OPS2 building
ISO mission operations are supported by the following computers:
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ISORT
The ISO Dedicated Control System (IDCS) comprises 2 VAX4/600 and the
IDCS application software that monitors and controls the ISO spacecraft,
that is:
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Mission Planning: the reception, validation and combination of inputs
from the Science Operation Centre (SOC), the ISO Flight Dynamics System
and the Mission Operation department into a single central command schedule
to be uplinked.
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ISO Telecommanding: it involves the preparation, uplinking and verification
of commands.
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Spacecraft monitoring: telemetry control reception.
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Data recording: archiving and retrieval of spacecraft operational
data.
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ISODV
It is the ISO Real-Time (ISORT) back-up machine. The IDCS software
can be reconfigured to operate on the back-up system in less than 15 minutes.
The ISODV is also used as a development and testing tool.
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ISODS1
A VAX station system that supports the Operational Data Server (ODS),
an application that provides a single interface from the IDCS to the SOC.
It produces combined telemetry and telecommanding records (Telemetry Data
Frames-TDF's-) for the instrument Stations and the Science Analysis systems,
including archive recovery facilities.
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ISODS2
It is the ISODS1's back-up machine
All the ISO mission computer consoles controlling the IDCS and ODS software
are located in this room. These consoles report any alarm and system messages
and perform the necessary archiving and back-up processes.
ISO control is conducted from SCC room, where four work-stations, connected
to the IDCS (ISO ground computer), provides information about spacecraft
status.This information includes data from the 5 satellite subsystems:
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Attitude and Control
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Power
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Radio-frequency
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Data-Handling
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Thermal Control.
Two Spacons (spacecraft controllers) monitor, 24 hours a day, the proper
execution of the scheduled scientific operations and the safety and health
of the spacecraft.
The four ISO instruments are controlled from the ISO Science Operations
Center room. These are five Real-Time consoles, one per each instrument
and one back-up console. They help INSCON (Instrument Controller) to monitor
the observations from the point of view of scientific data and behaviour
of the instruments.
The INSCON actions avoids possible damages of the instruments. Once
the revolution is finished, instrument work-stations reports status of
every single observation and the files containing scientific data are sent
to the off-line processing computers.
In this Flight Dynamics and Orbit and Attitude Control area, the ISO orbit
parameters and the maneouvres required to point the telescope from one
astronomical target to another, are calculated. Accurate predictions are
necessary not only for ISO's operations but also to ensure its safety while
being in autonomous mode (it must ge guided through a narrow and dark "corridor"
in order to avoid any damage to the on-board instruments due to excess
light).
This rooms contain consoles from which the satellite manufacturer and industry
representatives monitored the in-flight acceptance test during the first
weeks of the mission ( they had to demonstrate to the Agency the fulfillment
of the spacecraft specifications). At present, it is used for simulations
and system tests.
Personnel of this department are mainly in charge of two functions:
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To prepare, with 15 days in advance, an observation
schedule for every ISO revolution. It is very important
to optimize it due to the limited scientific life of ISO. Observations
are scheduled taking into account::
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Visibility criteria: Just 30% of the
sky is not visible for ISO due to bright objets position (Sun, the Earth
, the Moon and Jupiter). It is for this reason that some sky zones will
be visible just a few days during the whole ISO life.
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Degree criteria: OTAC assigned an observation
degree (1 to 10) depending of its importance Observations with
higher degree must be performed first.
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'Fixed times' observations: Some of
them can only be performed at a specific day and time (planets, comets,
asteroids..).
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'Target of Opportunity': That object
will be declared a priority one, and if required, next revolutions are
re-scheduled. Till now, one Nova and several Gamma Ray Bursts have been
declared as 'targets of Opportunity'.
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Data Base management of all Observation requests:
It contains about 60,000 requests from 1,000 observers. That data base
is updated weekly taking into account the weekly satellite instruments
calibration results and data from previous observations that may alter
the observation parameters (integration time, coordinates, self-movement
correction....).
Up to date (16 March 1998), about 30000 observations have been scheduled
and 90% of high degree ones (>7.5) have been completed.
Four Instruments Workstations (IS) run an enhanced version of the RTA/QLA
(Real Time / Quick Look Analysis) software known as System B. During routine
operations, the four machines (one per instrument) are used off-line to
perform engineering diagnostics on the instruments from play-back Telemetry
Distribution Format (TDF). During the commissioning phase, or during severe
instruments contingencies, the System B machines receive TDFs in real or
quasi real-time.
The IUE Observatory library contains, among other publications, more than
3470 books from different scientific disciplines as Astrophysics, Mathematics,
Physics, Astronomy, Astronomical instrumentation....
This library is subscribed to 66 different weekly/fortnightly/monthly
journals. 70 preprints from different world-wide institutions are also
available. The technical books from all station equipment are archived
in several rooms of OPS1 and OPS2 buildings.
OPS2 meeting room is used either for training courses, lectures or working
meetings. It has a capacity for 50 persons. It has the possibility of being
divided into two different areas.
This room is equipped with the following units:
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2 Overhead projectors.
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1 Optical Slide projector.
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Tele-distribution System ( RF link to the TV monitors available in OPS1
MER, OPS1 meeting room, OPS2 Hall and canteen building).
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1 four-channels Audio / Video Mixer.
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1 BARCO video projector, that can be fed from the following available units:
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Video signal (RGB, SVGA or VGA) from PC's.
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VHS video tape recorder.
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CCD transparency & reflex projector.
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CCD slide projector.
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TV satellite tuner.
