AIAA SOSTC 2008
AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT
DYNAMICS:
SATELLITE OPERATIONS
AND
REGRESSION TESTING
A SUPPLIER’S PERSPECTIVE
Assaf Barnoy, Lead Flight Dynamics Engineer
Gonzalo Garcia, VP of Operations, USA
© GMV, 2008 Property of GMV
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INTRODUCTION
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AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS:
INTRO TO A SUPPLIER’S PERSPECTIVE
What is Automation?
Automation seeks to remove the human interaction from
normal operations by granting computer systems control
over tasks that are repetitive and complex.
What are the benefits of automation?
Reduces the risk of human errors
Improves mission efficiency
What are the risks of automation?
Increases consequences of error
Over-reliance in automation and decline in manual skills
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OPERATIONS AND REGRESSION TESTING
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© GMV, 2008
AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS:
INTRO TO A SUPPLIER’S PERSPECTIVE
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.
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© GMV, 2008
AGENDA

Introduction to GMV

Introduction to focusSuite

Automation of Flight Dynamics
Operations: Autofocus

Automatic Regression Testing:
focusART

Lessons Learned

Questions

Demos
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© GMV, 2008
INTRODUCTION
TO GMV
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All rights reserved
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



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
Space Agencies
Industrial Primes
Integrators
Commercial Satellite operators
Space App. Communities
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© GMV, 2008
OUR OFFER
focus

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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
© GMV, 2008
INTRODUCTION
TO focusSuite
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FLIGHT DYNAMICS: focusSuite PRODUCT
LINE
focus
SUITE
• 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)
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© 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
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© GMV, 2008
focusSuite: ARCHITECTURE

GUI
Autofocus
External
App.
– 1st Tier: Presentation (clients)
– 2nd Tier: Process management
– 3rd Tier: Data management / Computation.
Normally includes legacy code based on
reliable flight dynamics algorithms
focusAPI
Process Manager
Data
Manager
focusSuite
Modules
focusGEO focusLEO
Modules Modules
AUTOMATION IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS
OPERATIONS AND REGRESSION TESTING
Three-tier architecture, to promote
flexibility and modularity, allow
distribution and scalability:
Event
Manager

focusCn
Modules
2008/04/15
Advanced API for interaction with Process
Manager
– Operator Manual Access (GUI)
– Automatic Procedures (Autofocus)
– External Applications (including SOA)
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© GMV, 2008
AUTOMATION OF
FLIGHT DYNAMICS
OPERATIONS:
Autofocus
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AUTOMATED OPERATIONS
A growing number of space missions are now based on mission
design approach of unattended, autonomous operations.
The desire to achieve this approach is to
remove 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
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© GMV, 2008
AUTOMATION ISSUES
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
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© GMV, 2008
AUTOMATION ISSUES (cont)
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
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© GMV, 2008
Autofocus: OVERVIEW

Purpose:
– To fully automate Flight Dynamics operations

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 & postcondition 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
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© GMV, 2008
Autofocus: ARCHITECTURE



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
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© GMV, 2008
SOL
Autofocus
Client 2
SOL
Autofocus
Client 1
Autofocus
Server
focusAPI
Process Manager
focusSuite
Modules
Autofocus: SOL - SPACECRAFT
OPERATIONS LANGUAGE

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: set endEpoch to today + maneuverDuration

Execution flow
increment eclipseDuration by 0.5 hours
– 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
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© GMV, 2008
Autofocus: SOL
# ... 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
Inputs and outputs of
FD functions can be
modified from SOL
procedures
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
Direct generation of
events for logger and
messaging service
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© 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
Autofocus: DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT

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
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© GMV, 2008
Autofocus: AGENDA

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Gantt chart shows all scheduled procedures
Procedures can be scheduled for:
– 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)
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© GMV, 2008
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)
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© GMV, 2008
source: EUTELSAT
APPLICATIONS (II):
GLOBALSTAR Orbital Operations

GLOBALSTAR NEW GENERATION
– Global constellation of 55 satellites for communications
– LEO orbits in different planes
– GMV providing entire FDS
Galileo FDS (30+ MEOs) using

Usage
– Orbit determination automation with Autofocus performed for entire
constellation at one time, which minimizes error of ground stations
– Automated maneuver control
a similar approach
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© GMV, 2008
APPLICATIONS (III):
focusCloseAp Close Approach Prediction

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
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focusCloseAp
© GMV, 2008
APPLICATIONS (IV):
SEGORD Real-Time Orbit Determination

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
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© GMV, 2008
AUTOMATION OF
REGRESSION
TESTING:
focusART
© GMV, 2008 Property of GMV
All rights reserved
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:
UnitUnit
Testing:
White
box box
andand
black
box box
Testing:
White
black
 Integration
Testing:
Function-by-function
Integration
Testing:
Function-by-function integration
 System
Testing:
Covering
all system
System
Testing:
Complete
system testing, covering all
requirements
requirements and scenarios
 Regression
Testing:
Verify
non-impact
o of modifications on
Regression
Testing:
Verify
non-impact
operational software

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© 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
Development/
customization as well as proving that corrected
Testing
actions did no hinder any previous
functionality.
Operational
Regression
System
Testing
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© GMV, 2008
focusART: OVERVIEW

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
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© GMV, 2008
focusART: TEST DEFINITION

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 defined to test for ASCII or Binary output
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© GMV, 2008
focusART: OUTPUT COMPARISON RESULTS

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
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© 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
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© 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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© GMV, 2008
LESSONS
LEARNED
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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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© GMV, 2008
QUESTIONS?
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DEMOS
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Thank you
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