Model Based Operations Validation System

Abstract

Operational procedures are typically initially designed at the spacecraft manufacture site by the system/AIV engineers, tested with the spacecraft database, and then published in the flight operation manual. The Flight Control Team (FCT) takes the delivered procedures to build the LEOP, commissioning and routine operation procedures. These procedures however are not always sufficiently validated, due to lack of time. Testing and validation of procedures is often left as a low priority task performed late in the development process.Once developed, there is the need to allow easy (re)validation of the procedure in an automated or semi-automated manner. This validation is not only necessary for checking the consistency of the procedures during their development, but also to verify that the procedures achieve their objective, are safe, and do not endanger the integrity of the spacecraft. Moreover, automatic regression testing needs to be carried-out whenever the S/C database is updated, Mission Control System (MCS) or operational simulator versions are updated, or when Mission Planning System (MPS) outputs need validation. In order to improve the level of testing and reduce associated effort and costs, ESA has conducted a study the prime objective of which was to develop innovative concepts and tools to automate the validation of operations procedures for current and future missions.The developed concepts allows automatic validation of procedures at all stages of their development: initial development, upgrade to accommodate a new database or On-Board Software (OBSW) version, modification resulting from test campaign activities, and regression testing. Tools using validation models have been designed, prototyped, and evaluated with extensive involvement of perspective users. These tools can be shared between industry, spacecraft manufactures, the operations teams and any party for the validation of procedures such that the effort for procedure development and maintenance is reduced, and that procedures developed by one party can be provided and re-used by the other parties with minimum effort.