NASA has demonstrated an internet-based architecture for command and control of space operations.
The system would allow a researcher anywhere in the world to operate an experiment aboard a space platform while ensuring the security of the spacecraft and its data.
A study conducted for NASA by four spacecraft manufacturers concludes that internet-based control of satellites and instruments is "reasonable and achievable", says Phil Paulsen, technology for space internet services project manager at NASA's Glenn Research Center. Industry may be ready to form an international consortium to agree standards for internet-based command and control, he says.
For the NASA demonstration, a researcher used the internet to operate a simulated International Space Station (ISS) experiment via a NASA TDRS data-relay satellite, while a "hacker" tried to crack the security of the system.
Two key elements of the demonstration were the Secure Mission Operations Control Centre (SMOCC) set up by Veridian at NASA's Johnson Spaceflight Center, and the Embedded Web Technology (EWT) software developed by NASA Glenn.
Commands sent via the internet are processed by SMOCC, which handles integration issues, scheduling, contention control and security, says Paulsen. Security features include automatic intrusion detection and hacker countermeasures.
EWT software in the simulated spacecraft allows the experiment to be operated using a generic desktop computer and internet browser. This further enhances security, Paulsen says, because the software needed to operate the experiment does not have to reside in the researcher's computer.
Paulsen says NASA is moving towards an an internet-based command and control architecture under a 10-year, $3.4 billion consolidated space operations contract which was awarded to Lockheed Martin earlier this year.
Source: Flight International
