Agile Technical Management of Industrial Contracts: Scrum Development of Ground Segment Software at the European Space Agency

The 1.0 metre f/4 fast-slew Zadko Telescope was installed in June 2008 approximately seventy kilometres north of Perth at Yeal, in the Shire of Gingin, Western Australia. Since the Zadko Telescope has been in operation it has proven its worth by detecting numerous Gamma Ray Burst afterglows, two of these being the most distant 'optical transients' imaged by an Australian telescope. Other projects include a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to image potentially hazardous near Earth asteroids (2019), monitoring space weather on nearby stars (2019), and photometry of a transit of Saturn's moon Titan (2018). Another active Zadko Telescope project is tracking Geostationary satellites and attempting to use photometry to classify various space debris (defunct satellites). The Zadko Telescope's importance as a potential tool for education, training, and public outreach cannot be underestimated, as the global awareness of the importance of astronomy (and space science) as a context for teaching science continues to increase. An example of this was the national media coverage of its contribution to the discovery of colliding neutron stars in 2017, capturing the imagination of the public. In this proceeding, I will focus on the practical aspects of managing a robotic Observatory, focusing on the sustainability of the Observatory and the technical management involved in hosting different commercial projects. I will review the evolution of the Observatory, from its early, single instrument, state to its current multi-telescope and multi-instrument capabilities. I will finish by outlining the future of the Observatory and the site.

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ASPECT-ORIENTED SPECIFICATION: A CASE STUDY IN SPACE DOMAIN

International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering ◽

10.1142/s0218194010004943 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 20 (06) ◽

pp. 783-808

Author(s):

SÉRGIO AGOSTINHO ◽

ANA MOREIRA ◽

ANDRÉ MARQUES ◽

JOÃO ARAÚJO ◽

RICARDO FERREIRA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Software Development ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Requirements Analysis ◽

Software Projects ◽

Space Domain ◽

Ground Segment ◽

Space Agency ◽

Development Life Cycle ◽

Metadata Repository

Aspect-oriented software development claims to improve several software engineering principles, such as modularization, abstraction and composition. The Aspect for the Space Domain project (ASSD) developed a metadata-driven approach for aspect-oriented requirements analysis. The main objectives of the ASSD project, funded by the European Space Agency , were to study the applicability and usefulness of aspect-orientation for the space domain (ground segment software projects in particular), focusing on the early stages of the software development life cycle. Therefore, this paper describes a rigorous representation for requirements analysis concepts, refines an approach for handling early aspects, and proposes a client/server architecture based on a metadata repository. The ASSD approach has been validated with two space domain case studies.

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Consolidation of Aeolus FMA and FMB datasets in the DSI X-PReSS Consortium: Methodology used to generate Master Datasets and the results that have been achieved

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-6924 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nicola Comparetti ◽

Gianluca Colamussi ◽

Marta De Laurentis ◽

Michel Douzal ◽

Peggy Fischer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Space Agency ◽

Data Service ◽

Ancillary Data ◽

Instrument Function ◽

Data Preservation ◽

Ground Segment ◽

Data Corruption ◽

Space Agency ◽

Service Initiative ◽

Packet Data

<p>We present the methodology and results of the Aeolus VC01 and L0 FM-A and FM-B datasets consolidation performed by the X-PReSS team as part of the ESA (European Space Agency) Data Service Initiative (DSI) managed by ESA&#8217;s Ground Segment Operations Division. The goal of this activity is to generate master datasets and gap lists as well as assess data completeness for both future ESA reprocessing campaigns and data preservation activities. The consolidation was carried out first by removing fully overlapping products, products completely covered by other products (inside) and black-listed products. Secondly, remaining products HDR and DBL files were scanned to detect filename misalignments with specifications, intra-products and inter-products gaps and corrupted products. Ancillary data from several Aeolus facilities (KSAT, DISC, FOS, PDGS) were used for gaps justification and blacklisted products identification. For FM-A VC01, 4219 products were analysed. Out of these, 3927 were classified as Master, 142 as inside, 3 as Duplicates and 147 as Blacklisted. 57 gaps were found. No data corruption was found. No duplicated source packet data was found. Consolidation results are available at ESA and includes: list of gaps with metadata and known justification, &#160;list of duplicated events with metadata, list of Instrument Function IDs with metadata, master dataset list and a list of discarded products including known justification.</p>

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Microwave technology developments in the European Space Agency

10.2514/6.1984-744 ◽

1984 ◽

Author(s):

M. GIBSON ◽

D. MADDEN ◽

P. MONIER

Keyword(s):

European Space Agency ◽

Microwave Technology ◽

Space Agency

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Detailed Modeling of Cork-Phenolic Ablators in Preparation for the Post-flight Analysis of the QARMAN Re-entry CubeSat

Aerotecnica Missili & Spazio ◽

10.1007/s42496-021-00084-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Claudio Miccoli ◽

Alessandro Turchi ◽

Pierre Schrooyen ◽

Domenic D’Ambrosio ◽

Thierry Magin

Keyword(s):

Fluid Dynamics ◽

Thermal Protection ◽

A Priori ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Thermal Response ◽

Accurate Method ◽

Navier Stokes ◽

Advection Equation ◽

High Enthalpy ◽

Space Agency

AbstractThis work deals with the analysis of the cork P50, an ablative thermal protection material (TPM) used for the heat shield of the qarman Re-entry CubeSat. Developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) at the von Karman Institute (VKI) for Fluid Dynamics, qarman is a scientific demonstrator for Aerothermodynamic Research. The ability to model and predict the atypical behavior of the new cork-based materials is considered a critical research topic. Therefore, this work is motivated by the need to develop a numerical model able to respond to this demand, in preparation to the post-flight analysis of qarman. This study is focused on the main thermal response phenomena of the cork P50: pyrolysis and swelling. Pyrolysis was analyzed by means of the multi-physics Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code argo, developed at Cenaero. Based on a unified flow-material solver, the Volume Averaged Navier–Stokes (VANS) equations were numerically solved to describe the interaction between a multi-species high enthalpy flow and a reactive porous medium, by means of a high-order Discontinuous Galerkin Method (DGM). Specifically, an accurate method to compute the pyrolysis production rate was implemented. The modeling of swelling was the most ambitious task, requiring the development of a physical model accounting for this phenomenon, for the purpose of a future implementation within argo. A 1D model was proposed, mainly based on an a priori assumption on the swelling velocity and the resolution of a nonlinear advection equation, by means of a Finite Difference Method (FDM). Once developed, the model was successfully tested through a matlab code, showing that the approach is promising and thus opening the way to further developments.

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Applicability of NGGM near-real time simulations in flood detection

Journal of Geodetic Science ◽

10.1515/jogs-2019-0011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 111-126

Author(s):

A. F. Purkhauser ◽

J. A. Koch ◽

R. Pail

Keyword(s):

European Space Agency ◽

Earth System ◽

The Earth ◽

Future Mission ◽

Space Agency ◽

Flood Detection ◽

The One ◽

Real Time Simulations ◽

Grace Mission ◽

Gravity Mission

Abstract The GRACE mission has demonstrated a tremendous potential for observing mass changes in the Earth system from space for climate research and the observation of climate change. Future mission should on the one hand extend the already existing time series and also provide higher spatial and temporal resolution that is required to fulfil all needs placed on a future mission. To analyse the applicability of such a Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) concept regarding hydrological applications, two GRACE-FO-type pairs in Bender formation are analysed. The numerical closed loop simulations with a realistic noise assumption are based on the short arc approach and make use of the Wiese approach, enabling a self-de-aliasing of high-frequency atmospheric and oceanic signals, and a NRT approach for a short latency. Numerical simulations for future gravity mission concepts are based on geophysical models, representing the time-variable gravity field. First tests regarding the usability of the hydrology component contained in the Earth System Model (ESM) by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the analysis regarding a possible flood monitoring and detection showed a clear signal in a third of the analysed flood cases. Our analysis of selected cases found that detection of floods was clearly possible with the reconstructed AOHIS/HIS signal in 20% of the tested examples, while in 40% of the cases a peak was visible but not clearly recognisable.

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Prisma: A New Space Mission For Stellar Physics

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100018960 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 137 ◽

pp. 812-819

Author(s):

T. Appourchaux ◽

D. Gough ◽

P. Hyoyng ◽

C. Catala ◽

S. Frandsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Space Agency ◽

Real Space ◽

Space Mission ◽

Economic Conditions ◽

X Ray ◽

Space Agency ◽

New Space

PRISMA (Probing Rotation and Interior of Stars: Microvariability and Activity) is a new space mission of the European Space Agency. PRISMA is currently in a Phase A study with 3 other competitors. PRISMA is the only ESA-only mission amongst those four and only one mission will be selected in Spring 1993 to become a real space mission.The goal of the Phase A study is to determine whether the payload of PRISMA can be accommodated on a second unit of the X-ray Multi-Mirror (XMM) bus; and whether the budget of the PRISMA mission can be kept below 265 MAU (’88 Economic conditions). The XMM mission is an approved cornerstone and is in a Phase A together with PRISMA.

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BepiColombo Science Investigations During Cruise and Flybys at the Earth, Venus and Mercury

Space Science Reviews ◽

10.1007/s11214-021-00797-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 217 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Valeria Mangano ◽

Melinda Dósa ◽

Markus Fränz ◽

Anna Milillo ◽

Joana S. Oliveira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

French Guiana ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Scientific Research ◽

The Earth ◽

Space Agency ◽

Spacecraft Mission ◽

Joint Mission ◽

Science Investigations ◽

Orbit Insertion ◽

Inner Heliosphere

AbstractThe dual spacecraft mission BepiColombo is the first joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to explore the planet Mercury. BepiColombo was launched from Kourou (French Guiana) on October 20th, 2018, in its packed configuration including two spacecraft, a transfer module, and a sunshield. BepiColombo cruise trajectory is a long journey into the inner heliosphere, and it includes one flyby of the Earth (in April 2020), two of Venus (in October 2020 and August 2021), and six of Mercury (starting from 2021), before orbit insertion in December 2025. A big part of the mission instruments will be fully operational during the mission cruise phase, allowing unprecedented investigation of the different environments that will encounter during the 7-years long cruise. The present paper reviews all the planetary flybys and some interesting cruise configurations. Additional scientific research that will emerge in the coming years is also discussed, including the instruments that can contribute.

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Gaia Data Release 2

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201832727 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 616 ◽

pp. A2 ◽

Cited By ~ 921

Author(s):

L. Lindegren ◽

J. Hernández ◽

A. Bombrun ◽

S. Klioner ◽

U. Bastian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proper Motion ◽

Input Data ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Iterative Solution ◽

Spatial Correlations ◽

Satellite Attitude ◽

Space Agency ◽

Data Release ◽

Ccd Observations ◽

Celestial Reference System

Context. Gaia Data Release 2 (Gaia DR2) contains results for 1693 million sources in the magnitude range 3 to 21 based on observations collected by the European Space Agency Gaia satellite during the first 22 months of its operational phase. Aims. We describe the input data, models, and processing used for the astrometric content of Gaia DR2, and the validation of these resultsperformed within the astrometry task. Methods. Some 320 billion centroid positions from the pre-processed astrometric CCD observations were used to estimate the five astrometric parameters (positions, parallaxes, and proper motions) for 1332 million sources, and approximate positions at the reference epoch J2015.5 for an additional 361 million mostly faint sources. These data were calculated in two steps. First, the satellite attitude and the astrometric calibration parameters of the CCDs were obtained in an astrometric global iterative solution for 16 million selected sources, using about 1% of the input data. This primary solution was tied to the extragalactic International Celestial Reference System (ICRS) by means of quasars. The resulting attitude and calibration were then used to calculate the astrometric parameters of all the sources. Special validation solutions were used to characterise the random and systematic errors in parallax and proper motion. Results. For the sources with five-parameter astrometric solutions, the median uncertainty in parallax and position at the reference epoch J2015.5 is about 0.04 mas for bright (G < 14 mag) sources, 0.1 mas at G = 17 mag, and 0.7 masat G = 20 mag. In the proper motion components the corresponding uncertainties are 0.05, 0.2, and 1.2 mas yr−1, respectively.The optical reference frame defined by Gaia DR2 is aligned with ICRS and is non-rotating with respect to the quasars to within 0.15 mas yr−1. From the quasars and validation solutions we estimate that systematics in the parallaxes depending on position, magnitude, and colour are generally below 0.1 mas, but the parallaxes are on the whole too small by about 0.03 mas. Significant spatial correlations of up to 0.04 mas in parallax and 0.07 mas yr−1 in proper motion are seen on small (< 1 deg) and intermediate (20 deg) angular scales. Important statistics and information for the users of the Gaia DR2 astrometry are given in the appendices.

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Thermophysical Properties of Fluids Measured Under Microgravity Conditions

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-551-171 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 551 ◽

Author(s):

H.-J. Fecht ◽

R.K. Wunderlich

Keyword(s):

Thermophysical Property ◽

Thermophysical Properties ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Space Station ◽

Space Flights ◽

Space Agency ◽

Property Data ◽

Microgravity Conditions ◽

Key Industries ◽

Sufficient Precision

AbstractThe analysis of nucleation and growth processes relies mostly on circular arguments since basic thermophysical properties necessary, such as the Gibbs free energy (enthalpy of crystallization, specific heat), the density, emissivity, thermal conductivity (diffusivity), diffusion coefficients, surface tension, viscosity, interfacial crystal / liquid tension, etc. are generally unknown with sufficient precision and therefore often deduced from insufficient linear interpolations from the elements. The paucity of thermophysical property data for commercial materials as well as research materials is mostly a result of the experimental difficulties arising from the unwanted convection and reactions of melts with containers at high temperatures. An overview will be given on the results of thermophysical property measurements during several different space flights using containerless processing methods. Furthermore, a perspective on a future measurement program of thermophysical properties supported by the European Space Agency is described. In this regard, the International Space Station is considered as the ideal laboratory for high precision measurements of thermophysical properties of fluids which help to improve manufacturing processes for a number of key industries.

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