GMAT-R2025a/

A few of the new features in this release include multi-body harmonic gravity for mission design in production mode, enhanced optimizer monitoring/controls, enhancements to the external force model plugin, updates to the factory management system that allows the replacement of internal components with customized replacement objects through GMAT plugins, additional coordinate system options, new operational data types for orbit determination (navigation), a new JSON output option for the BLS estimator data file containing observation and residual data records, and K-band frequency support. In addition, the GMAT API interface has been updated to provide support for commands and a supplemental GMAT API Cookbook has been bundled with the release.

For a complete list of new features, compatibility changes, and bug fixes in R2025a, see the Release Notes at the following JIRA location (login required) or in the User Guide that is bundled with the release:
https://gmat.atlassian.net/projects/GMT/versions/11503

For additional information on GMAT, read through our recently featured article in the SPARK Software Edition Volume 22 | Number 4 | Fall 2024 (https://partnerships.gsfc.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/The_Spark_Fall_2024_DIGITAL-S.pdf#page=10) and browse through our recently released GMAT training slides (https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20250002235).

During your usage of R2025a if you come across an issue with the software, have a suggestion for an enhancement, or have an inquiry on the validity of a particular output, feel free to submit a ticket in our JIRA ticketing system (https://gmat.atlassian.net/jira).

GMAT R2022a on Mac OS Sonoma

2023-11-27T21:50:44.405000Z

GMAT R2022a was built for MacOS 12 (Monterey) and 13 (Ventura) based machines, and has been tested on those platforms. MacOS 14 (Sonoma) is showing run time issues for the GMAT GUI on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) based machines. The GMAT Console application continues to run as expected on MacOS Sonoma for these machines. MacOS development is currently paused due to funding issues. We will address the Sonoma runtime issues when resources become available.

Announcing NASA Space Mission Design and Navigation Software Release: GMAT R2022a

2023-01-26T17:32:46.859000Z

The GMAT development team is pleased to announce the release of GMAT version R2022a. New features in this release include TLE and covariance propagation, N-plate SRP models and solve-fors, an operational Extended Kalman Filter Smoother, planetographic (e.g., South Atlantic Anomaly) region entry and exit calculations, an Initial Orbit Determination (IOD) capability and contact calculations using station masks. In addition, the API interface is now production quality. For a complete list of new features, compatibility changes, and bug fixes, see the R2022a Release Notes in the Users Guide.

We are excited to report that GMAT continues to see significant adoption for operational mission support. For example, the Fermi low Earth NASA mission, which uses the GPS point solution data type for ground based orbit determination, started using GMAT's Extended Kalman Filter Smoother (EKFS) for operations in July 2021.

Announcing NASA Space Mission Design and Navigation Software Release: GMAT R2020a

2020-08-06T00:05:30.211000Z

The GMAT development team is pleased to announce the release of GMAT version R2020a. See the attached Release Notes. New features in this release include a new 3D graphics engine based on OpenFrames, the first production-quality C++ release of the Collocation Stand-Alone Library and Toolkit (CSALT), a new optimal control subsystem that supports finite-thrust optimization, a new (beta) API developed to provide users low-level access to GMAT functionality and to support interoperability between NASA's GMAT, Copernicus, and MONTE software applications, a new continuous thrust mission design and navigation feature, and a new (alpha) Extended Kalman Filter Smoother with process noise. For a complete list of new features, compatibility changes, and bug fixes, see the Release Notes in the Users Guide.

In recent news, we are excited to report that GMAT continues to see significant adoption for operational mission support:
• On May 1, 2018, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) project held an Operational Readiness Review (ORR) to evaluate GMAT as a replacement for GTDS as the primary operational orbit determination (OD) tool for LRO. GMAT was approved for this purpose at this ORR and LRO began using GMAT for operational OD in June 2018.
• In April 2018, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission launched. TESS used GMAT as its primary tool for mission design and maneuver planning from proposal development through operations. For more information about TESS, including a discussion of how GMAT was used, see the published paper at https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20180006156
• The GMAT team is currently developing an Extended Kalman Filter Smoother (EKFS) orbit determination capability for future release. A publicly available version of GMAT, with EKFS capabilities for all data types supported by GMAT, is planned for the R2021a release.
• The GMAT team is currently integrating CSALT into GSFC's Core Flight System (cFS) to demonstrate the ability to perform optimal control onboard.
To download, visit our SourceForge download page.
This is a one-time announcement. For further information, please visit our wiki: https://gmat.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/GW/overview
To receive future announcements, please subscribe to the project mailing list: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/gmat-info

Announcing GMAT R2015a

2015-11-02T19:22:57.692000Z

The GMAT development team is pleased to announce the release of GMAT version R2015a. The General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) is the world’s only enterprise, multi-mission, open source software system for space mission design, optimization, and navigation. The system supports missions in flight regimes ranging from low Earth orbit to lunar, libration point, and deep space missions. GMAT is developed by a team of NASA, private industry, public, and private contributors and is used for real-world mission support, engineering studies, as a tool for education, and public engagement.

GMAT R2015a is our best work yet and is a major, feature-rich release. For a complete list of new features, compatibility changes, and bug fixes, see the Release Notes. Below are just some of the new capabilities contained in this release.

User-defined functions (sub-routines) in GMAT script
Python interface
Eclipse location
Contact location
Electric propulsion models
SNOPT Optimizer
Space weather modelling in dynamics

This is a one-time announcement. For further information, please visit our wiki: http://gmatcentral.org

To receive future announcements, please subscribe to the project mailing list: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/gmat-info

Release R2014a

2014-09-30T18:02:02.069000Z

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is pleased to announce the release of the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) Release 2014a. GMAT R2014a is the first public, production-quality release of GMAT. It is rigorously tested with nearly 12000 automated scripts tests executed nightly and over 3400 automated GUI tests executed weekly, and features nearly 700 pages of quality end user documentation.

GMAT has been used to support the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite), ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun) , LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), MMS (Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission), and OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer) missions and numerous mission concepts.

Here are a few of the changes and improvements in R2014a:

• Trajectory segment colors and labels
• Additional orbit state representations
• Additional attitude models
• Additional parameters for force models, targeters, and optimizers
• Over 120 bug fixes

For a full description of GMAT R2014a, see the Release Notes.

Release 2012a Beta

2012-05-23T20:42:10Z

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is pleased to announce the release of the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) Release 2012a Beta. R2012a is our feature-complete beta release in preparation for the first production release (non-beta) of GMAT scheduled for early 2013.

The system has been used in support of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun) , Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, and OSIRIS (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer).

This release was developed with contributions by Thinking Systems, Inc., and a.i. solutions, Inc. GMAT is offered free of charge to use, modify, and share as described under the terms of the NASA Open Source Agreement v1.3.

Release 2011a Beta

2011-05-05T14:02:23Z

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) Release 2011a Beta.

GMAT is a space trajectory optimization and mission analysis system developed by NASA and private industry in the spirit of the NASA Vision. GMAT is a collaboratively developed, open-source tool that enables the development of new mission concepts and provides capabilities that can improve current mission support. The system has been used in support of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun) , Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission. GMAT’s state of the art features include high fidelity orbit propagation, impulsive and finite maneuver models, parameter optimization solvers, boundary solvers, MATLAB integration, command line and GUI interfaces, 2-D and 3D graphics, custom scripting and plug-ins, among many others and it provides these features in a transparent and verifiable way through release of source code.

This release was developed with contributions by AFRL, Thinking Systems, Inc., The Schafer Corporation, and a.i.-solutions, Inc. GMAT is offered free of charge to use, modify, and share as described under the terms of the NASA Open Source Agreement v1.3. GMAT runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. While GMAT has undergone extensive testing and is mature software, we consider the software to be in Beta form (alpha on Mac and Linux). The GMAT team is currently preparing GMAT for operational use and is investigating orbit estimation functionality to replace GSFC heritage OD systems.

New Release of General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT)

2007-12-18T19:56:18Z

The GMAT team is pleased to announce an intermediate release of GMAT which is now
available for download. GMAT is still in beta form on Windows, and Alpha form on Mac
and Linux.

--------- What's New?

- Wiki containing user and project information
- 55 bug fixes (see readme.txt contained in distribution for details)
- Improved script error checking
- Improved error messages in script syntax checking
- Improved animation controls
- Expanded Architectural Specification
- Improved targeter controls in OpenGL plots
- Addressed platform issues with different versions of Linux
- Added ability to build console version on mac
- Built mac application on Intel (not tested or included in distribution yet!!)

--------- What's Next?

- More bug fixes and preparation for stable release
- Functions ( subroutines ) in script language.
- State transition matrix propagation
- Semi-analytic gradients for all solvers
- High fidelity dynamics modelling

NASA OSS Release: The General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT)

2007-08-23T22:13:54Z

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is pleased to announce the immediate availability of open source software for space mission analysis and trajectory design. The General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) has been under development by NASA, in partnership with Thinking Systems, Inc., for four years, and is an ongoing technology development effort. GMAT is offered free of charge to use, modify, and share as described under the terms of the NASA Open Source Agreement.

We are excited that this release is the start of a long term effort to work with the space community to develop and apply space mission design technology. While GMAT has undergone extensive testing and is mature software, we consider the software to be in Beta form. We are in the process of performing significant testing to prepare GMAT for operational use.

For further information, please visit the project web site: http://gmat.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

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