Outside the Box – Space Training Programs of GSOC

Kurzfassung

In 56 years of satellite and ground system operations, DLR's German Space Operations Center (GSOC) has accumulated an enormous amount of know-how. That knowledge is passed on from project to project, from generation to generation. GSOC has built up a reputation of not keeping that knowledge to itself. We have pioneered a set of training activities to spread the knowledge about satellite operation and thus establish it in the industry. Some of these training sessions are aimed at the general space community, i.e. people who are involved in space missions and decide on contracts and budgets, for example. In others, our audience is university staff and space engineering students. A third aspect is emerging that is pointed inwardly. For larger control centers like GSOC, there is always the challenge that tasks are largely distributed out over different teams, different groups and departments. Although this specialization increases the overall stock of knowledge, it also leads to a reduction in mutual insight into the work and expertise of colleagues. A lack of understanding for other specialist areas makes collaboration more difficult and can even prevent creative new approaches. GSOC has established an in-house training program, based on training units similar to the courses mentioned above, which addresses new operations team members but also colleagues from other GSOC departments as well as DLR management entities. In that way, the core business of operating a spacecraft is introduced to all persons working at GSOC, including the administrational groups. In this way, we enhance the understanding of the operational needs and tasks considerably. We don't want to stop there. We are also planning programs to expand the skills and knowledge of our operational staff beyond the requirements of the space projects. This is a knowledge transfer program aimed at building additional skills and disseminating and retaining existing knowledge throughout the teams and the control center. An example would be advanced data analysis using modern software tools. This talk gives an insight into the different programs, the respective implementation status and tells about our experiences so far. We also give an outlook to further developments and new ideas on how to spread the “craft of space operations”.