The SCOS II Mimics System: An Advanced Display Facility for Mission Control Systems

Abstract

This paper describes the work done for the implementation of an advanced mimics facility system, that is part of the ESA latest generation of mission control infrastructure (SCOSII). A mimics system provides an easy to use graphical representation of spacecraft systems and subsystems and allows everyone, specialist and non-specialist, to check the status of on-board components during the processing of telemetry data on the ground. Advanced animation techniques are used to draw the attention of the spacecraft operators to problems and on particular events happening on board; all this without losing the capability of inspecting detailed information if and when required. Mimics systems have been used successfully in several ESA missions and have been demonstrated to be very useful especially in the most critical phases of the mission, like LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase) and instruments commissioning, where operators work under particularly stressful conditions. The paper focuses not only on the concepts and the technical solutions adopted in the implementation but also explains how modern software techniques and object orientation in particular have helped in designing a simple and clean architecture and in keeping the implementation costs down. Finally the paper explains how important was the support from real missions like Huygens and METEOSAT 7, who were in fact the first operational users of the system, for delivering a high quality product.