Mission Control System Research Articles

Implementation and Test of the Automatic Flight Dynamics Operations for Geostationary Satellite Mission

(Received August 20, 2009; Accepted October 19, 2009)AbstractThis paper describes the Flight Dynamics Automation (FDA) system for COMS FlightDynamics System (FDS) and its test result in terms of the performance of the automa-tion jobs. FDA controls the flight dynamics functions such as orbit determination,orbit prediction, event prediction, and fuel accounting. The designed FDA is indepen-dent from the specific characteristics which are defined by spacecraft manufactureror specific satellite missions. Therefore, FDA could easily links its autonomous jobcontrol functions to any satellite mission control system with some interface modifi-cation. By adding autonomous system along with flight dynamics system, it decreasesthe operator’s tedious and repeated jobs but increase the usability and reliability ofthe system. Therefore, FDA is used to improve the completeness of whole missioncontrol system’s quality. The FDA is applied to the real flight dynamics system of ageostationary satellite, COMS and the experimental test is performed. The experimen-tal result shows the stability and reliability of the mission control operations throughthe automatic job control.Keywords: satellite orbit, flight dynamics, mission control, automation, COMS

Level 1 on-ground telemetry handling in Planck-LFI

The Planck Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) will observe the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) by covering the frequency range 30-70 GHz in three bands. The primary instrument data source are the temperature samples acquired by the 22 radiometers mounted on the Planck focal plane. Such samples represent the scientific data of LFI. In addition, the LFI instrument generates the so called housekeeping data by sampling regularly the on-board sensors and registers. The housekeeping data provides information on the overall health status of the instrument and on the scientific data quality. The scientific and housekeeping data are collected on-board into telemetry packets compliant with the ESA Packet Telemetry standards. They represent the primary input to the first processing level of the LFI Data Processing Centre. In this work we show the software systems which build the LFI Level 1. A real-time assessment system, based on the ESA SCOS 2000 generic mission control system, has the main purpose of monitoring the housekeeping parameters of LFI and detect possible anomalies. A telemetry handler system processes the housekeeping and scientific telemetry of LFI, generating timelines for each acquisition chain and each housekeeping parameter. Such timelines represent the main input to the subsequent processing levels of the LFI DPC. A telemetry quick-look system allows the real-time visualization of the LFI scientific and housekeeping data, by also calculating quick statistical functions and fast Fourier transforms. The LFI Level 1 has been designed to support all the mission phases, from the instrument ground tests and calibration to the flight operations, and developed according to the ESA engineering standards.

A commercial procedure execution engine completing the command chain of a university satellite simulation infrastructure

Abstract The Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart has a small satellite programme consisting of currently four missions. The first of these missions is the Flying Laptop , the purpose of which are technology evaluation, Earth observation and scientific measurement. Since the budget for a University satellite programme is obviously limited, engineering models of the entire spacecraft are to be avoided. In order to keep technical risks at a low level, a simulation based development approach was selected instead which already has been applied as proven technology in industry. The Institute of Space Systems applies the system simulation infrastructure Model - based Development and Verification Environment (MDVE) developed by Astrium as real-time simulator which is commanded via a SCOS-2000 mission control system. Easy commanding of such an entire simulated S/C, respectively, later the hardware in AIT phase, is mandatory especially for students only working with the equipment for a typical 6 months thesis period. Therefore the infrastructure setup was completed by the test procedure editor and execution engine Manufacturing and Operations Information System (MOIS) which for the first time provides a complete command/execution/control chain in the programme.

Mission Control System for an Autonomous Vehicle: Application Study of a Dam Inspection using an AUV

Although there is literature about dam inspections tasks using ROVs, non of them provides an integral solution for this issue. This paper presents the software architecture and the Mission Control System (MCS) used in ICTINEU AUV , a small autonomous vehicle able to perform this kind of inspection missions. A definition about the used AUV, how the mission is described and programmed and the obtained results are discussed.

Towards a Mission Control Language for AUVs

This paper presents the design and implementation of a Mission Control System (MCS) for an AUV. The mission is easily described using an imperative-like pseudo-code called Mission Control Language (MCL) that allows sequential/parallel, conditional and iterative task execution. MCL can be automatically translated into a Petri net, to formally describe the mission thread of execution. Then the MCS executes the Petri net in real-time over a generic layer that communicates with a particular control architecture using predefined actions and events. Concepts are illustrated with a simple mission.

Design of a mission control system for an AUV

This paper presents the design and implementation of a mission control system for an AUV. The mission is easily described using an imperative-like pseudo-code that allows sequential/parallel, conditional/unconditional and iterative task execution. This pseudo-code is manually translated into a Petri net, to formally describe the mission thread of execution. Then the mission controller executes the Petri net in real-time on a behavioural control architecture enabling/disabling and configuring robot behaviours. The proposed system has been programmed and tested on a low cost AUV performing a simplified mission of scientific interest.

접촉궤도요소로부터 변환된 NORAD TLE를 이용한 정지위성의 안테나 포인팅

접촉 케플러 궤도요소로부터 변환된 NORAD TLE를 정지궤도 위성의 안테나 포인팅에 직접 사용하기 위한 분석을 수행하였다. 일주일에 한번씩 동서방향과 남북방향의 위치유지를 위한 궤도조정을 수행하고 하루에 두 번씩 추력기를 이용한 모멘텀 덤핑을 통해서 궤도가 계속 변하는 통신해양기상 위성에 대해서 변환된 NORAD TLE를 이용한 안테나 포인팅 오프셋 각을 계산하여 위성신호를 수신할 수 있는지 검토하였다. 이를 통해 변환된 NORAD TLE를 사용하여 위성 관제시스템의 안테나 포인팅에 관련된 인터페이스를 간단하게 수행할 수 있음을 보였다. 또한 이심률이 큰 천이궤도에 있어서 위성의 평균 근점각에 따른 변환된 NORAD TLE 값의 차이를 분석하여 천이궤도의 원지점 근처에서의 NORAD TLE 변환 값이 더 좋은 결과를 나타내는 것을 알 수 있었다. Antenna pointing analysis for a geostationary satellite has been performed for using the NORAD Two-Line-Elements (TLE) converted from osculating Keplerian orbital elements. In order to check the possibility of the reception of the satellite signal, the antenna offset angles have been derived for the Communications, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) which carries out weekly East-West and North-South station-keeping maneuvers and twice a day thruster assisted momentum dumping. Throughout the analysis, it is shown that the use of converted NORAD TLE simplifies the antenna pointing related interfaces in satellite mission control system. For a highly eccentric transfer orbit cases, further analysis presents that the converted NORAD TLE from near apogee gives more favorable results.

MCL: A MISSION CONTROL LANGUAGE FOR AUVS

This paper presents the design and implementation of a Mission Control System (MCS) for an AUV. The mission is easily described using an imperative-like Mission Control Language named MCL, that allows for sequential/parallel, conditional/unconditional and iterative task execution. MCL can be automatically compiled into a Petri net, to formally describe the mission thread of execution. Then the MCS executes the Petri net in real-time over an architecture abstraction layer that communicates with a particular control architecture using a set of custom defined actions and events.

Deep Extragalactic Surveys around the Ecliptic Poles with AKARI (ASTRO-F)

Abstract AKARI (formerly ASTRO-F) is an infrared space telescope designed for an all-sky survey at 10–180$\, {\mu \mathrm {m}}$, and deep pointed surveys of selected areas at 2–180$\, {\mu \mathrm {m}}$. The deep pointed surveys with AKARI will significantly advance our understanding of galaxy evolution, the structure formation of the universe, the nature of buried AGNs, and the cosmic infrared background. We describe here the important characteristics of the AKARI mission, the orbit, and attitude control system, and investigate the optimum survey area based on the updated pre-flight sensitivities of AKARI, taking into account the cirrus confusion noise as well as the surface density of bright stars. The North Ecliptic Pole is concluded to be the best area for 2–26$\, {\mu \mathrm {m}}$ deep surveys, while the low-cirrus noise regions around the South Ecliptic Pole are worth considering for 50–180$\, {\mu \mathrm {m}}$ pointed surveys to high sensitivities limited by the galaxy confusion noise. Current observational plans concerning these pointed surveys are described in detail. Comparing these surveys with deep surveys using the Spitzer Space Telescope, the AKARI deep surveys are particularly unique in respect of their continuous wavelength coverage over the 2–26$\, {\mu \mathrm {m}}$ range in broad-band deep imaging, and their slitless spectroscopy mode over the same wavelength range.

Human Information Flow and Communication Pattern in NASA Mission Control System

This study is a preliminary effort to explore human information flow and communication pattern in an operation-critical and time-constrained collaboration environment such as NASA Mission Control System. Understanding information flow and communication pattern is a key step for improving the reliability and accuracy of a complex Human-Machine system. It also can be applied to design a better communication system for future NASA Mission Control Center operations. The information flow and communication pattern analysis based on NASA mission control training simulations indicates that there is no significant utilization difference among communication channels, however, the communication channel's burst rate is significantly affected by phase, mission and channel type.

Mission control of the MARIUS autonomous underwater vehicle: system design, implementation and sea trials

This paper describes the design and implementation of a mission control system for the MARIUS autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The framework adopted for system design builds on the key concept of vehicle primitive, which is a parametrized specification of an elementary operation performed by the vehicle. Vehicle primitives are obtained by coordinating the execution of a number of concurrent system tasks, which are parametrized specifications of classes of algorithms or procedures that implement basic functionalities in an underwater robotic system. Vehicle primitives are in turn logically and temporally chained to form more abstract mission procedures, which are executed as determined by mission programs, in reaction to external events. System task design is carried out using well-established tools from continuous- or discrete-time dynamic system theory, and finite-state automata to describe their logical (event-based) interaction with vehicle primitives. The design and analysis of vehicle primitives and mission procedures build on the theory of Petri nets, which are naturally oriented towards the modeling and analysis of asynchronous concurrent discrete-event systems. Vehicle primitives and mission procedures can be developed and implemented on the vehicle's distributed computer system using the specially designed software programming environments CORAL and ATOL respectively. The first is a set of software tools that allows for graphically building a library of vehicle primitives embodied in Petri nets and running them in real time. The latter provides similar tools for mission procedure programming but relies on a reactive synchronous programming language as a way to manage the potential complexity introduced by the occurrence of large Petri net structures. Whereas the first has been fully implemented, the latter has been specified but is still under development. Thus, at this stage of development, mission procedures and mission programs are effectively embodied into higher-level Petri net structures that control the scheduling of the vehicle primitives that are necessary to execute a given mission. The paper provides a summary of the general methodology adopted for the design and implementation of mission control systems for underwater robots and describes its application to the control of the MARIUS AUV. The paper introduces the experimental set-up for mission programming, mission execution and mission follow-up from a support station and describes the sequence of steps involved in programming and running a selected mission with the vehicle at sea.

Vehicle and Mission Control of the Sirene Underwater Shuttle

The paper describes the design, implementation, and testing at sea of the vehicle and mission control systems of Sirene, an autonomous underwater shuttle for the automatic deployment of benthic stations down to depths of 4000 meters.

Beacon Monitoring: Reducing the Cost of Nominal Spacecraft Operations

Beacon monitoring is an architecture for augmenting on-board health assessment software with the following elements: a transmitter that periodically broadcasts this health assessment to the ground, a network of globally distributed low-cost monitoring stations that relays the health assessment to mission control, and an automated mission control system for notifying on-call operators and initiating appropriate response actions. While beacon monitoring is often cited as a means of lowering nominal monitoring costs for particular missions, these claims have typically been qualitative and undiscriminating in nature. This study introduces modeling and experimentation as means of providing a more fundamental validation of the cost-effectiveness of beacon monitoring. Results include simple quantitative estimates of first-order performance metrics, experimental data that verifies predicted performance and validates the use of beacon monitoring for a test mission, and a method for assessing the value of beacon monitoring for general satellites missions.

SCOS II: ESA's new generation of control systems

The SCOSII software infrastructure for Mission Control Systems provides a complete, sophisticated and low cost approach for the development of Control Centre systems. It supports a variety of different hardware platforms and architectures ranging from large multi-processor networks for complex or high performance missions to single workstation configurations suitable for small missions or backup sites. The functionalities offered by the software are carefully tailored to the needs of the operations community and designed to be easily configurable and extensible for mission specific needs. A SCOSII system can range in size from a single workstation to a network of 40-50 workstations depending on the number of users to be supported and the performance requirements of the mission.

Leonardo da Vinci—Natural philosopher and engineer

This paper presents an application of a recently well performing evolutionary algorithm for continuous numerical optimization, Success-History Based Adaptive Differential Evolution Algorithm (SHADE) including Linear population size reduction (L-SHADE), to an expert system for underwater glider path planning (UGPP). The proposed algorithm is compared to other similar algorithms and also to results from literature. The motivation of this work is to provide an alternative to the current glider mission control systems, that are based mostly on multidisciplinary human-expert teams from robotic and oceanographic areas. Initially configured as a decision-support expert system, the natural evolution of the tool is targeting higher autonomy levels.To assess the performance of the applied optimizers, the test functions for UGPP are utilized as defined in literature, which simulate real-life oceanic mission scenarios. Based on these test functions, in this paper, the performance of the proposed application of L-SHADE to UGPP is aggregated using statistical analyis.The depicted fitness convergence graphs, final obtained fitness plots, trajectories drawn, and per-scenario analysis show that the new proposed algorithm yields stable and competitive output trajectories. Over the set of benchmark missions, the newly obtained results with a configured L-SHADE outperforms existing literature results in UGPP and ranks best over the compared algorithms. Moreover, some additional previously applied algorithms have been reconfigured to yield improved performance. Thereby, this new application of evolutionary algorithms to UGPP contributes significantly to the capacity of the decision-makers, when they use the improved UGPP expert system yielding better trajectories.