8. Configuration, coupling, transformation, and formation
The asset is durable; its build is not. Every operation, telemetry segment, test, incident, content claim and valuation should reference the exact configuration active when known. Immutable snapshots make the whole lifespan reconstructable without freezing…
The asset is durable; its build is not. Every operation, telemetry segment, test, incident, content claim and valuation should reference the exact configuration active when known. Immutable snapshots make the whole lifespan reconstructable without freezing innovation.
| Configuration view | Question answered |
|---|---|
| As-designed | What did the approved design intend? |
| As-manufactured | What did production actually build? |
| As-delivered | What entered custody at handover? |
| As-maintained | What does the service record say is installed? |
| As-observed | What inspection, scan or sensor evidence indicates? |
| As-tested | What exact build and conditions produced a result? |
| As-operated | What build, load, software, control regime and mode were used? |
| As-presented | What public projection is intentionally shown? |
#ConfigurationSnapshot minimum
- root asset, predecessor snapshot, creating change event, effective interval and content digest
- installed component occurrences, positions, orientations, joints, ports, connections and current topology
- software, firmware, maps, AI models, calibrations, parameters, credentials and enabled features
- geometry, transformation state, dimensions, mass, center of gravity, inertia, balance, ballast and trim
- consumables, fluids, tire/track/propeller/sail/tool state, payload, occupancy and restraints where permitted
- active energy, support, propulsion, control, action, communication and safety graphs
- derived capabilities, limits, incompatibilities, approvals, competition class and operating-envelope locks
- domain-pack and vocabulary version lock so the snapshot remains interpretable later
#Assembly and coupling relationships
| Relationship | Examples | What must be recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Installed / mounted | Engine, battery, sensor, payload, tool | position, orientation, role, fasteners/joints, interfaces and effectivity |
| Contained / carried | Cargo, nested rover, vehicle on transporter | restraint, environment, custody, load transfer and deployability |
| Hitched / coupled | Trailer, railcar, implement, sidecar | joint type, degrees of freedom, loads, brakes, power/data/fluid and lock state |
| Towed / pushed | Barge, glider, disabled car, consist | force path, control allocation, tow geometry, limits and emergency release |
| Docked / berthed | Vessel, spacecraft, drone station | capture, seal, structural, power, fluid, data and authority state |
| Stage / stack | Rocket stages, boosters, payload adapter | separation logic, pyrotechnic/mechanical interfaces, consumed/recovered outcomes |
| Formation | Convoy, platoon, flight, swarm | membership, leader/dispatcher, relative geometry, communications and control allocation |
| Host / deployed | Mothership plus drone, aircraft plus probe | carried state, release/recovery conditions, delegated mission and custody |
#Transformation and mode change
A folding wing, retractable gear, deployable sail, track-to-wheel module, road-to-water transition, stage separation or humanoid transformation changes geometry and often changes topology, mass properties, support, propulsion, control and legal status. Model a TransformationDefinition plus a performed TransformationEvent, preconditions, intermediate hazards, resulting snapshot and reversibility.
Formation identity rule
A train consist, tractor-trailer combination, tug-and-tow, launch stack, swarm or docked spacecraft can receive a temporary assembly identity and history. Membership never merges the identities, rights, evidence or service histories of its members.