Session
Technical Session VI: Mission Operations
Abstract
The concept of small satellite missions has been promoted as a reaction to increasing budget cuts all over the world with the goal to reduce the overall cost for a mission considerably. On how mission operations can contribute to this goal and what are the recommendations was the theme of a workshop initiated by the German Space Agency DARA. Members from mission operations organisations, management, space industry and the user community were invited to share their knowledge and put forward ideas towards effective mission operations concepts for small satellites. The paper presents the results of the workshop comprising recommendations, suggestions, ideas and concept proposals. They include the call for long-term programs with multiple small missions, the identification of cost drivers and proposals for cost optimisation, an integrated approach involving management, development and operations teams, the introduction of risk analysis, the conducting of trade-offs between automation and autonomy, real-time and offline operations, the use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products and standards, the reduction of real-time requirements and the implementation of design features in the satellite bus to reduce the cost of operations.
Operations Concepts for Small Satellites - Results a Workshop
The concept of small satellite missions has been promoted as a reaction to increasing budget cuts all over the world with the goal to reduce the overall cost for a mission considerably. On how mission operations can contribute to this goal and what are the recommendations was the theme of a workshop initiated by the German Space Agency DARA. Members from mission operations organisations, management, space industry and the user community were invited to share their knowledge and put forward ideas towards effective mission operations concepts for small satellites. The paper presents the results of the workshop comprising recommendations, suggestions, ideas and concept proposals. They include the call for long-term programs with multiple small missions, the identification of cost drivers and proposals for cost optimisation, an integrated approach involving management, development and operations teams, the introduction of risk analysis, the conducting of trade-offs between automation and autonomy, real-time and offline operations, the use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products and standards, the reduction of real-time requirements and the implementation of design features in the satellite bus to reduce the cost of operations.
