AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS: SATELLITE OPERATIONS AND REGRESSION TESTING

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AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS:

SATELLITE OPERATIONS AND

REGRESSION TESTINGA SUPPLIER’S PERSPECTIVE

Assaf Barnoy, Lead Flight Dynamics Engineer

Gonzalo Garcia, VP of Operations, USA

AIAA SOSTC 2008


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INTRODUCTION

© GMV, 2008

What is Automation?Automation seeks to remove the human interaction fromnormal operations by granting computer systems controlover tasks that are repetitive and complex.

What are the benefits of automation?Reduces the risk of human errorsImproves mission efficiency

What are the risks of automation?Increases consequences of errorOver-reliance in automation and decline in manual skills

2008/04/15 Page 3AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS OPERATIONS AND REGRESSION TESTING

AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS: INTRO TO A SUPPLIER’S PERSPECTIVE

© GMV, 2008

GMV has integrated automation into two levels of Flight Dynamics System design:

1. Autofocus: Automation of Flight Dynamics Operations – Complete hands-off approach to operating satellites, including orbit determination, maneuver planning, collision monitoring, and more.

2. focusART: Automatic Regression Testing – Granting both internal testing team and operators with access to complete system test verification seamlessly.

As will be presented in the following presentation, both tools aim to increase the benefit while limiting the risks by means of progressive automation.

Both tools are currently used operationally at multiple sites.


AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS: INTRO TO A SUPPLIER’S PERSPECTIVE

© GMV, 2008

Introduction to GMV

Introduction to focusSuite

Automation of Flight Dynamics Operations: Autofocus

Automatic Regression Testing: focusART

Lessons Learned

Questions

Demos

AGENDA



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INTRODUCTION TO GMV

© GMV, 20082008/04/15 Page 7AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS OPERATIONS AND REGRESSION TESTING

GLOBAL REACH, GLOBAL PRESENCE

Global Locations GMV staff permanently located

in 7 countries GMV systems deployed in 5

continents, 18 countries European Headquarters with

pronounced world business US subsidiary (ITAR OK)

Main Customers

Space Agencies Industrial Primes Integrators Commercial Satellite operators Space App. Communities

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OUR OFFER

Mission Analysis studies and mission analysis tools (station keeping, collocation, launch window analysis, …)

Operational systems for satellite control (inc. on-station and LEOP):– Real-Time TM/TC M&C– Flight Dynamics– Mission Planning and

Scheduling Special operational needs (e.g.

collision prediction/analysis, rendezvous, interstellar)

Satellite capacity management:– Satellite capacity management– Payload Reconfiguration– CFDP

Operations support

focus



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INTRODUCTION TO focusSuite

© GMV, 2008

• focusSuite is an off-the-shelf product, which supports multi-mission, multi-satellite flight dynamics operations and mission analysis

• focusSuite’s benefits include functionality, reliability, flexibility and user friendliness

• focusSuite provides full lifecycle (assessment to launch to de-orbiting) flight dynamics operations support through a collection of flight proven mission independent and mission/spacecraft specific functionality

• focusSuite provides high degree of configurability allowing to provide custom solutions

• focusSuite also provides a generic framework that allows for extensibility of product development and evolution

• focusSuite includes an Open API which increases productivity, stability, and accessibility, including integration into a service oriented architecture (SOA)

focusSUITE

FLIGHT DYNAMICS: focusSuite PRODUCT LINE


© GMV, 2008

focusSuite: A COMPLETE PRODUCT LINE

FDS product line – focusSuite: advanced multimission, multisatellite

FD infrastructure providing core functions– focusGeo: GEO operations– focusLeop: LEOP operations– focusLeo: LEO operations– focusCn: satellite constellations– focusCloseap: collision risk prediction– and more

– visualfocus: 2D/3D FD visualization– autofocus: FD operations automation– focusART: Automatic Regression Testing for all of

the above operational products

Selected to operate over 120 satellites


© GMV, 2008

Three-tier architecture, to promote flexibility and modularity, allow distribution and scalability:– 1st Tier: Presentation (clients)– 2nd Tier: Process management– 3rd Tier: Data management / Computation.

Normally includes legacy code based on reliable flight dynamics algorithms

Advanced API for interaction with Process Manager– Operator Manual Access (GUI)– Automatic Procedures (Autofocus) – External Applications (including SOA)

focusSuiteModules

DataManager

Process Manager

GUI

focusGEOModules

focusLEOModules

focusCnModules

Autofocus

focusAPI

ExternalApp.

focusSuite: ARCHITECTURE

EventManager



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AUTOMATION OF FLIGHT DYNAMICS OPERATIONS:

Autofocus

© GMV, 2008

A growing number of space missions are now based on mission design approach of unattended, autonomous operations.

The desire to achieve this approach is toremove the need for the operations team to perform low-level tasks, which the software can already do better and faster, and allows them to focus on mission-critical matters, such as spacecraft health and safety.

Benefits of an automated design are:

Reduced operational staffing

Reduced risk of human error

Increased mission efficiency

AUTOMATED OPERATIONS


© GMV, 2008

The basic requirements which must be met for current operations automation are:

Control and modify all system input variables based on absolute or relative data

Execute system functions

Read and react based on system outputs

Perform all above tasks based on a fixed schedule

AUTOMATION ISSUES


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Additional abilities which supplement the automation are:

Adapt to changing operational concepts (soft algorithm design)

Publish system awareness and automation status

Recover from non-critical faults

Inform user of critical faults and react accordingly

Inform user of system output through reports and graphs

Perform all above tasks based on a relative, periodic, and responsive schedule

AUTOMATION ISSUES (cont)


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Purpose: – To fully automate Flight Dynamics

How:– By supporting soft procedures written

in a high-level, simple scripting language: SOL – Spacecraft Operations Language

– Procedures:• User defines the sequence of execution of

individual tasks and the data flows• Enable configurable pre-condition & post-

condition verification for each task• Enable post-processing after each task• Absolute time or relative time execution

– Environments:• SOL editor: Edit procedures and validate

without need to recompile system• Agenda: Schedule information about all

current running and planned procedures

Autofocus: OVERVIEW

Dynamics operations


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Client-Server Architecture– Multiple clients can run simultaneously – Access privileges for execute/plan/view– Server automatically executes procedures– Hot and Cold start mode to reduce down-time– Decoupled from other tiers (API)

100% Tcl/Tk code– Highly portable (OS independent)– Provides full capabilities for GUI,

communications, parsing, etc. (homogeneous)– Easy to learn, easy to prototype, fast

development cycle (extensible)– In line with other focusSuite components

Multi-satellite support– Simultaneous control procedures associated to

a single satellite or an entire family of satellites

Process ManagerfocusAPI

AutofocusServer

Autofocus: ARCHITECTURE

focusSuiteModules

AutofocusClient 1

SOL

AutofocusClient 2

SOL


© GMV, 2008

Procedural language designed by GMV in collaboration with satellite operators (EUTELSAT) especially for satellite operators

Multiple data types are supported: Numeric, text, Boolean

Special support for date/time types (Relative/Absolute, today keyword, calendar format), for example:

Execution flow

– Procedures can be nested

– focusSuite flight dynamics functions can be called from procedures

– Loops, conditions, error/fault handing (operator/service messages)

Extensive support for mathematical functions: Trigonometric, hyperbolic, logarithms, power, logical

Procedure create its own input, visible in real time, to observe status of automation

set endEpoch to today + maneuverDuration

increment eclipseDuration by 0.5 hours

Autofocus: SOL - SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS LANGUAGE


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# ... Update COLLOC input file

update COLLOC

& inputs are

& set i_assess to 1

& set t_epoch to today

& set t_enddate to today + 2

& set i_plots to 0

& set i_mark to 1

# ... Execute program COLLOC

execute procedure COLLOC

& set PRINT to FALSE

& outputs are

& set COLLOC_HEALTH_STATUS to status

# ... Verify termination status

if COLLOC_HEALTH_STATUS <> 0 then

write output "COLLOC ended abnormally"

fail "COLLOC ended abnormally"

otherwise

write logger info "COLLOC SUCCESSFUL"

write output "COLLOC SUCCESSFUL"

end if

Autofocus: SOL

Inputs and outputs of FD functions can be modified from SOL

procedures

Direct generation of events for logger and

messaging service


© GMV, 2008

Autofocus: PHASED AUTOMATION

Implementing an automation for new missions can be risky.

– Operators are unfamiliar with system

– Operators do not know how to react to critical situations

As a way to ease the transition into automated approach, Autofocus uses a phased automation approach that allows operators to do the following:

Phase 1: Procedures are run in high level of caution and stops at every breakpoint to all low level tasks, such as a completion of the orbit determination

Phase 2: Procedures are run in medium level of caution and stops only at medium breakpoint for all medium level tasks, such as a need for a station keeping maneuver

Phase 3: Procedures are run in low level of caution and stops only at high level breakpoints, such as an impending close approach

© GMV, 2008

View available procedures and create new or edit procedures

Embedded compiler of procedures validation

Impacts detected on all cascading procedures from modifications

Procedures require validation before execution, thereby ensuring no error during operations

Autofocus: DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT


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Gantt chart shows Procedures can be

– immediate execution– deferred execution – periodic execution– relative execution

Status of scheduled procedures provided in real-time dynamic output

Procedures can be paused, stopped, restarted (both manual and automatic)

Autofocus: AGENDA

all scheduled procedures

scheduled for:


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APPLICATIONS (I): EUTELSAT Orbital Operations

EUTELSAT– One of top 3 operators of GEO satellites– Over 20 satellites from 8 different buses

(axis stab. and spinners)– All spacecrafts controlled by focusGEO

Usage– Automatic Operations with Autofocus is the

nominal approach– Manual intervention only for special situations

(e.g. relocation, de-orbiting)– Automated tasks:

• E/W & N/S maneuver planning• Pointing maneuver planning (spinner)• Post-Maneuver assessment • Ranging data pre-processing• Mass consumption estimation• Collocation monitoring• System administration tasks (e.g. backups)

source: EUTELSAT2008/04/15 Page 24AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS OPERATIONS AND REGRESSION TESTING

© GMV, 2008

APPLICATIONS (II): GLOBALSTAR Orbital Operations

GLOBALSTAR NEW GENERATION– Global constellation of 55 satellites for communications– LEO orbits in different planes– GMV providing entire FDS

Usage– Orbit determination automation with Autofocus performed for entire

constellation at one time, which minimizes error of ground stations– Automated maneuver control


Galileo FDS (30+ MEOs) using a similar approach

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Design Concept– Off-the-shelf product for collision

avoidance (space debris & other satellites)

– Automated by Autofocus as a subset of focusGEO

Automatic Process– Download latest TLEs from the

Internet from SPACETRACK– Get ephemeris for operator’s

satellites from SCC– Identify close approaches,

violation of safety volumes– Reports sent by e-mail/ftp to

operators

APPLICATIONS (III):focusCloseAp Close Approach Prediction

Internet OperationalOrbital Data

User 1 User 3User 2

TLEs

Ephemeris /State Vector + Manoeuvres

CollisionRisk

AssessmentReport

FDS

focusCloseAp


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Design Concept– Precise OD based on real-time tracking

data able to estimate orbit state, maneuver, and station bias

– Automated by Autofocus as a subset of focusGEO

Automatic Process– Continuous monitoring for available

tracking data (rng/az/el, GPS)– Once detected, data is processed

(statistical verification)– OD performed to update spacecraft

orbit state– Additional estimated parameters are

solved– Graphical display and status reports

shows convergence results

APPLICATIONS (IV):SEGORD Real-Time Orbit Determination



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AUTOMATION OF REGRESSION TESTING:

focusART

© GMV, 2008

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Current Software Engineering requirements are based on standardized development rules and Quality Assurance Standards (ISO9000, CMMI) to promote a process-based approach to increase effectiveness and reduce risk.

GMV includes a set of proven, systematic, Quality Assurance activities that guarantee fulfillment of the mission requirements. GMV is CMMI Level 3.

We conduct complete multi-level testing to verify compliance:

Unit Testing: White box and black box Integration Testing: Function-by-function System Testing: Covering all system

requirements Regression Testing: Verify non-impact o


Unit Testing: White box and black boxIntegration Testing: Function-by-function integrationSystem Testing: Complete system testing, covering all requirements and scenariosRegression Testing: Verify non-impact of modifications on operational software

© GMV, 2008

REGRESSION TESTING DILEMMAS

While other testing steps evolve along with the development,

Regression Testing requires recall of functionality to be tested.

This increases time required for testing re-initialization.

While other testing steps occur on developing environments,

Regression Testing often happen with operational software.

This increases the risk and critically of testing.

While other testing steps deal only with new development,

Regression Testing deal with customization and corrections.

This increases pressure in demonstrating the

customization as well as proving that corrected

actions did no hinder any previous

functionality.


Development/Testing

Regression Testing

Operational

System

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Purpose: – To fully automate regression testing

How:– Define system tests that are set for a

baseline (accepted) system and automatically run for each new build

– Sequences:• Testing team define sequence test to

execute function testing• Greatly decreases repeat of validation: test

procedures don’t change so only set once• New patches trigger complete testing run• Functions tested alone or in succession

– Environments:• Test definition: Initial definition of system

tests, procedures, input data, and validation/comparison tests

• Comparison results: Graphical display of testing results

focusART: OVERVIEW


© GMV, 2008

Allows testing team to define regression tests, which vary based on:– Procedures– Input data– Other dependencies

Easy to add new tests due to new test cases, software enhancements & bug fixes

Detailed status about testing progress and any errors found in execution

Comparison tests can be

focusART: TEST DEFINITION

defined to test for ASCII or Binary output


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Pie chart providing overall status of tests:– Passed: No regression found– Failed in comparison: New test ran,

but comparison failed– Failed in execution: New test failed

run– Failed intrinsically: Failed test call

Color-coded display of test status

Review output files of reference data vs. comparison data

Track changes between ASCII or BINARY output files

focusART: OUTPUT COMPARISON RESULTS


© GMV, 2008

APPLICATIONS (I): EUTELSAT focusGEO Testing EUTELSAT

– On going projects for 12 years– Request for upgrades requested regularly– Rigorous testing of modification to operational

software

Usage– Automatically test 1000+ cases with each new build to

verify non-regression reduces risk of new bugs and increases trust

– Reduced manual repeat of tests translate to reduced testing staff with only one CM Engineer needed


© GMV, 2008

APPLICATIONS (II): Multi-mission focusGEO Testing Support Design Concept

– Support multiple clients using similar spacecraft bus, with different missions

– Maintain strong standard baseline, while supporting mission independent requirements

– Rigorous testing of modification to both operational and analysis software for satellite specific testing

Usage– Automatically test shared between multiple systems to

verify non-regression in flight dynamics and satellite specific software

– Shared CM engineer between projects supports V&V



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LESSONS LEARNED

© GMV, 2008

LESSONS LEARNED

Automation can greatly support satellite mission efficiency

Introduction of automation to new operators requires initial supervision

Soft algorithm approach allows for adaptation to changing mission profiles and procedures

Automation can reduce risk of testing and operations by removing low-level tasks, while maintaining operator/tester oversight

Integration and system awareness


supports continuous operations


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QUESTIONS?


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DEMOS


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Thank you

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AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS: SATELLITE OPERATIONS AND REGRESSION TESTING