MAEOBS: A Mission Analysis Environment for Earth Observation Missions

Enrique Lopez, Rafael Moreno, Joaquin Cosmen
elopez@gmv.es
GMV, S.A., Madrid (Spain)


Abstract:
Following ESTEC/NW specifications, GMV has developed a tool to 
analyse Earth observation missions in aspects related to payload data
production, handling and downlink, involving on-board and ground
segment elements such as instruments, tape recorders, platform, ground
stations, DRS, etc. In particular, MAEOBS provides the capability
to optimize instruments and on-board tape recorders operations.

The main objective of the MAEOBS Tool is to generate optimal mission 
timelines for instruments usage (including low and 
high rate data production) and for the recording & playback 
strategy (and as a consequence, the ground stations 
communications timeline), considering both user's requests as
well as system constraints, operations strategies and optimization criteria.

Since flexibility was one of the most important requirements of the 
tool, optimization criteria, constraints, resources limitation and 
priorities among them have been formalized in terms of analyst's rules whenever 
appropriate. The processing of the different rules have been done by means of 
knowledge-based techniques being possible to combine these techniques with 
procedural ones.

Operations optimization processes take into account:
 .  Payload user's requirements, including:
            * zone to be observed.
            * sensing Time.
            * priorities between different data.
 .  Zone visibility for each instrument/operational mode 
 .  Ground stations/DRS visibilities.
 .  Constraints imposed by the:
            * payload instruments.
            * power subsystem.
            * tape recorders.
            * communications.
            * instrument operation strategy.
            * tapes operation strategy.
 .  Optimization criteria.

Appart from the planning functionality, the tool also provides the user
with an evironment for the management of data files and SW modules in
a coordinated and simple manner and with a Data Exploitation and Presentation
module to postprocess and display the results generated from the planning
module. 

The paper will describe the functional and architectural characteristics
of the MAEOBS tool as well as the lessons learned from the optimization
of payload and on-board tape recorders operations, and will show that 
the MAEOBS tool is very near to the final operations planning tool.