E-USOC and the GeoFlow experiment operations

Paper number

IAC-08.A2.5.3

Author

Ms. Ana Frutos Pastor, E-USOC, Spain

Coauthor

Mr. Jacobo Rodriguez, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

Year

2008

Abstract

E-USOC is the Spanish User Support and Operations Centre, one of the ten
similar centres distributed at different locations in Europe. These centres
perform the operations of experiments on board the Columbus Module, the
main contribution from the European Space Agency (ESA) to the International
Space Station (ISS).

The first mission for E-USOC on the Columbus laboratory consists of executing
the GeoFlow experiment, inside the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL). This
experiment studies the movement and behaviour of a fluid contained in between
two concentric spheres, representing the geophysical fluid inside the Earth.
Interferometry images of the processes in the fluid are taken to be studied
afterwards.

The GeoFlow Experiment Container was launched on Space Shuttle Atlantis
with the Columbus Module and will be installed inside the FSL by a member of
the ISS crew. Once placed in the facility, E-USOC operators will use telescience
to operate the experiment from their control room: Telecommands will be sent
to control the different GeoFlow subsystems, and telemetry and scientific
images from the experiment will be received.

Achieving successful results from the experiment is a challenging mission,
starting in March 2008 and continuing until October 2008, when the GeoFlow
Experiment Container will be removed from the FSL rack and stowed for its
return to ground.

The paper will present a general description of the project, address the
preparation and execution of such a complex mission and provide an overview
of the activities and responsibilities of E-USOC. Furthermore, it will describe the
cooperation between the international partners and present the lessons learned
from this project.

Abstract document

IAC-08.A2.5.3.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-08.A2.5.3.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.