Learning from the EOS Level-Zero Processing and Ground Systems Experience
- Paper number
IAC-08.B4.7.7
- Author
Mr. Guy Cordier, Lockheed Martin Mission Services, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Carlos Gomez-Rosa, NASA, United States
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Purpose In this paper the authors report on their experience with the EOS Ground systems to promote a collaborative effort and to share their perspective regarding ground systems to service future Earth Observing Missions. Methodology Lessons learned along the way with successfully applying new methodologies help to envision, project, and include design features for the next best approach to fulfill future missions’ objectives in their respective context. The desired attributes are that the systems should be compact, autonomous, transparent, standardized, cost efficient, with easy operations, widely accessible, easily upgradable with built in redundancy and with reduced risk and cost. Scheduling should be done at a high level and with very few people involved. All submitted schedule information should be sent from the scheduling tool down the chain to each ground station and each physical system involved there. Manual assistance or intervention from local staff is reduced at a minimum; not required at all during normal operations. Standardized interfaces are a prerequisite. Single unit for data receivers, capture and data processing should be considered. In order to support low cost missions, these systems should be able to automatically support multiple missions after an initial menu driven setup. Easy upgrade process is made available via broadcast updates to multiple systems at a time. Design features enabling a ground system that will automatically verify its correct operations / state by doing background self testing and verifications, end-to-end. All stations have at least 2 identical antennas. All antennas have 2 RF uplink and downlink chains; 2 commanding chains and 2 data capture chains. All data is placed in a local repository with built-in redundancy. Output data is available at several points / interfaces in the chains. Capture systems can access the data repository via redundant, local high-speed network for file transfers. Switch matrices are gone. File transfer is the data interface between systems - not ECL clock and data. Results Experience with the recent upgrades of the EDOS system has been using modular, standard components, and off-the-shelf components and interfaces like web-browsers have demonstrated how multiple missions can be supported allowing low cost missions to have ground station support at a low cost for an existing service. Conclusion The authors will evaluate the different aspects associated with the trends noted above. An interactive discussion at the conference would enable the participants to contribute toward the development and formulation of the next ground systems.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)