TORTUGA

This action focuses on the standardization of the “automation” service, written by the CCSDS (The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) working group, SM&C (Spacecraft Monitor & Control) highlighting the CNES monitoring and control roadmap.

The research aims at ensuring improved operability (reliability, efficiency, error tolerance …) of ground segment applications using a model-based user-centred design approaches. An important project objective lies in the definition of methods and tools supporting the cross verification of models i.e. the current system behavior (both as described in the operational procedures and in the Ground Segment System) is compatible with the operators’ behaviors and is in line with the training program that has been designed and performed. Indeed, even if these various models seem, at first, independent, they correspond in fact to different views of the same complex socio-technical system. The study is concerned with the mapping of these 3 types of models with an aim of ensuring both their coherence (ensuring information that appears in several models is compatible) and their completeness (ensuring that all pertinent information is included in the model). Thus models of different views of the same complex socio-technical system (control center ground segment system) will be produced, i.e. the monitoring and control interface, common elements required for implementing operational procedures, operator tasks (operation plans), and a link to the satellite database, while ensuring model coherence and analyzing their complementarities. The ensemble of this work will be integrated within the CCSDS SM&C architecture, notably the Core [1], Common [2] and MAL (Message Abstraction Layer) [3] components. The study will exploit methods, techniques and tools that have been successfully implemented in other domains of application such as civil and military cockpits, command and control stations for drones and air traffic control. The research also aims to develop methods, tools and techniques for aspects specifically related to ground segment systems. This will offer advances and a new direction of research for both technologies and applications with respect to existing approaches. The envisaged TRL (Technology Readiness Level) at the end of the project is 5, defined as: "Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment: Fidelity of breadboard technology increases significantly. The basic technological components are integrated with reasonably realistic supporting elements so that the technology can be tested in a simulated environment. Examples include 'high fidelity' laboratory integration of components". [4]

Application domains: Avionics

Scientific areas: Software engineering