Ground and on-orbit command and data handling architectures for the Active Rack Isolation System microgravity flight...

Area of Science:

• Space Science
• Microgravity Research
• Payload Operations

Background:

• The International Space Station (ISS) hosts the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) to study microgravity effects.
• Characterizing the performance of the first ARIS rack is crucial for understanding its capabilities in a long-duration microgravity environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the command and data handling (C&DH) architectures developed for the ARIS-ICE mission.
• To establish a model for future microgravity payload C&DH systems on the ISS.
• To detail the ground and on-orbit C&DH segments and their integration with ISS systems.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the ARIS-ICE Payload On-orbit Processor (POP) for managing communications, automation, and data utilities.
• Design of specialized ARIS-ICE Ground Support Equipment (GSE) software for efficient command uplinks and telemetry data reconstruction.
• Integration of on-orbit POP and ground GSE with existing ISS C&DH infrastructure.

Main Results:

• The POP's hardware and software architecture significantly enhanced the efficiency of on-orbit operations.
• The GSE software facilitated streamlined command uplinks and effective science telemetry packet reconstruction and display.
• Demonstrated successful interplay between ground and on-orbit segments through a test sequence example.

Conclusions:

• The ARIS-ICE C&DH architectures provide a robust and efficient model for future ISS microgravity payloads.
• The POP and GSE systems proved effective in managing complex data handling requirements for long-duration microgravity experiments.
• The successful characterization of the ARIS rack highlights the importance of advanced C&DH systems in space missions.