Satellite Operations - Behind The Scenes
Unless you were born more than 60 years ago, you will not remember the launch of the first satellite that paved the way for the race of Space exploration - Sputnik. One year after Sputnik I, in 1958, NASA would put in orbit its first-ever satellite - Explorer 1. On the European level, the European Space Agency (ESA) made its late entry in Space exploration race a decade after NASA, with the launch of ESRO-2B - a satellite aimed at studying cosmic radiation from the Universe and the Sun’s X-rays.
Where?
Thanks to a great deal scientific and technological breakthroughs over this half-century, a lot has changed in the way Space missions are planned and operated. From launching preparation to monitoring a satellite already in orbit - there’s a lot more in these operations than meets the eye.
The engineering teams behind the scene of making Space missions happen, put their collective efforts, expertise and a great deal of time to ensure everything goes according to plan.
The Operational Control Center (OCC) is the one place where a team of engineers monitor and control the satellite throughout the Mission lifetime.
How?
Alongside the engineering teams, presents different technical facilities, suitable to develop the different stages of the mission. Presenting multiple Dedicated Control Rooms (DCR), this is where the development of specific areas of the mission is developed, occurring prior to the liftoff phase. For the grand moment of launching, history is made in the most eye-catching room - the Main Control Room (MCR) - fulfilling one of the main purposes of the mission.
The mission control and operations can be divided fundamentally into four main stages: pre-launching period, launch campaign, liftoff and routine mission phase.
The pre-launching period defines mostly the essence of mission - the mission steps are determined and teams are put together, undoubtedly, this corresponds to a fundamental basis for the overall mission success.
The team arranging all the mission details, the Flight Control Team, is steered by a Spacecraft Operations Manager. The Flight Control Team includes usually around 15 experts in spacecraft systems and systems engineering. In this phase, the team is responsible for ensuring the design requirements for all elements relative to ground systems, such as in the Mission Data Systems and Operational Control Centre facilities.
The preparation for launching - the launch campaign - taking place about six months prior to the ‘big moment’, aims at guaranteeing the reliability of the satellite mission. At this point, several teams, not only the Flight Control Team but also others specialists from ground systems and flight dynamics, come together to form the Mission Control Team. This part involves a series of simulations of multiple real-time and unforeseen mission scenarios, wherein the highly trained Mission Control Team put all the satellite ground and onboard systems to the test. This stage includes an intense set of activities - from testing everything and simulating system failures over and over again, to tackle possible issues and be ready at any point to react fast for an emergency.
Reaching the end of the launching campaign, the whole team is ready for the liftoff stage, the long-awaited moment - when the ‘mission comes alive’. This stage represents the result of years of preparation a highly tense moment as everyone in the MCR is focused on the liftoff countdown, followed by the great expectation of all teams to see the Ground Operations Manager’s ‘thumbs up’. This signal confirms that the mission started successfully and from that moment, ground station is connected to the satellite and is receiving telemetry data without any problems.
The first three days of the satellite mission are attentively monitored until the teams ensure the spacecraft is in a stable orbit and all systems are working properly.
The mission control moves from the MCR to a DCR for several months, until getting to the routine mission phase. This takes on throughout the years of the mission, including daily mission operations and correcting uneventful issues, for instance, spacecraft deorbiting.
Now, can you imagine our lives without satellites?
Indeed, many services that we take for granted today depend on Space and the efforts of teams. Without satellites, our daily lives would be much different from what we experience today - no telecommunications or entertainment, no navigation, no meteorology.
They may not be in the spotlight and we may not realize the years of hard work dedicated to making Space missions come alive - But, without doubt, behind Satellites and other Space Missions, there is teamwork and collective efforts to be recognized for the way they have impacted our daily lives.
Article written by Teresa Duarte @ VisionSpace
