Automated Ground Segment Operations with EnMAP - Challenges and Experiences from the first Years in Orbit

Kurzfassung

The low Earth orbit satellite EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) was launched in 2022 and is operated by the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) as part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The goal of the mission is to monitor and characterize the Earth’s environment by using a hyperspectral camera system. During the planning and implementation of the EnMAP ground segment, a high degree of automation was targeted to reduce the effort of manual and repetitive activities as much as possible. This allows the operations team to focus on non- nominal operational activities as well as the support of other missions. Additionally, it reduces the impact of unforeseen challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions, where only a reduced number of personnel is available. While numerous tools for the automation of spacecraft operations exist with a large diversity of programming languages and graphical interfaces, the baseline for the EnMAP ground segment was the usage of the Test and Operations Procedure Environment interface (TOPE), which is part of the SCOS-2000 monitoring and control system. By utilizing already available software, the level of complexity a new tool adds to the system, along with the effort of maintaining and monitoring it, can be kept minimal. This approach, which was originally developed for the TerraSAR- X/TanDEM-X missions, has proven to be reliable for supporting satellites on an active mission as well as satellites in the end-of-life phase, where ideally no manual interaction is required anymore. With the experience gained from these missions, a further step towards the goal of a fully automated operational concept was taken. This includes not only pure satellite commanding activities but also other aspects of ground activities, such as satellite monitoring, controlling data processing, distributing data and information between user groups and managing additional mission specific tools. It also shifts the main task of the spacecraft command operator from manual commanding and execution of support tasks, such as the preparation of operational products, to monitoring the automation system and supporting contingencies as well as recovery activities in case needed. Due to the multi-mission concept of GSOC, where only one command operator is supporting multiple missions and satellites outside of regular office hours, the usability and possibility of manual intervention play an important role in the development of automated processes. This paper will provide an overview of the different stages of automation during the preparation and first years of EnMAP in orbit. This includes the implementation based on the information provided by the interface specifications of the satellite and other parts of the ground segment, as well as the adaptation due to experiences acquired after the launch and the identification of discrepancies. In addition, the effort in operating and maintaining the automation system will be discussed and the achieved performance, together with the ability to recover from non-nominal states, will be evaluated. Finally, the resulting limitations of this automation approach are discussed, and several lessons learned are presented, which will serve as input for the automation system design of upcoming missions operated by GSOC.