Space Link Extension Research Articles

Ral ground station for small missions

A 12.5 m S Band ground station was installed at Chilton in 1980. It was used as the prime ground station for the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) and later for command and control of the UK Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer mission (AMPTE). More recently, it has been brought back into use for the low cost and more autonomous operations with the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite and is being prepared for the UK Space Technology Research Vehicle (STRV) and two polar orbiter missions. This paper reviews, after 18 months of operations, the performance achieved in supporting ACE with the autonomous systems put in place at Chilton as well as, the cost effectiveness. Maintenance of an ageing antenna has been a challenge and is discussed. More automatic systems are planned for STRV including prototyping work on the new CCSDS standards for Space Link Extension services which should allow interoperability between the STRV Control Centre and the two UK antennas at Chilton and West Freugh. The advent of polar orbiting operations will increase the need for multi-satellite operations (i.e. ACE, STRV, Moroccosat and Badr-B will be operating together) and the need for contention resolution and rapid switching between the missions. New equipment standards and web-based systems play a key role in the achievements reported.