Satellite Project Information Systems
- Satellite Project Information System Team -
One of the key roles of JEDI is to adapt and promote well-established information technology into the framework of JAXA’ s satellite projects in order to assure their development processes and actual space operations. The team’ s efforts are focused on improving various project phases ranging from an early system-designing to manufacture-and-testing activities, as well as on maximizing the satellite performance during operations in order to respond to end-users’ needs.
Objectives of Satellite Project Information System Team
Integrated application tools and support environment for an early system-level designing
Providing a ‘satellite design-aid system (SMART)’ to assure and improve an early stage of satellite system-level designing.
Adaptation and promotion of information systems for satellite manufacturing-and-testing activities
Extending use of ‘well-established information technology’ (data management and design-review tools) among on-going and potential satellite projects.
Satellite ground system towards an enhancement of observation capability
Providing a satellite ‘prediction & evaluation’ system to maximize its observation duration by predicting potential margins among the satellite’s sub-system resources.
Integrated application tools and support environment for an early system-level designing
Providing a satellite design-aid system (SMART)
Generally, during satellite development, system engineers are responsible to make the entire system meet each requirement by putting together many pieces of information through frequent communication with related engineers and experts about requirements, interfaces, and design results. Such complicated information exchange is time-consuming and may lead to design errors and functional flaws. A satellite design-aid system (SMART) is developed to eliminate these uncertainty and to improve efficiency, especially during an early stage of satellite system-level designing, by integrating well-established design tools, database, and an unique satellite design framework. In addition SMART is also released in a simplified software package ‘SMART Lite’ which may be installed and executed solely on user client PC.
Adaptation and promotion of information systems for satellite manufacture and testing activities
Extending use of ‘well-established information technology’
Persuasion of higher reliability, product quality as well as prompt production is essential to JAXA’ s satellite projects. In order to resolve these challenges by adapting latest information technology among satellite manufacture and testing activities, both WINDS and GOSAT satellites were designated as highly prioritized ‘test-bed’ projects in focus of program ‘assurance’ and ‘efficiency.’ As for practical applications, the team has approached these projects with the concept of ‘promotion of information sharing’ and ‘enhancement of design review.’ To improve productivity during the entire project phase, a user-oriented Project Information Management System (PIMS) was designed and applied to the mentioned ‘test bed’ projects.
The PIMS is capable of systematically managing, transferring and exchanging a variety of and large quantities of project information starting from a single set of meeting minutes, a daily schedule and to various satellite technical specifications which are promptly shared among JAXA as well as related spacecraft manufacturers and institutions.
Based on engineering interface information, both mechanical and electrical design verification tools were also provided to enhance technical review processes. A dedicated satellite-simulator was also provided to prevent design oversights and to pre-verify satellite operation procedures. These approaches have already demonstrated the effective applications of information technology. Most of the information systems and design-review tools have been standardized and extended its use among on-going and potential projects including earth-observation and science oriented satellites. Moreover, some of these systems and tools are adopted as part of the manufactures’ development processes.
Satellite ground system towards an enhancement of observation capability
A ground system for Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS-2) and beyond
The remote environment prevents an unmanned spacecraft from any on-site repairing; therefore, they are carefully designed and developed based on worst-case scenarios, standards, and cautious operation rules. On the other hand, during the course of real-time operation, the actual performance of the spacecraft gradually becomes visible along with the surrounding environment. And eventually, by improving the precision of performance estimation, the potential margins among the satellite system resources can be predicted; thus more observation and data utilization opportunities without compromising the overall reliability.
In order to extract this satellite potential and maximize its observation capability, an original satellite resource ‘prediction & evaluation’ system is under development in support of ground-based satellite operations which targeting the application towards JAXA’ s Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS-2) and beyond.
