Andrew Yee
February 8th 06, 01:30 AM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
7 February 2006
Unique in-flight upgrade for XMM ground systems
In December 2005, ESA's highly successful XMM-Newton mission was formally
given a four-year extension. The longer life necessitated a first-ever
in-flight upgrade to the spacecraft's mission control software.
Last year, ESA's Science Programme Committee extended operation of ESA's
hugely valuable X-ray observation mission, XMM-Newton, for four years,
until 31 March 2010. The decision was easy given the incredible science
results that XMM has provided since launch in 1999, with over 1,000
scientific papers having been published based on XMM data.
The life extension meant, however, that mission controllers at ESOC, ESA's
Space Operations Centre, would be faced with maintaining and running XMM's
mission control software -- developed in the 1990s -- into 2010, over ten
years later. And if the spacecraft remains healthy, it could additionally
be extended well into the next decade.
In comparison, most home computers and corporate PCs use core operating
system, or 'OS,' software that is no more than a few years old.
With the long-expected extension, XMM was slated to be the first ESA
mission to convert to a new operating system during in-flight operations.
The challenge was that no one had ever replaced the mission control
software in mid-mission before, and senior management had required that
the upgrade would not interrupt the flow of valuable science data from
XMM.
And the Solar System wasn't helping either.
Due to XMM's orbital trajectory and the Earth's rotation around the Sun,
the upgrade had to be in place before the start of the eclipse season
beginning at end-August 2005.
XMM's first mission control system was based on ESA's older standard,
SCOS-1 (Spacecraft Operating System-1).
The ground-based hardware and software used to control any space mission,
known collectively as the ground segment, is a complex 'system of systems'
involving high-end workstations, multiple databases and lots of carefully
managed, finely tuned software. A central operating system controlled from
the Mission Operations Centre (MOC) ties these elements together and runs
24 hours per day over a mission's life span.
The old SCOS-1-based operations infrastructure would require increased
maintenance budgets in the coming years as fewer outside contractor
companies were able to, or had interest in, maintaining the software.
Furthermore, contract engineers who originally knew how to operate the
software have already upgraded their skills and many have moved on to more
modern systems.
In the meantime, newer and far more capable software, SCOS-2000, had been
developed.
"SCOS-200 is maintainable into the future, is compatible with current and
future computer hardware and is more flexible; it's also the new ESA
standard," says Oscar Ojanguren, Deputy Spacecraft Operations Manager for
XMM at ESOC.
Other ESA missions had already implemented the new SCOS-2000 mission
control software and spacecraft controllers, system analysts and engineers
at ESOC were already trained on it.
The complex upgrade project began in late 2002 at ESOC and early 2003 in
Villafranca; development work ran though late 2004. The upgrade team
involved flight operations and other engineers at ESOC, ESTEC and
Villafranca as well as extensive support from industry teams.
"Our plan was to build the new ground segment based on SCOS-2000 and get
it running in parallel to the existing system, then switch it on and
compare science and flight control data output. If both systems gave the
same results, we could simply turn the old system off," says ESOC's
Dietmar Heger, XMM Newton's Spacecraft Operations Manager. "It was like
building an entirely new ground segment for a new mission," he adds.
Despite the challenges, the upgrade proceeded as planned and by March
2005, a series of live tests had been completed using the newly
implemented SCOS-2000 software to control XMM and receive science data
while the older SCOS-1 system was kept in operation. "There was a lot of
extra work for engineers at ESOC," says Heger, "but there was great
teamwork between ESA establishments and industry support teams".
Helpfully, throughout the upgrade project, XMM itself performed
flawlessly, helping to ease the work burden.
In June 2005, the older system was turned off for the last time, and the
XMM ground segment project ended with a successful upgrade. The ultimate
measure however, was not only the technical success of the project, but
also the financial success.
ESA had allocated a fixed-price contract amount of 2.0 million Euro. The
project was actually concluded for less than 1.5 million Euro and was
complete well in advance of the unchangeable, August 2005 eclipse season
deadline.
The XMM upgrade to SCOS-2000 illustrates that ESA, supported by its
industry partners, can deliver strong maintenance cost benefits under
demanding, live-mission conditions.
Related links
* Spacecraft Operations
http://www.esa.int/spacecraftops/index.html
* XMM-Newton overview
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120385_index_0_m.html
* ESA Industry Portal
http://www.esa.int/industry/index.html
IMAGE CAPTIONS:
[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ7YNZCIE_index_1.html]
XMM-Newton artist's impression
An assembly of 51 mirrors, carefully sized, formed and nested one inside
another, makes XMM-Newton the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever built.
ESA's XMM-Newton derives its name from its X-ray multi-mirror design and
honours Sir Isaac Newton. This unique X-ray observatory was launched by
Ariane 5 from the European spaceport in French Guiana on 10 December 1999.
Credits: ESA
[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ7YNZCIE_index_1.html#subhead2]
This is an X-ray image of the neutron star Geminga¹, as taken by
XMM-Newton on 5 April 2002. It lies about 500 light-years away from Earth.
Credits: ESA
[Image 3:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ7YNZCIE_index_1.html#subhead3]
XMM Newton Science Operations Centre (SOC) at ESAC in Villafranca, Spain,
during observations of the NASA Deep Impact mission.
Credits: ESA
http://www.esa.int
7 February 2006
Unique in-flight upgrade for XMM ground systems
In December 2005, ESA's highly successful XMM-Newton mission was formally
given a four-year extension. The longer life necessitated a first-ever
in-flight upgrade to the spacecraft's mission control software.
Last year, ESA's Science Programme Committee extended operation of ESA's
hugely valuable X-ray observation mission, XMM-Newton, for four years,
until 31 March 2010. The decision was easy given the incredible science
results that XMM has provided since launch in 1999, with over 1,000
scientific papers having been published based on XMM data.
The life extension meant, however, that mission controllers at ESOC, ESA's
Space Operations Centre, would be faced with maintaining and running XMM's
mission control software -- developed in the 1990s -- into 2010, over ten
years later. And if the spacecraft remains healthy, it could additionally
be extended well into the next decade.
In comparison, most home computers and corporate PCs use core operating
system, or 'OS,' software that is no more than a few years old.
With the long-expected extension, XMM was slated to be the first ESA
mission to convert to a new operating system during in-flight operations.
The challenge was that no one had ever replaced the mission control
software in mid-mission before, and senior management had required that
the upgrade would not interrupt the flow of valuable science data from
XMM.
And the Solar System wasn't helping either.
Due to XMM's orbital trajectory and the Earth's rotation around the Sun,
the upgrade had to be in place before the start of the eclipse season
beginning at end-August 2005.
XMM's first mission control system was based on ESA's older standard,
SCOS-1 (Spacecraft Operating System-1).
The ground-based hardware and software used to control any space mission,
known collectively as the ground segment, is a complex 'system of systems'
involving high-end workstations, multiple databases and lots of carefully
managed, finely tuned software. A central operating system controlled from
the Mission Operations Centre (MOC) ties these elements together and runs
24 hours per day over a mission's life span.
The old SCOS-1-based operations infrastructure would require increased
maintenance budgets in the coming years as fewer outside contractor
companies were able to, or had interest in, maintaining the software.
Furthermore, contract engineers who originally knew how to operate the
software have already upgraded their skills and many have moved on to more
modern systems.
In the meantime, newer and far more capable software, SCOS-2000, had been
developed.
"SCOS-200 is maintainable into the future, is compatible with current and
future computer hardware and is more flexible; it's also the new ESA
standard," says Oscar Ojanguren, Deputy Spacecraft Operations Manager for
XMM at ESOC.
Other ESA missions had already implemented the new SCOS-2000 mission
control software and spacecraft controllers, system analysts and engineers
at ESOC were already trained on it.
The complex upgrade project began in late 2002 at ESOC and early 2003 in
Villafranca; development work ran though late 2004. The upgrade team
involved flight operations and other engineers at ESOC, ESTEC and
Villafranca as well as extensive support from industry teams.
"Our plan was to build the new ground segment based on SCOS-2000 and get
it running in parallel to the existing system, then switch it on and
compare science and flight control data output. If both systems gave the
same results, we could simply turn the old system off," says ESOC's
Dietmar Heger, XMM Newton's Spacecraft Operations Manager. "It was like
building an entirely new ground segment for a new mission," he adds.
Despite the challenges, the upgrade proceeded as planned and by March
2005, a series of live tests had been completed using the newly
implemented SCOS-2000 software to control XMM and receive science data
while the older SCOS-1 system was kept in operation. "There was a lot of
extra work for engineers at ESOC," says Heger, "but there was great
teamwork between ESA establishments and industry support teams".
Helpfully, throughout the upgrade project, XMM itself performed
flawlessly, helping to ease the work burden.
In June 2005, the older system was turned off for the last time, and the
XMM ground segment project ended with a successful upgrade. The ultimate
measure however, was not only the technical success of the project, but
also the financial success.
ESA had allocated a fixed-price contract amount of 2.0 million Euro. The
project was actually concluded for less than 1.5 million Euro and was
complete well in advance of the unchangeable, August 2005 eclipse season
deadline.
The XMM upgrade to SCOS-2000 illustrates that ESA, supported by its
industry partners, can deliver strong maintenance cost benefits under
demanding, live-mission conditions.
Related links
* Spacecraft Operations
http://www.esa.int/spacecraftops/index.html
* XMM-Newton overview
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120385_index_0_m.html
* ESA Industry Portal
http://www.esa.int/industry/index.html
IMAGE CAPTIONS:
[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ7YNZCIE_index_1.html]
XMM-Newton artist's impression
An assembly of 51 mirrors, carefully sized, formed and nested one inside
another, makes XMM-Newton the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever built.
ESA's XMM-Newton derives its name from its X-ray multi-mirror design and
honours Sir Isaac Newton. This unique X-ray observatory was launched by
Ariane 5 from the European spaceport in French Guiana on 10 December 1999.
Credits: ESA
[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ7YNZCIE_index_1.html#subhead2]
This is an X-ray image of the neutron star Geminga¹, as taken by
XMM-Newton on 5 April 2002. It lies about 500 light-years away from Earth.
Credits: ESA
[Image 3:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ7YNZCIE_index_1.html#subhead3]
XMM Newton Science Operations Centre (SOC) at ESAC in Villafranca, Spain,
during observations of the NASA Deep Impact mission.
Credits: ESA