Title: Automating ESAs Ground Station Operations
1Automating ESAs Ground Station Operations
Thomas Beck , May Aimee Larsen, John Reynolds,
Marin Unal, Duncan Warren European Space
Operations Centre Ground Facilities Operations
Division Robert Bosch Strasse 5, D-62293
Darmstadt Tel 49-6151-902296, Fax
49-6151-903190 e-mail Thomas.Beck_at_esa.int
2ESA Ground Station Network
3Remote Monitor and Control Characteristics
- All equipment in a ground station is connected
via a layered architecture to a Station Computer.
Latter is remotely controlled from ESOC. - Configuration of station equipment (gt 15000
parameters) via predefined macrocommands (Jobs) - Sets of Jobs specific for each mission
- (For most stations) job execution is triggered
manually by Operators who follow a Sequence of
Events - Routine supports manual remote operations from
ESOC, stations unmanned - Critical support periods (launch) local central
operations under voice control from ESOC,
stations manned
4Volume of Remote Station Operations
5Remote Station Operations, performance per site
6 Remote Station Operations, call-outs
7Remote Station Operations, failure causes
8Automated Station Operations, Current
- Remote operations of ESAs Kiruna ground station
(frequent short duration passes) are fully
automated. - Full Sequence of Events is executed via time tag
driven Jobs. - Time tags are referenced to AOS/LOS
- Remote operator at ESOC supervises pass.
Intervention only in case of problems. - Automation in use since 1991. Station was
dedicated to earth observation missions which
generated the job time line.
9Drivers for change
- Cost pressure on ESTRACK
- Higher utilisation of existing installations and
personnel - Reducing own facilities and more procurement of
services from partners. Interoperability. - Higher degree of sharing ? multimission
facilities and teams - Changing customer charcateristics
- Higher on-board autonomy with reduced operator
staffing on ground - Fewer ground contact periods but with higher
reliabilty - Very elastic support requirements  n hours of
tracking per week from any ESTRACK station with a
minimum duration of 2 hrs - Automated mission operations
- Technological advances in ground segment
technology - Increased complexity and diversity (deep space)
of ESTRACK installations - Availability of reliable wide band communications
at reasonable cost - Increase of COTS elements in ground station.
10Trend towards Automation
Merging of automated planning/scheduling and
operations execution
Automation on network level
Automated remote operations for multi mission
stations incl. deep space
Automation of stations that are mission dedicated
Remote operations
Local, central operations
11ESTRACK Management and Scheduling System (EMS)
12Automated Station Operations, Ongoing
- Automated operations at Cebreros for Venus
Express are implemented. New Norcia in
preparation. Time lines are generated by mission
planning system. - Automation for Mars Express station operations is
being implemented. Time lines generated by
ESTRACK (SCHEDITOR). - Time line execution uses existing feature of STC.
- Results are very positive.
13Conclusion
- Remote operation of ESTRACK stations is safe and
mature. - Automated remote operations of mission dedicated
stations is succesfully implemented. - Automated remote operations are being introduced
for the entirety of the ESA stations. - ESTRACK Management and Scheduling System (EMS)
will enable automated operations on network
level. - EMS will enable automatic interaction between
planning/scheduling and real time operations.