Abstract
This paper presents the end-to-end design architecture for an autonomous commanding capability to be used on the Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) mission for the uplink of command loads during unattended station contacts. The WIRE mission is the fifth and final mission of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Small Explorer (SMEX) series to be launched in March of 1999. Its primary mission is the targeting of deep space fields using an ultra-cooled infrared telescope. Due to its mission design WIRE command loads are large (approximately 40 Kbytes per 24 hours) and must be performed daily.
To reduce the cost of mission operations support that would be required in order to uplink command loads, the WIRE Flight Operations Team has implemented an autonomous command loading capability. This capability allows completely unattended operations over a typical two-day weekend period. The key factors driving design and implementation of this capability were:
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1)
Integration with already existing ground system autonomous capabilities and systems,
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2)
The desire to evolve autonomous operations capabilities based upon previous SMEX operations experience — specifically the TRACE mission,
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3)
Integration with ground station operations — both autonomous and man-tended,
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4)
Low cost and quick implementation, and
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5)
End-to-end system robustness.
A trade-off study was performed to examine these factors in light of the low-cost, higher-risk SMEX mission philosophy. The study concluded that a STOL (Spacecraft Test and Operations Language) based script, highly integrated with other scripts used to perform autonomous operations, was best suited given the budget and goals of the mission. Each of these factors is discussed in addition to use of the TRACE mission as a testbed for autonomous commanding prior to implementation on WIRE. The capabilities implemented on the WIRE mission are an example of a low-cost, robust, and efficient method for autonomous command loading when implemented with other autonomous features of the ground system. They can be used as a design and implementation template by other missions interested in evolving toward autonomous and lower cost operations.
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Abbreviations
- AOS:
-
Acquisition of Signal
- ATS:
-
Automatic Time Sequence
- CCSDS:
-
Consultive Committee for Space Data Systems
- COP:
-
Command Operation Procedure
- FARM:
-
Frame Acceptance Reporting Mechanism
- FAST:
-
Fast Auroral Snapshot Telemeter
- FOP:
-
Frame Operation Procedure
- FOT:
-
Flight Operations Team
- FTP:
-
File Transfer Protocol
- GSFC:
-
Goddard Space Flight Center
- I&T:
-
Integration and Test
- ITOS:
-
the Integrated Test and Operations System
- LOS:
-
Loss of Signal
- MOC:
-
Mission Operations Center
- NASA:
-
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- SAMPEX:
-
Solar Anomalous Particle Explorer
- SERS:
-
Spacecraft Emergency Response System
- SMEX:
-
Small Explorer
- STOL:
-
Spacecraft Test and Operations Language
- SWAS:
-
Sub-Millimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite
- TCP/IP:
-
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
- TPOCC:
-
Transportable Payload Operations Control Center
- TRACE:
-
Transition Region and Coronal Explorer
- UDP/IP:
-
Uniform Data Packet Internet Protocol
- WIRE:
-
Wide Angel Infrared Explorer
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© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Prior, M., Saylor, R., Walyus, K. (2000). Autonomous Command Operations of the WIRE Spacecraft. In: Miau, JJ., Holdaway, R. (eds) Reducing the Cost of Spacecraft Ground Systems and Operations. Space Technology Proceedings, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9395-3_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9395-3_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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