Improving Spacecraft Operations by Leveraging World Wide Web Technologies

1
Improving Spacecraft Operations by Leveraging
World Wide Web Technologies

• N. Priborsky
• M. Schmidhuber
• LSE GmbH

2
Introduction

• GSOC operates several scientific satellites
  (CHAMP, BIRD, GRACE) and provides Geostationary
  Satellite positioning services (Eutelsat e.g.
  W24, HB6)
• Operations of each mission require
• Multitude of documents such as handbooks,
  databases, flight procedures and sw tools
• Formal communication channels for team
  interaction and communication
• Access to these documents and tools by all
  internal staff as well as external suppliers and
  contractors
• An intranet system is used to assist in mission
  preparation and execution

3
Design goals

• All relevant documents accessible by web browser
• No software installations required on client
• Increase collaboration between team members
• Provision of a standard interface for tool
  development by operators and subsystem engineers
• Reduction of administrative overhead by use of
  web interfaces and user roles
• Development of reusable components that may be
  easily adapted for future missions

4
Services

• Fast access to all relevant documents such as
  handbooks, flight procedures and so on
• Provision of search and query functionality
  allowing fast and efficient look-up of TC and TM
  parameters
• Software tools such as eclipse calculator,
  automatic generation of antenna pointing
  commands, time-tagging tools and mass calculation
• Version control of databases and documents
• Control and monitoring of automated processes and
  access to log files
• Online anomaly report and recommendation creation
  facility, including immediate user alert upon
  reception of new report
• Online log keeping of passes and operators
  activities

5
Content Management

• Administrative overhead reduced by
• User accounts granting privileges for
  administrative tasks
• Shared directories on web server for upload of
  documents
• Provision of web interfaces for
• Adding of new pages
• Administration of databases, anomaly reports and
  recommendations
• Creation of SOE and flight procedures

6
Network Topography

External Server
Any External PC Clients
IP xxx.yyy.qqq.aaa
Internet
Development Server
Firewall / Proxy
OCS PCs in Control Room and Offices
IP xxx.yyy.zzz.bbb
IP xxx.yyy.zzz.aaa
OCS-LAN
IP xxx.yyy.zzz.sss
Internal File Web Server
Display PC in Control Room
IP xxx.yyy.bbb.ttt
Display-LAN
7
Implementation

• Webserver
• Services implemented on server side as either ASP
  scripts or CORBA servants
• Database Access (Read/Write)
• File Distribution (HTML, PDF, DOC, XLS, ...)
• Authentication
• Database
• SQL Interface
• Import from operational Databases
• Clients
• Only standard web browser required
• Javascript for client side functionality
• Java applets for added functionality and access
  to CORBA servants

8
Publishing Models
Depending on who generates and publishes
information and which parties read it, several
publishing models are used
Reports Symmetrical Interaction Model TM/TC
Databases Publication Model Documents Publication
Model Calendar Symmetrical Interaction
Model Operations Handbooks Publication Model
Flight Dynamics Web Linked External
Pages Automated Transfer
9
Contributors and Users
Offline / OnCall Personnel
Project Partners
External GRACEWEB
General Public
Manufacturer
Live TM
External Recommendations
Update
Operational Products Pass Reports TTC
Tool Recommendations Anomaly Reports Action
Items Flight Procedures TM/TC Databases
Orbit Information Sequence of Events TC
Files Ops Meeting Minutes Interactive
Calendar Documents
Internal GRACEWEB
CMD Operators
Flight Dynamics
Mission Planning
OPS Engineers
OPS Engineers
10
Employed web technologies(1)

• Three approaches were used to develop web based
  software tools
• Generation of dynamic HTML pages and access to
  databases with ASP scripts executed by the web
  server
• Java applets for more complex applications that
  require graphics, database access provided by
  JDBC
• Java applets accessing CORBA servants on the
  server for applications requiring near real-time
  processing, event and/or message handling
  capabilities

11
Employed web technologies(2)
12
Recommendation Tool (1)
Observation is made

• Decision Flow designed according to project
  documentation
• Applicable during Preparation and LEOP
• Everyone can open a recommendation
• Responsible Team Members moderate the decision
  flow
• Everyone can view the information online
• Authentication by name and password

Fill Report Text
Rework or Online Signature By Team Responsible
Confirmations by other Responsibles
Execution of Recommendation
Close Report
13
Recommendation Tool (2)
Overview of all recommendations Indicates status
of reports Full-text searchable Viewing or
editing fields according to recommendation
status and login Automatic Numbering
14
TM Database Lookup Tool
Processing, validity and limit info Find
parameter in display system Show version of
database
Wild-card search for TM parameter Display all
parameter information Provide links for related
topics or in-depth information
15
Flight Procedure Processing (1)
Procedure Template Handbook File

• Import Flight Plans from text files
• Create TC files
• Distribute procedures
• Distribute TC files to operational machines
• Limit processing to selected users
• Complete information about TC sending, actions
  and TM validation
• Direct Handbook Access

TC file
Distribute to TC machines
Viewable at all Clients
16
Flight Procedure Processing (2)
Links to in-depth info Textual description TCs to
be sentTM to be checked Timing Select from
Procedure List Full-text Search in procedures
17
Conclusion

• Past projects have shown a great acceptance of
  the internet services
• Productivity is increased, especially by the
  provision of database search and query functions
• Positive effect on team collaboration
• May be easily adapted for new missions and new
  features
• Future missions will from the beginning be
  planned with the intranet in mind