ASIUSOC USER SUPPORT AND OPERATIONS CENTER USOC FOR ITALIAN EXPERIMENTS ONBOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL

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ASI-USOCUSER SUPPORT AND OPERATIONS CENTER
(USOC) FOR ITALIAN EXPERIMENTS ONBOARD OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Authors a) L.
Bruca(1) b) R. Vicinanza, c) F. Cavaliere, d) G.
Esposito, e) R. Fortezza, f)F. Pezzuti (2)(1)
ASI, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana V.le Liegi, 26
00198 Rome (bruca_at_asi.it)(2)MARS Center Via E.
Gianturco, 31 80146 Naples (vicinanza_at_marscenter.i
t)
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USER SUPPORT AND OPERATIONS CENTER (USOC) FOR
ITALIAN EXPERIMENTS ONBOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION

• This presentation will illustrate the current
  architectural design for the ASI/USOC
  implementation.
• The presentation will show
• The general concepts of the ASI/USOC
• The ASI/USOC Functional Requirements
• The ASI/USOC architectural design with a brief
  description of its components (in terms of
  infrastructures and subsystems).

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ASI USOC General Concepts (1/2)
The USOC will provide scientific, technical and
engineering support to the Italian utilisation of
the ISS relative to the payloads which will make
use of ISS resources according to the NASA-ASI
bilateral agreement.
The general role of the USOC is to simplify the
access to Space, taking care of the complex data
management routed over the entire ISS ground
infrastructure, so that each research team
involved can concentrate its attention only on
the scientific aspects of the experiment control.
The USOC will represent the logical and physical
interface between the ISS and Principal
Investigators of the scientific payloads.
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ASI USOC General Concepts (2/2)
The USOC will distribute all the information
(telemetry, audio-video, voice) coming from the
NASA Centers (MSFC, JSC and KSC) relative to the
Italian payloads, towards the User Home Bases
(UHBs) of the Italian Principal Investigators
(PIs) using private ASI Wide Area Network
(ASINET) infrastructure and dedicated links.
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The ASI/USOC Functional Requirements
All functional requirements are collected in four
categories (from ASI/USOC SRD) INCREMENT
PREPARATION SUPPORT TO THE ORGANISATION OF THE
SPECIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE MISSION
EXECUTION POST-FLIGHT ACTIVITIES
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The ASI/USOC Functional Requirements

• In relation to the INCREMENT PREPARATION the
  following requirements are identified
• Collection and distribution of detailed
  information on ISS utilization
• Analysis of scientific requirements and technical
  specifications
• Analysis of NASA schedule requirements
• Support to the definition of the operational
  interfaces with ISS ground
• and flight segments
• Training of ASI-USOC Personnel
• Training of Italian Users at ASI-USOC and/or UHBs

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The ASI/USOC Functional Requirements

• In relation to the SUPPORT TO THE ORGANISATION OF
  THE SPECIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE the following
  requirements are identified
• Support to User Home Bases (UHBs) equipment
  identification.
• Support to the UHBcertification from NASA.

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The ASI/USOC Functional Requirements

• In relation to MISSION EXECUTION
• the following requirements are identified
• Monitoring of the payload/experiment performance
  from the operational
• point of view
• Coordination with NASA for operations data
  management and commanding
• Support to the overall Italian planning and
  re-planning activities
• Data distribution/processing/archiving
• In relation to POST-FLIGHT ACTIVITIES the
  following requirements are identified
• Data collection and delivery
• Support to the post-flight analysis of data
• Database management

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ASI USOC Functional Architecture

• Starting with the illustrated functional
  requirements, the following USOC functionalities
  has been identified
• Communication Functionalities
• External Communications.
• Internal Communications.
• Audio and Video Acquisition, Distribution and
  Support Funct.
• Timing Function.
• Real Time Data Processing and Display Funct. (for
  Experiments and Payloads monitoring and control).
• Planning Management Funct.
• Documentation Preparation Funct.
• Database and Archiving Funct.
• Software Development and Maintenance Funct.
• Training Function.

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ASI USOC System Architecture

• The USOC architecture has been designed
  translating the illustrated functionalities into
  a real physical system.
• The USOC will require the implementation of the
  following infrastructures
• External Communication infrastructure
• Local Network infrastructure
• Audio and Video infrastructure
• Security infrastructure
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• Furthermore to implement the ASI/USOC, the
  following subsystems have to be carried out
• Time Synchronization And Distribution s/s
• Real Time Data System (RTDS)
• Services Support s/s (Documentation
  Preparation, Internet services, Data Base and
  Archive).
• Software development, Integration, Tests and
  Verification s/s
• Data Storage Backup s/s
• Training Function (for UHB and ASI/USOC internal
  personnel) s/s
• Simulator s/s

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ASI USOC System Architecture
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ASI USOC System Architecture

• The External Communication infrastructure will
  provide the ASI/USOC connection with the
  followings sites
• NASA Marshal Space Flight Center (MSFC/POIC) via
  ASINET.
• Johnson Space Center (JSC) via ASINET.
• Remote User Home Bases (UHBs) via ASINET or
  dedicated link.
• Generic Users only via Internet.

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ASI USOC System Architecture
The Audio and Video infrastructure shall satisfy
all audio and video communications requirements
among ASI/USOC, ASI centers, NASA Centers and
remote User Home Bases in terms of voice loop
connections, experimental video acquisition and
distribution and multi-videoconferencing support
activities.
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ASI USOC System Architecture
The Time Synchronization and Distribution s/s
shall deal with the time synchronization of all
workstations, servers and other systems of the
ASI/USOC, to a referenced provider of the
Universal Time.
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ASI USOC System Architecture

• The Local Network infrastructure shall provide
  the connectivity among workstations, peripherals,
  and other systems internal to the ASI/USOC in
  order to allow for a proper data exchange.
• The ASI/USOC Local Network will be structured on
  two physical networks branches
• an On-line" (or RTDS) Network Branch.
• an "Off-line" Network Branch.

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ASI USOC System Architecture
The On-line Network-branch is intended as the
part of the network, which will perform data
exchange to/from On-Orbit or remote Ground
Facilities at MSFC, implementing high reliability
and a restrictive time/access criticality.
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ASI USOC System Architecture
The Real Time Data System (RTDS) is connected to
the On-line Network-branch. This system shall
manage all real time and near-real time data
related to experiments/payload/missions
operations.
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ASI USOC System Architecture
The Real Time Data System shall include 3
Payload s/s dedicated to manage data of a
specific experiment/payload and related UHB. Any
Payload s/s will use a dedicated subnet (VLAN) so
no data exchange will be possible between
different Payload s/s. 1 Ancillary s/s,
dedicated to manage ancillary data of the ISS
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ASI USOC System Architecture

• The Real Time Data System shall include also
• 1 ISS Planning (Mission) Management s/s that
  allows the access to the authorized EHS mission
  services available at POIC to ASI/USOC cadre
  personnel, to properly manage the missions
  (planning, schedules, operations change requests,
  etc.)
• 1 Common Services s/s that shall include
• Domain Controller service
• Domain Name Server service
• Web, ftp and e-mail services

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ASI USOC System Architecture
The "Off-line" Network Branch is intended as the
part of the network, which will permit
non-critical data exchange among the various
foreseen working areas, as well as user access to
Internet sites (WEB, E-mail, FTP, ecc.).
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ASI USOC System Architecture
The followings s/s are connected to the
Off-line network-branch The Services
Support s/s shall furnish all facilities
necessary to carry out Documentation Preparation
Internet services Data Base and Archiving
functionalities.
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ASI USOC System Architecture
Data Storage Backup s/s shall provide
appropriate h/w and s/w solution to properly
manage data and storage backup for all ASI/USOC
s/s (real-time and off-line).
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ASI USOC System Architecture
Software Development, Integration, Tests and
Verification s/s shall satisfy all needs to
correctly develop, test and verify all the
software necessary to implement ASI/USOC
components and, eventually, some UHB systems.
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ASI USOC System Architecture
Training s/s shall furnish all systems to train
ASI/USOC and remote UHB personnel to execute
operations activities properly
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ASI USOC System Architecture
Simulators s/s shall provide all functionalities
(telemetry generation and commanding
acknowledgments), necessary to test s/w, execute
UHBs training and Payload operations simulations
without any NASA connections.