A workforce of groups like by no means earlier than: rehearsing a novel launch at ESA mission management

Getting ready a spacecraft for its first days in orbit requires a big workforce of spacecraft operations engineers, flight dynamics specialists, floor operators, software program consultants and venture groups, which have supported the design, manufacturing and testing of the satellite tv for pc. This workforce is supported by management rooms, floor stations and communications networks.

For the launch of FLEX and Sentinel-3C, ESA is getting ready all of this for 2 missions directly.

As soon as in area, FLEX and Sentinel-3C will function in intently associated orbits, creating further operational issues throughout launch and early operations.

“Launching two satellites shouldn’t be the troublesome half. We’ve executed related issues earlier than, similar to ESA’s Herschel and Planck missions in 2009, however these have been managed by a mixed workforce,” says Franco Marchese, ESA’s Flight Operations Director for the Sentinel-3C launch and early orbit part (LEOP). “What makes this launch completely different is that we’ve got two groups working in parallel and that the satellites fly in principally the identical orbit. That’s the true problem.”

“ESOC is without doubt one of the few mission management centres on this planet that may try this,” he provides.

A workforce of groups

Each launch marketing campaign depends on a “workforce of groups” consisting of specialists throughout many disciplines working as one operational group.

Libe Jauregui, ESA’s Flight Dynamics Supervisor for Sentinel-3C, captures the sensation: “Throughout a LEOP, everyone seems to be attempting to satisfy a typical objective. You actually really feel it.”

For Sentinel-3C and FLEX, nevertheless, two full mission groups are getting ready to function aspect by aspect. Every has its personal flight management workforce, floor stations operations workforce, flight dynamics workforce and venture groups centered on their respective spacecraft.

Whereas the groups of the 2 missions put together and function independently, their work intersects at key factors. Some sources and help groups are shared, whereas sure actions require shut coordination between the 2 missions.

This implies getting ready not just for the wants of every particular person mission, but additionally for conditions through which each groups could must act, reply or entry shared sources on the identical time.

“Though the mission management groups stay separate, some actions are carried out collectively, similar to shared processes and documentation,” says Pablo Asenjo Garcia, Floor Operations Supervisor for Sentinel-3C at ESA. “Every workforce nonetheless has to validate its personal procedures, however there are clear synergies that improve collaboration at ESOC. We will practice collectively, share help groups and study from one another all through the preparation course of.”

These factors of connection are on the coronary heart of the joint simulation workouts.

Simulations: dwelling launch day earlier than the launch

Lengthy earlier than a spacecraft reaches the launch pad, mission groups put together for LEOP via a simulation marketing campaign: a sequence of extremely sensible rehearsals that permit the workforce of groups to practise responding to each routine and surprising conditions.

The rehearsals usually run for days at a time – simply as LEOPs do. Groups practise nominal and contingency eventualities, together with spacecraft anomalies, orbit willpower points, floor section failures and different operational surprises. Behind the scenes, ESA’s specialised simulation officers design and run these workouts, monitoring a number of voice loops, introducing simulated failures and adapting occasions in actual time as groups reply.

However simulations are about greater than testing methods and procedures.

“Simulations usually are not simply in regards to the technical aspect of issues,” says Emilie Brannan, a Simulation Officer for Sentinel-3C at ESA. “There’s additionally a human aspect to it.”

They offer groups the chance to practise speaking, making choices beneath stress and coordinating throughout disciplines earlier than doing so with actual spacecraft in orbit.

Twice the spacecraft, twice the problem

Whereas most simulations are carried out individually, the joint workouts consider one thing extra uncommon: conditions that might have an effect on each missions on the identical time.

“Groups need to keep in mind that no matter occurs to their spacecraft could have implications for the opposite mission,” explains ESA FLEX Simulation Officer Gustavo Baldo Carvalho. “What occurs in the event that they out of the blue want the identical useful resource on the identical time? These are precisely the sorts of conditions we problem groups to assume via in the course of the simulations.”

Simulation planners rehearse the nominal launch sequence, together with the 2 spacecraft separations, a staggered acquisition-of-signal timeline and the collaboration required as each spacecraft enter intently associated orbits. This part requires notably shut coordination between the flight operations administrators and flight dynamics groups, who change orbit data and refine trajectory predictions because the launch unfolds.

After all, the groups additionally rehearse contingency eventualities.

Throughout one dual-mission train, an surprising launcher injection resulted in orbital parameters that differed from pre-launch calculations. Whereas groups labored to find out the satellites’ positions and assess potential proximity dangers, further spacecraft anomalies have been launched, pushing each management rooms to full capability. Later within the simulation, a hearth drill added one other layer of complexity, requiring the groups to adapt whereas sustaining operations.

“This ‘massive contingency’ simulation put plenty of pressure on the groups, nevertheless it’s nice to push our limits and be prepared for no matter comes our method,” says Pere Ramos Bosch, ESA’s Flight Dynamics Supervisor for FLEX.

A workforce of groups – occasions two

The Sentinel-3C and FLEX launch marketing campaign could seem like merely two spacecraft sharing a journey into area.

Inside ESOC, nevertheless, the image seems completely different.

The missions stay operationally impartial however getting ready them aspect by aspect creates alternatives to share expertise, clear up widespread issues and strengthen the connections between groups.

“Usually, people from each groups are working collectively to unravel a shared drawback,” explains Pere. “The workforce feeling is enhanced as a result of we’re in the identical place. The particular person it’s essential communicate to is usually actually down the corridor.”

“When everyone seems to be coaching collectively, it’s a group feeling,” provides Emilie.

On 15 September, Sentinel-3C and FLEX will depart Earth collectively earlier than starting their separate missions in orbit.

At ESOC, the problem shouldn’t be merely to arrange two spacecraft for his or her first days in area. It’s to arrange two impartial mission groups to function aspect by aspect – coordinating in synergy at any time when their paths, sources or choices intersect.