On-board timeline validation and repair : a feasibility study

We report on the progress and outcome of a recent ESAfunded project (MMOPS) designed to explore the feasibility of on-board reasoning about payload timelines. The project sought to examine the role of on-board timeline reasoning and the operational context into which it would fit. We framed a specification for an on-board service that fits with existing practices and represents a plausible advance within sensible constraints on the progress of operations planning. We have implemented a prototype to demonstrate the feasibility of such a system and have used it to show how science gathering operations might be improved by its deployment

SHINe: Simulator for satellite on-board high-speed networks featuring SpaceFibre and SpaceWire protocols

The continuous innovation of satellite payloads is leading to an increasing demand of data-rate for on-board satellite networks. In particular, modern optical detectors generate and need to transfer data at more than 1 Gbps, a speed that cannot be satisfied with standardized technologies such as SpaceWire. To fill this gap, the European Space Agency (ESA) is supporting the development of a new high-speed link standard, SpaceFibre. SpaceFibre provides a data-rate higher than 6.25 Gbps, together with the possibility to use multiple Virtual Channels running over the same physical link, each one configurable with flexible Quality of Service parameters. These features make a SpaceFibre network very appealing but also complex to set up in order to achieve the desired end-to-end requirements. To help this process, a Simulator for HIgh-speed Network (SHINe) based on the open-source toolkit OMNeT++ has been developed and is presented in this paper. It supports the simulation of SpaceFibre and SpaceWire protocols in order to help both the final steps of the standardization process and the system engineers in the setup and test of new networks. SHINe allows to precisely simulate common network metrics, such as latency and bandwidth usage, and it can be connected to real hardware in a Hardware-in-the-Loop configuration

Women and power: a theoretical approach using the example of copreneurial businesses

Despite the gradual recognition of strategic issues related to the integration of women into the economy, female entrepreneurship continues to receive little attention. Family business research attributes this situation to a lack of recognition given to the (decisive) role of women in these organizations. However, there is one type of family governance that formally acknowledges the man/woman combination: the copreneurial company. Copreneurs are couples who run a business together. This theoretical article highlights the role of women in the copreneurial context by distinguishing between formal and informal power- the latter being primarily held by women, but which is no less influential. The distribution of power reduces opposition costs between partners and the social costs of non-compliance, and improves the clarity of the entrepreneurial structure. Moreover, it increases satisfaction and a feeling of equality between the partners. These results can be generalized and shed light on the role of women in other entrepreneurial and social contexts. This article is published as part as part of a collection on the role of women in management and business

Avionics Architectures and Components for Planetary Entry Probe Payloads and Systems

This presentation was part of the session : Ongoing and Proposed EDL Technology DevelopmentSixth International Planetary Probe WorkshopLike all complex spacecraft, planetary entry probes require reliable, performant and resource-efficient avionics to successfully fulfil their mission. Due to specific mission constraints and targets, high integration as well as power and mass efficiency are particularly important. The Data Systems Division / Electrical Engineering Department of ESA's Directorate for Technical and Quality Management [1] has been actively involved in development of avionics architectures, networks, interfaces, and hardware as well as software and IP core components for a variety of mission types and applications. An important focus of the work was - and continues to be - standardization of interfaces, protocols and algorithms in order to facilitate re-use and compatibility of individual building blocks. An overview of the ongoing developments on avionics architectures is presented. State of the art network and processing node types and their elements, such as SpaceWire (SpW) [2], SpW Router, Remote Terminal Controller (RTC), and Scalable Multi-channel Communication subsystem (SMCS) are introduced. New types of interfaces and components under development like SpaceFibre (SpF), Next Generation Multipurpose Processor (NGMP), Spacecraft Controller On-a-Chip (SCOC3), and related technology developments are presented. The ESA IP core service [3] is introduced, and other ongoing and planned developments in the avionics area that are of particular interest for planetary entry probes and their systems and payloads are discussed. References: [1] http://www.esa.int/techresources/ESTEC-Page-Electrical_1082551445348.html [2] http://spacewire.esa.int/content/Home/HomeIntro.php [3] http://www.esa.int/TEC/Microelectronics/SEMVWLV74TE_0.htmlEuropean Space Agenc

Developing an autonomous timeline management capability for a robotic mars mission

Prsentation on the development of an autonomous timeline management capability for a robotic mars mission