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Virtual Mission Operations of Remote Sensors with Rapid Access to/from Space

SpaceOps 2010

April 26-30, 2010

AIAA-2010-2305

Will Ivancic

william.d.ivancic@nasa.gov

+1 (216) 433-3494

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VMOC

NOCNOCNOC

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Stored data transferred to ground

Sensor

1Seismic Sensor alerts VMOC

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Space Sensor acquires data (e.g. image)

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Network Control Center Configures Spacecraft via

VMOCVMOC negotiates for ground station

services

VMOC negotiates for ground station

services

2 2

VMOC negotiates for Space Assets

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3

Network Control Center Configures

Ground Assets

Network Control Center Configures

Ground Assets

Stored data transferred to ground (Large file

transfer over multiple ground stations)

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The Goal

Space Based Sensorweb – Completed

• Demonstrated IPv6 and IPsec between ground and space using Cisco Router in Low Earth Orbit (CLEO)

• Use of Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) for large image transfers from space– Demonstrated Proactive Fragmentation– Demonstrated Reactive Fragmentation– Demonstrated Store and Forward using DTN2 Reference Implementation on the

ground– Contributed to code to enable large files to pass as bundles.

• Operational Infrastructure in place at Universal Space Network– Access to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) Disaster Monitoring

Constellation (DMC) satellites is part of their operational networks in Alaska, Hawaii and Australia

• Machine-to-Machine autonomous scheduling of space-based assets– General Dynamics receives trigger form United States Geological Survey (USGS)

and schedules contacts with SSTL UK-DMC (mirrored, not live due to cost to for SSTL to implement ).

– Note, Autonomously scheduling Universal Space Network (USN) assets was not performed.

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UKDMC

The Cape of Good Hope and False Bay. False colours – red is vegetation. Taken by UK-DMC satellite at 08:27 UTC, Wednesday, 27 August 2008.

Downloaded using bundling over Saratoga, with proactive fragmentation. Fragments assembled at NASA Glenn, then postprocessed at Surry Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL).

First sensor imagery delivered by bundles from space.

SSTL UK-DMC.

1st onboard router (CLEO), IPv4 mobile-IP, IPv4 IPsec, IPv6, Bundles from space, proactive and reactive bundling.

www.dmcii.com

Space Based Sensorweb – Future Work

• Machine-to-Machine autonomous scheduling of space-based assets– Automatically task actual UK-DMC

• Phase 2 - Up & Download through SSTL, UK• Phase 3 – Upload through SSTL, UK & Download to selected

Ground station (SSTL, UK or potentially USN Alaska)• Phase 4 – Upload through selected Ground station & Download to

selected Ground station– Note, Autonomously scheduling USN assets was not performed.

• Currently use email.– Can easily be automated, but...

• USN developed a web service interface for Machine-to-Machine communications.

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Space/Ground Network

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HomeAgent(GRC)

SSTLGuildford England

VMOC-1(GRC)

Open Internet

VMOCDatabase

SatelliteScheduler

& Controller

NICT Koganei

Ground Station

UK-DMC/CLEO

Universal Space NetworkGround Network

Alaska, Hawaii and Australia

Automated Service Requests

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Machine-to-Machine Autonomous Scheduling

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Event Trigger

DetermineGround Stations' Availabilities

Determine UK-DMCAvailabilities

Pick NextBest Time

ScheduleUK-DMC

ScheduleGround Stations

Scheduling Complete

CONFLICT

SUCCESS

SUCCESS

CONFLICT

Sensor Web

Retrieve Senor Data

Build task Request

Determine available contacts

Request New Contact from

USN

Send Task Request to SSTL

Select Correct Opportunity

Get Contact Load

Authorize Sensor Request

Authorizing UserEvaluate Event

Aperture

Select available USN contact

Contacts Sufficient? New

Request

NoUpdate task request with

contact information

SSTL Uplink Contact?

No

Stage Contact Load

Wait for Contact

Done

USN

SSTL

Get Event Configuration Information

Auth Bypass?

Yes

No

Update Scheduled Contact List

Yes

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2

1

3

45

6

11

10

98

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1615

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13

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Opportunities Match?

USN Contact Used?

YesNo

Yes

Choose best contact

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2021

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Yes

No

SAAS PHASE 1

Secure Autonomous Automated Scheduling Data Flow

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Machine-to-Machine Autonomous Scheduling of Space and Ground assets

• Sensor Trigger is USGS seismic notification– Trigger is adjustable

• VMOC requests UK-DMC satellite contact availability from SSTL Mission Planning System (mirrored operation to date)

• VMOC returns possible contact times and well as potential improvement via use of USN assets.– VMOC / USN automated scheduling has not been implemented– USN currently uses email, but is looking aT web services

• User Submits Request– Could be automated, but currently user approval is required as

submission results in actual cost to the User/Organization

Great Lakes Operation CenterVMOC Structure

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SAAS VMOC User

Web Container

USER INTERFACE

SSTL MPS Web

Services

USGS Connection via Internet

USN GroundApp

API

SSTL GroundApp

API

AdminApp

API

TacticalApp

API

MissionApp

API

USN FTP Interface

via Internet

AGI STK MODELS

API API

Great Lakes Operation Center – GLOC

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Tactical – Earthquake Tasks

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Earthquakes (Threshold set to Magnitude = 2)

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Task Reports with Priority

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Map Showing Location of Event

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Mission – UK-DMC Collection Management

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Task Request Details and Submission

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VMOC for System Troubleshooting

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Department of Defense use of the VMOC

• TacSat-4: ONR HEO Theater Communication Relay– VMOC I/F w/ TacSat-4 provides risk reduction for the ORS-1– Operations intend to begin Oct 2010 (assuming no schedule slip)

• ORS-1: First OpSat being readied for launch in the Nov 2010– Intermediate architecture as step toward Operationally Responsive

Space (ORS) 2015 Ground System Enterprise (GSE)• Integration of VMOC with: PRISM, MMSOC GSA, and DCGS

– VMOC / PRISM I/F allows theater to request tasking of ORS assets using the same tool they use to task air breathing platforms with added automated feedback

– VMOC / Multi Mission Satellite Operations Center Ground System Enterprise (MMSOC GSA) I/F allows automated sensor tasking based on detailed mission models and predetermined ground station schedule

– VMOC / Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) I/F provides a commonly formatted file needed to acquire and track ORS-1

• Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC):– Spring ‘11 90 day eval of VMOC as JSpOC Mission System Prototype

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Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS)

• Radios:– Downlink uses standard satellite modems and uplink uses amateur

radio at 9.6 kbps– Doppler adjusted at the ground station

• Uplink and downlink Data link is Frame Relay/HDLC/IP• All space communication use Internet Protocols• Integration of systems performed using standard Web-based services

and service oriented architecture including machine-to-machine autonomous operations

• Use of COTS Internet Protocols and Web-based standard services dramatically reduces cost and improves integration time

• SSTL’s networks and satellite all managed locally and remotely using IP technology

• USN networks managed remotely using IP technology such as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

• Space Links end at the ground stations. None are extended. – No use of CCSDS SLE-TM or CCSDS SLE-Service Management

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Questions/Thank You

Additional Detail

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HomeAgent(GRC)

Battlefield Operations

(Vandenberg AFB)

Segovia NOC

2nd Ground Station

VMOC-2(GRC)

SSTL

VMOC-1

Open Internet

VMOCDatabase

ExperimentsWorkstationSatellite

Scheduler& Controller

Rate MismatchProblem

Desire is to buffer locally

while in sight of the satellite

then redistribute to the VMOC

<<- Time <<-

Large File TransferOver Multiple Ground Stations

- The Problem -

Ideal LARGE Image Transfer – Multiple Ground Stations(New Capability – Application Being Developed)

Home Agent

VMOC

Open Internet

VMOCDatabase

SatelliteScheduler

& Controller

Ground Station 3

Ground Station 2Ground

Station 1

->> Time ->>

Large File TransferOver Multiple Ground Stations- DTN is a Potential Solution -

DTN Bundle AgentIntermediary

DTN Bundle AgentIntermediary

DTN Bundle AgentIntermediary

DTN Bundle AgentSink

Home Agent

VMOC

Open Internet

VMOCDatabase

SatelliteScheduler

& Controller

Ground Station 3

Ground Station 2Ground

Station 1

->> Time ->>

DTN Bundle AgentSource

DTN Bundle Agent

Sink

Combining Mobile-IP and DTN for File Upload

One may be able to use Contact Graph Routing,But Mobile-IP May be a lot

Easier to Implement.

Could be potentialSMDC

“Technology Scout”

Experiment

Large File Transfers using DTN

• First successful test August 27 and 28, 2008– Demonstrate DTN Bundle Transfer from UK-DMC to SSTL Ground

Station.– Demonstrate that DTN code and general SSTL code can coexist

without effecting normal SSTL Operations.• Configuration

– UK-DMC acquired a 150 Mbyte image.– DTN bundling code default set to 80 Mbytes for proactive

fragmentation.• Tests (All Successful)

– Basic file download using existing technique (GRC Saratoga).– Same file downloaded but treated as single bundle (DTN).– Same file download but using DTN proactive fragmentation with 80

Mbytes preconfigured fragments. (Somewhere in the downloads we want to make sure we download the sysconfig that has the MD5 payload checksum).

– Basic file download using SSTL Saratoga

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Multi-Terminal Large File Transfers using DTN

• September 30 and October 1, 2009 successfully demonstrated multi-terminal large file transfers using DTN and ground stations in Alaska and Hawaii– Demonstrated proactive fragmentation– Demonstrated Store and Forward of ground infrastructure

• Ground station held bundles until routes were established– Demonstrated reactive fragmentation between Hawaii ground

station bundle agent and GRC bundle agent. • Configuration

– UK-DMC acquired a 150 Mbyte image.– DTN bundling code default set to 80 Mbytes for proactive

fragmentation.

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Multi-Terminal Large File Transfers using DTN

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Multi-Terminal Large File Transfers – Procedure

1. Use Satellite Tool Kit to determine UK-DMC contact times with Ground Stations – UK-DMC high-rate passes require sunlight operations to conserve

battery power

2. Check USN Operations Schedule for ground station availability

3. Reserve USN ground station time via email request

4. Request SSTL Operations via email

5. Check new USN operation schedule to confirm reservation and check SSTL confirmation. If steps 3 or 4 fail repeat with step 1 to determine new time.

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Example Schedule Request for USN Operations