Spacecraft Operations Training Centre: a Cost and Time Efficient Solution for Operations Training

Paper number

IAC-06-D1.3.01

Author

Mr. Christian D. Bodemann, VEGA Informations - Technologien GmbH, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Filippo De Rose, VEGA Group, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Joachim Ochs, VEGA Informations - Technologien GmbH, Germany

Year

2006

Abstract

Several hundred spacecraft are operated currently world-wide and the number is growing. With that, the demand for suitably trained operators and engineers is increasing.
Also, the demand for trained personnel fluctuates with the high turnover that
currently exists on certain missions. In the past, it was possible to train the operators
while the mission was planned and prepared. Today the situation has changed, as most
satellites are procured “off the shelf” and not developed on demand. While all the long
standing spacecraft operating entities have their own internal training, new organisations
have problems to find appropriate sources of qualified personnel or training. On the one
hand, training from spacecraft manufacturers is tailored to their own needs, and on the
other, universities do not provide operations engineers. Thus, the current problem is that
there are just few options to train operators.

Training on the job is the most common solution but is one of the most time and
cost intensive. It requires an experienced operator, who is difficult to hire and expensive,
while it costs too much time over a long period. The other solution is to buy “external”
training from spacecraft manufacturers. However, these courses have been set up for
their own purposes and can be quite satellite specific or too theoretical. If the training is
mission specific, it can be long and expensive. Regardless of the solution used, a realistic learning environment is needed. Normally this is the mission control system, with some form of mission planning facility, along with the spacecraft simulator and other critical components of a ground segment. The availability of these for learning purposes is in reality quite limited and expensive, especially during the ground segment development and validation phase. Moreover, the “in-house” practical training experience and skills can often be low quality.

For the past years, VEGA has developed the Spacecraft Operations Training Centre
as a new and alternative solution. It combines a realistic learning environment with a
training course based on practical experience. The Spacecraft Operations Training Centre is composed of a Training Mission Control System, a Spacecraft Mission Simulator and other tools to support the training. It is based on the extensive in-house spacecraft operations experience of VEGA, which has grown for the past 25 years working for numerous clients, including the European Space Agency, EUMETSAT, EUTELSAT, INMARSAT, ASTRA, EADS and NASA’s JPL. The aim of the paper is to show how this new approach of operations training can save costs and time to the benefit of the spacecraft operating organisation.

Abstract document

IAC-06-D1.3.01.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-D1.3.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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