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Axel D. Dente, J. P. Franco and E. R. Danizio

Ground Segment – Aerospace and Government Division

08 - 03 – 2017 - 1st IAA Latin American Symposium on Small Satellites

Highlights on engineering process for satellite operations:

phases, procedures, tools and training concepts

Sociedad del Estado

Empresa de Tecnología

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RESUME

• General idea of Operational phases for LEO and GEO

• Building Flight Procedures

• People Training (engineers and operators)

• Operational campaigns (LEOP/IOT)

• Reducing Operational Cost for Low-Cost Satellites

• Conclusions

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OPS STANDARDS

ESA

• ECSS-E-ST-70C (2008)

NASA

• NASA Systems Engineering Handbook (NASA/SP-2007-6105 Rev1)

AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics)

• Satellite Mission Operations Best Practices (2003)

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OPS PHASES

Mission Analysis

and Concept

Definition

Process Definition

Mission Data

Development

Qualification

Execution and

Support Disposition

GS Tools; Flight Procedures

+ Individual validation

System Validation

System Qualification

+ People Trained

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MISSION ANALYSIS AND CONCEPT DEFINITION

NASA Systems Engineering Handbook

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OPERATIONAL VALIDATION

Ground

DB

Flight

DB

Operational

DB

Mission Operations

Data Validation

FM

Spacecraft

GS HW

Verified

GS Tools

Verified

Operational Qualification Plan

S/C

Simulator

Verified

Operations

Teams

Trained

FD

Verified

Operations

Training Plan

Simulation &

Rehearsal Plan

SVT

Ground Segment

Validation Plan

Mission Operation Plan

(MOP)

Flight Procedures

NOM+CONTINGENCY

Operational Validation

Ground Segment

Validated

Operational Readiness

Review

Planner

Verified

ESA ECSS Tailoring

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OPS MILESTONES

OKO: Operations Kick Off

POR: Preliminary Operations Review

IOR: Intermediate Operations Review

COR: Critical Operations Review

OVRR: Operations Validation Readiness Review

ORR: Operations Readiness Review

IOAR: In Orbit Acceptance Review

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BUILDING FLIGHT PROCEDURES

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BUILDING FLIGHT PROCEDURES

Procedure List: Divided in phases …

Launch and Early

Orbit Phase

(LEOP)

In Orbit Test (IOT) Routine

Operations

NOMINAL CONTIGENCY

Lift Off End of

LEOP

End of

Test End of

Mission

LEOP IOT Routine

… and by nominal or contingency:

Phases identification

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BUILDING FLIGHT PROCEDURES

Analysis for contingency Procedures

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BUILDING FLIGHT PROCEDURES

Start

Research Development Validation

Final Delivery

Flight Operation Procedures Development

and Validation Process

Key: Configurable Procedures

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TRAINING

TRAINING

Operation Engineers

Operators

• Methodology: On The Job Training (OJT)

• Use of Satellite Simulator

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TRAINING

Theoretical Training

It involves the reading of the documentation generated by prime contractor

Satellite Experts and also the documentation associated to the Ground

Segment tools.

Operation engineers shall be divided into groups in which their members

concentrate their knowledge on different specialized areas.

Practical Training

Operation engineers shall participate in the following instances:

EM/FM Integration and Functional Test

Satellite Simulator Rehearsals

FM TVAC

Simulation phase

All instances will help trainees acquire knowledge of and operative experience

in the satellite and its control software

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LEOP/IOT CAMPAIGNS

Lift Off End of LEOP End of IOT

LEOP IOT

LEOP: depends on the mission type.

• LEO: LEOP is very short. Includes the first orbits of the satellite.

• GEO: LEOP is defined by the nominal apogee strategy to get the

final satellite orbit position.

IOT depends on the agreement between Customer and satellite

manufacturer. It is important to get an agree at early stages of the

project.

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LEOP/IOT CAMPAIGNS

LEOP & IOT Support:

• Support from Operation Teams and Subsystem Specialist

• LEOP and IOT usually demand high amount of specialist

Lift Off End of LEOP End of IOT

LEOP IOT

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Reducing OPS Cost for Low-Cost Satellites

Keys for reducing Operational Costs

• Ground Segment Automation

• Design Ground Segment Tools for multiple missions

• Use of On Board Control Procedures (OBCP)

• Reinforce the Remote Support for LEOP and IOT

Campaigns

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CONCLUSIONS

• Analyze satellite behavior and mainly mission

objective with the main objective of prepare an early

list of nominal and contingency procedures.

• Important to include a satellite operation engineer

from early time

• To define a strongly and low cost oriented training

strategy

• Optimize logistics and human resources follow

LEOP/IOT campaign scheduling

• Design systems for more autonomous operations.

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Thanks for your attention!!!

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Backup

Slides

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OPERATIONAL PHASES

ESA

Identify

characteristics

and constraints

and assess

feasibility

Complete ground

segment design

down to level of

ground systems

and initiate

production

Assemble,

integrate

and test

ground

segment

Train

teams &

validate

full

ground

segment

Identify

requirements on

the ground

segment and

define the ground

segment baseline

Procure

ground

segment

systems

Operate and

exploit mission

in-orbit

Dispose

of space

segment

Ground Segment

Engineering

Processes

Ground Segment

Phase

Mission/operational

analysis and

feasibility

Ground segment

preliminary

design

Ground segment

detailed design

Acquire orbit

and mission

configuration

and in-orbit

commissioning

Ground

segment

production

LEOP and

commissioning

Routine

operationsDisposal

A B C D

SPACE SYSTEM LEVEL PHASES AND REVIEWS

A B C D E1 F0

ORR

IOORsMDR PRR SRR

CRR

PDR CDR QR/AR

ORR

FRR

LRR

MCRCRR

ELR

E2

OBJECTIVE

Ground Segment

Reviews

Operations

Engineering

Processes

Operations

Reviews

Perform operations

analysis and develop

operations concept

Specify user

requirements

Define operational interfaces

Operational

validation

Dispose

of ground

segmentMaintain ground segment

Validate

mission

operations

data

OQR

Ground

segment

AIT

Verify

ground

segment

Prepare mission operations data

GSPDR GSCDR

GSSRR

GSQR

Mission analysis

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INVAP TAYLORING

LEO and GEO point of view is the same

• Some differences

• DB

• Operations sequence

• LEOP Sequence of Events strategy

• Contingencies operations

• Timing

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INVAP TAYLORING

OPERATIONS LIFE CYCLES

Phase A

Mission and Operational Analysis,

feasibility studies and conceptual

design

Activities:

Identify and characterize the Ground Segment

Operational Feasibility and needs

Expected performance and reliabilitiy, availability ,

maintainnability, and safety objectives

Phase B

Define the GS Baseline, capability to

meet the GS Requirements and prepare

the neccesary procurements for the

production of the GS

By Customer

Activities:

Ground System Requirements specifications

Mission Analisys

Operational Analisys and Concept development

Operations Engineering plan production

Contribution to GS and Systems requirements

specifications

By Customer

Phase C

Detailed Design

To complete the design of the GS and

to start the production

Activities:

Operation Working Plan

Operational Interfaces definition

Mission Analysis

By Prime Contractor

REVIEW

PORAcceptance by the customer of the detailed about

Ground Operations Design

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INVAP TAYLORING

OPERATIONS LIFE CYCLES

Phase D

Integrate into an Operational GS ready

to support the in-orbit operations and

exploitation of the space segment

Activities:

Operational Validations Plan

Mission Operation Data Validation

Operations Team build-up and training

Operational Validation

By Prime Contractor

REVIEW

Divided into 4 phases:

Ground Segment Production

Ground Segment AIT and verification

Misssion Operations data Validation - COR

Operational Validation – ORR

Note: The results of the ORR shall be presented at the

FRR

Phase E

Mission Operations

Activities:

LEOP Operations Phase

IOT Payload Phase

Handover

By Prime Contractor

REVIEW

IOAR

In-Orbit Acceptance Review

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MISSION INFORMATION RECOVERING

Mission objectives: Specification

Platform Specification: Where? Special

Conditions?

Life Specification:

• Propellant Life

• Life Design

Payload Specification

Launcher constraints.

Ground station characteristics.

Spacecraft constraints.

Mission-specific constraints

Payload constraints.

Data flow constraints.

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IDENTIFYING PHASES & TASK

PHASES

• Critical phases

• Critical phases include Launch and

Early Operations Phase (LEOP),

commissioning, orbital insertion,

parking.

• Routine phases

• Routing phases include mission

exploitation, cruise, and hibernation.

TASKs

• Critical Mission Operations

• Routine Mission Operations

• Reporting