P1246341517DIzZm

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Telescience and Space Missions Operations at the
Belgian User Support and Operation Centre J.
Vanhaverbeke1, R. Coszach1, E. Haumont1, D.
Moreau1, C. Muller1, X. Stockman1, J.
Wisemberg1, C.Lippens2, C. Noël2, E. Van
Ransbeeck2, R. Vanlaer 3, P.Queeckers4, M.
Lefebvre5, S. Varet5 jeremie.vanhaverbeke_at_busoc.
be 1 Belgian User Support and Operation Centre,
B-USOC, Brussels, Belgium 2 Belgian Institute
for Space Aeronomy, BISA, Brussels, Belgium 3
Department of Metallurgy and Materials
Engineering, MTM, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven,
Belgium 4 Microgravity Research Centre, MRC,
Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels,
Belgium 5 Royal Meteorological Institute, RMI,
Brussels, Belgium
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In this presentation

• 1) B-USOC participation in four international
  space missions
• 2 Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights
• NASA STS-107 HitchHiker Mission
• ESA NASA Mission
• Description
• ground segment implemented
• specific role of the B-USOC
• interactions with the partner operation
  centres
• 2) Lessons learned for the future involvement in
  the European
• Columbus project on ISS, and the PICARD
  project (TBC)

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Introduction

• Assignments of the B-USOC
• promote space research programmes and flight
  opportunities,
• provide support to scientists in various
  research fields
• microgravity, earth sciences, space
  sciences and
• space technology
• Support from Belgium to numerous missions since
  1983
• Europe onboard ISS
• decentralized and hierarchical User Centres
  concept
• responsibility to handle in-flight operations
  assigned to
• national User Support and Operations
  Centres (USOCs)

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights
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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights
OdISSea Mission presentation This mission to the
International Space Station using a Russian Soyuz
Taxi-flight was performed by Belgium (Federal
Science Policy) with the support of ESA, RKK
Energia, and NASA. This ten days mission was
launched on October 30th 2002 from Baïkonour and
returned on November 10th 2002 in
Kazakhstan. During this Mission an European
Astronaut of Belgian nationality, Frank De Winne,
member of the European Astronaut Corps of ESA
performed a large scientific programme with the
collaboration of the Russian cosmonauts, Sergei
Zalyotin as commander and Yuri Lonchakov as
flight engineer and of the resident Crew, the
Expedition-5 crew Peggy Whitson, Valeri Korzun,
Sergei Treschev.
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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Experiments Belgian experiments
• Experimental programme composed of 24
  experiments
• Life science (biology, microbiology,
  physiology)
• Physical science (Fluid Science - diffusion,
  Material Science
• crystallization, combustion, 4 Microgravity
  Science Glovebox)
• Earth Science (ionosphere study)
• Education (physical phenomena in space,
  radio-amateur )
• 16 under the responsibility of Belgian Principal
  Investigators (PIs)
• Belgian industry and B-USOC members offered all
  their technological know-how in the design
  definition and development of the experimental
  hardware and software

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights
International Ground Segment Operations conducted
in the the Russian and American Modules of ISS,
by an ESA crew International operational
ground segment to link involved centres
across Europe, USA and Russia, using the
Decentralized ESA Interconnection Ground
Subnetwork-Phase1
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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Belgian Ground Segment
• Three types of communication links used in the
  B-USOC operations control room, hosting most of
  the Belgian PIs
• ESA IGS (ISDN lines) data, voice and video
  services
• Internet (VPN) web-based services, backup of
  IGS data and video
• Telephone network backup of IGS voice
• Two Belgian User Home Bases (Université Libre de
  Bruxelles and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
  universities) remotely followed the mission in
  real-time via
• Internet scientific data and video
• Telephone network

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights
OdISSea Ground Segment Infrastructure
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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights
B-USOC Control Room
Console Positions           a Support PI for
Experiment 1 (e.g. Experiment leaders and/or
industrial support)           b PI for
Experiment 1           c B.USOC Science
Coordinator (supported by B.USOC Science
Support)           d PI for Experiment 2
          e Support PI for Experiment 2 (e.g.
Experiment leaders and/or industrial
support)           f B.USOC Ground
Infrastructure Coordinator           g g
B.USOC Operations Coordinators
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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Belgian Ground Segment
• Data
• B-USOC Ground capability composed of IGS and
  Internet connected workstations with all tools
• MSG experiments telemetry NASA TReK, PACRATS
  and MSG Ground Displays (GD)
• ISS telemetry, mission/stage timers, AOS/LOS,
  orbit parameters and position
  of Soyuz and ISS NASA WATTS, McsBev
• Mission planning and procedures ESA CEPP NASA
  EHS applications (as PIMS),
  MPV,
  OSTPV
• Telecommanding to one PromISS MSG experiment
  NASA TReK and X-windows
  interface to MSFC servers
• Operation Change Requests (mission timeline,
  crew procedures) exchanges between
  mission
  centres ESA OCMS NASA OCR (in PIMS)
• E-mails exchanges between operation consoles
  in all Partner Centres
• For the scientists acquire and further
  process data, install needed applications,
  write reports,
  access web applications
• UHBs Ground capability Internet workstations
  NASA TReK, PACRATS, MSG GD, ESA CEPP

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Belgian Ground Segment
• Voice
• NASA HVoDS (HOSC-managed Voice Distribution
  System) connected
• to the ESA IGS network
• two keysets at B-USOC for voice conferencing
• access to Russian Space to Ground voice loop
  via Houston
• Telephone lines
• contacts with UHBs and any involved teams
• backup of the HVoDS system

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Belgian Ground Segment
• Video
• Relevant mission Scientific, Educational and
  Public Relations video
• videoconferencing system linked to ESOC IGS
  video matrix (ISDN)
• Internet to connect to dedicated ESOC
  videostreaming servers
• Satellite ground terminal allowing reception
  of Eutelsat quality video
• Belgian UHBs Internet access to ESOC
  videostreaming servers
• Videostreaming webcams at B-USOC accessed from
• partner operations centres -
  UHBs - scientists _at_ home -
• Brussels Planétarium (OdISSea Mission
  Centre for the Belgian public)

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Operations
• International Coordination
• Specific roles distributed to international
  centres involved in the
  
• overall operations NASA ESA RKK Energia
• MCC-M mission coordination operations,
  planning, crew and vehicle safety on RS
• MCC-H ISS crew mission operations, ISS
  planning, crew and vehicle safety on USOS
• MSFC POIC payloads operations on USOS including
  MSG experiments
• MSFC MSG TSC MSG facility command and control,
  support and troubleshooting, MSG experiments
  tele-operations
• ESTEC TOCC operations coordination of
  experiments on RS and USOS, interface
• with MCC-M and
  MSFC-POIC/-MSG TSC
• EAC medical operations and astronaut support
• ESOC services related to the operation of IGS
  Phase-1 communication infrastructure

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Operations
• BUSOC accommodated
• Science Payload Operations Team (B-USOC
  Operation Managers and
• Science Coordinators) 6 members
• Main science coordination and operations for
  Belgian experimental program
• and scientific support to the mission
• Real pro-active role of B-USOC main authority
  of Belgian experimental
• program for experiments follow-on,
  troubleshooting, PromISS MSG commanding
• Ground Infrastructure Team (B-USOC Ground
  Operations Coordinators and
• Belgian SROC Ground Operations/Telescience
  members) 5 members
• Overall Belgian ground segment coordination
  and maintenance
• Public Relations Team (B-USOC and Federal
  Science Policy members)
• Coordination and implementation of PR for
  Belgian events

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Operations
• Relations with international centres
• Operations performed with very good coordination
  and collaboration, particularly between B-USOC
  and
• MSG TSC excellent and efficient performance in
  the recovery of PromISS
• (activation problem), COSMIC operations
  coordination
• MSFC POIC coordination of PromISS
  Telecommanding
• ESTEC TOCC day-to-day coordination (science,
  ground) and operations
• ESOC efficient monitoring and fast recovery of
  IGS services

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Operations
• Organization and functioning
• Voice contacts 1 keyset for OMs, 1 for SCs,
  telephone lines for GCs
• Console positions roles well performed
• Continuous mission status available (good
  communication, console
• logs and reports)
• Shift Operations
• Main activity cycle (on-console support 14 to 16
  hours/day) driven by
• Experimental timeline
• Related crew activity period (defined as Crew
  Wake-up 0830 UTC
• and Crew Sleep 0000 UTC)

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Operations
• Collaboration with scientists
• Most of the scientists and industry
  representatives gathered at B-USOC, and excellent
  cooperation during interventions
• Quasi instantaneous responses during experiment
  manipulations
• Interactions with partners for procedures
  changes
• Development of new or recovery procedures
• Analysis of data and video on the spot with
  upload of 2 correction tables for
• PromISS and GO / NO GO decision for COSMIC
• Planning and requests for scientific video
  requirements
• Discussion with ESA SCs (for Life and Physical
  experiments)
• Interfaces with UHBs
• Regular contacts allowed in-depth view of the
  various aspects of the experiment status, and of
  the resolution of issues

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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights
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Russian Soyuz Taxi-Flights

• Cervantes Mission
• Mission performed by Spain (ESA Astronaut Pedro
  Duque) with ESA support (Oct 2003)
• Large scientific programme 18 experiments
  (with 6 Spanish and 7 Belgian new or
• re-flights) in the same research fields as
  for OdISSea
• Almost the same responsibilities for B-USOC
  during the operations
• Ground Segment re-use of the formerly
  implemented infrastructure
• Improvements access to MCC-H mission gateway
  (JEDI, STP, EFN) Belgian ULB/MRC UHB has gain
  access to IGS mission quality videos forwarded
  from B-USOC and to the ESA OCMS system and all
  experiments were great successes.
• Operational team working at B-USOC involved
  people from the Belgian SROC and the Belgian
  KULeuven UHB Ground Operations/Telescience teams.
• Further opportunity to extend the know-how of the
  Belgian operational community, and to demonstrate
  its ability to be successfully involved in
  real-time operations

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NASA STS-107 HitchHiker Mission
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NASA STS-107 HitchHiker Mission

• SOLCON
• B-USOC hosted the Belgian Remote SOLCON (Solar
  Constant) Payload Operation and Control Centre
  (POCC)
• SOLCON implemented in the context of Fast
  Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology
  and Research (FREESTAR), total control from
  ground
• Mission roles and responsibilities shared
  between international partners JSC Space Shuttle
  Program, GSFC Hitchhiker Project, GSFC Attached
  Shuttle Payload Center, Belgian SOLCON POCC
• Operational team included the SOLCON PIs, and
  ground infrastructure controllers from both SROC
  and B-USOC
• Ground segment implemented using both IGS and
  Internet networks for HVoDS, data reception and
  monitoring, commanding, timelines visibility,
  Shuttle tracking
• SOLCON operation was a very good preparation for
  the future SOLAR Monitoring Observatory
  (SMO) PICARD Mission Centre (TBC)

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ESA NASA PromISS 3 Mission
PromISS 3
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ESA NASA PromISS 3 Mission

• Experiment evolution
• Digital Holography Interferometric Microscope
  used to study the crystallization of
  proteins in microgravity conditions for a better
  understanding of the fundamental processes
  underlying the crystallization process.
• PromISS 1 (OdISSea) 10 days mission,
  Preliminary results show that the instrument
  was strongly affected by vibrations and the
  temperature profile of the mission (bad impact
  on the quality of the obtained results)
• PromISS 2 (Cervantes) upgraded version of
  the FM hardware, 6 PromISS experimental cells
  successfully analyzed with the optical diagnostic
  payload
• PromISS 3 re-flight of PromISS 2, but with
  an investigation of the experimental cells into
  the Digital Holography Microscope during 30 days
• Operations
• First long-term ESA NASA collaboration for an
  experiment on-board ISS
• B-USOC European responsible centre for
  operations (science follow-on and routine matters
  resolution), with support from NASA MSG TSC, ESA
  ESTEC Operation Centre and ESA ESOC Ground
  Segment Management Centre

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• Conclusions
• Lessons learned

• OdISSea and Cervantes were first steps in
  coordinating ISS Operations with multiple
  partners across continents, depending on each
  other to reach mission success, with successful
  involvement of National User Support Operations
  Centres
• OdISSea, Cervantes and PromISS 3 offered a
  remarkable opportunity for all teams to acquire
  understanding of ISS processes, and experience in
  using operational infrastructure and tools that
  are precursor to those currently under
  development to support Columbus payload
  operations
• The benefit of the participation in Soyuz, STS
  and ISS missions for a user site such as B-USOC
  is a real scenario to understand the issues in
  operating payloads in the ISS environment
  considering that all European payloads in US-Lab
  will be operated in a similar manner
• This may also provide an observation function
  for Columbus development and Operations teams
  looking for early feedback on ISS and Columbus
  tools utilization

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Conclusions Future ISS-COLUMBUS activities
ESA Responsibility Decentralization context
FRCs overall responsibility for a payload
facility (full rack/class-1 payload) FSCs
responsibility for a sub-rack/class-2 payload
(e.g. facility insert, experiment
container, drawer payload, a bioreactor) ESCs
responsibility for single experiments, mainly
focusing on science and experiment
operational matters UHBs investigator's
location at the "home" institutes (typically
national institutions as
universities), who need to obtain the adequate
communication and data processing
infrastructure to make real-time data monitoring
and control of their respective
experiment (e.g. for remote operations)
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Conclusions Future ISS-COLUMBUS activities
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Conclusions Future ISS-COLUMBUS activities
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Conclusions Future ISS-COLUMBUS activities

• USOCs activities
• Increment preparation phase
• Ground segment implementation
• Ground model operations
• Experiment procedure development
• Payload and experiment operations optimization
  and calibration
• Support to crew training activities
• In-orbit payload operations
• Receive facility and experiment data
• Perform, in support of the Columbus Control
  Centre, the operations of the payloads
• they are responsible for

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Conclusions Future ISS-COLUMBUS activities

• Experimental context
• The European Columbus module accommodation
  capabilities for 10 internal/ pressurized payload
  facilities, and up to four external payload
  facilities In this general Columbus framework,
  B-USOC will assume
• The management of the FRC for the external Solar
  Monitoring Observatory
• SOVIM (Royal Meteorological Institute of
  Brussels, Belgium Observatory of DAVOS,
  Switzerland), SOLSPEC (CNRS, France) and SOL-ACES
  (Fraunhofer Institute, Deutschland)
• In collaboration with the ERASMUS (ESTEC USOC)
  FRC for European Drawer Rack (EDR), the
  management of the FSC for the Protein
  Crystallization Diagnostics Facility (PCDF)
• The PCDF is a multi-user instrument and is
  candidate for accommodation in the first EDR
  payload complement.

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Conclusions Future PICARD Microsatellite
activities ?

• As a potential continuation of the ISS Solar
  scientific program, the PICARD microsatellite
  mission will provide simultaneous measurements of
  the solar diameter, differential rotation and
  solar constant to investigate the nature of their
  relations and variabilities. The PICARD's system
  will use most of the basic components of the CNES
  microsatellite product line.
• The PICARD mission center (CMP) will be located
  at the Royal Meteorology Institute of Belgium and
  operated by the B-USOC. This center will be
  mainly dedicated to the in orbit operations of
  the payloads and to the supply of calibrated data
  and preliminary scientific results to scientists.