BALLOON ARRAY FOR RBSP RELATIVISTIC ELECTRON LOSSES …barrel/documents/BARREL Mission... · 2011. 3. 24. · culminates in the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) held at the launch site

BARREL Operations Concept Plan BARREL MOP-101

PRIOR TO USE, PLEASE CHECK THE BARREL MASTER DOCUMENT LIST AT http://www.dartmouth.edu/~barrel/documents.html TO VERIFY THIS IS THE CORRECT VERSION

BALLOON ARRAY FOR RBSP RELATIVISTIC

ELECTRON LOSSES (BARREL)

BARREL OPERATIONS CONCEPT

PLAN

Revision: Baseline

Effective Date: March 24, 2011

Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility

Wallops Island, Virginia

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

BARREL Operations Concept Plan BARREL MOP-101 Page 2 of 17


BARREL OPERATIONS PLAN

Prepared By: ____ _______________________________________ March 4, 2011 Robyn Millan, Dartmouth College, Principal Investigator Date Approval: ___________________________________________ March 24, 2010 David McGaw , Dartmouth College, System Engineer Date __________________________________________ March 2, 2010 Michael McCarthy, University of Washington, Co-Investigator Date ___________________________________________ March 17, 2011 David Smith, U. C. Santa Cruz, Co-Investigator Date ___________________________________________ March 20, 2011 John Sample, U. C. Berkeley, Power PDL Date



CHANGE HISTORY LOG

Revision Change Description / Pages Effected Date Approval



TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 6

1.1 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 PURPOSE .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 SCOPE .............................................................................................................................. 6

2. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................ 8

ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. 9

3. ORGANIZATION .............................................................................................................. 10

4. OPERATIONAL CONCEPT & PLAN ............................................................................ 11

4.1 DESIGN DRIVERS ........................................................................................................... 11 4.2 OPERATIONS DOCUMENTATION ..................................................................................... 11 4.3 PRE-SHIPMENT ............................................................................................................... 12 4.4 FIELD SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS & DEFINITIONS ........................................................... 12

4.4.1 Deployed Project Authority ...................................................................................... 12 4.4.2 On-Ice Project Organization .................................................................................... 13

4.5 COMMUNICATION AND FLIGHT SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS ............................................. 14 4.5.1 Payload Telemetry System ........................................................................................ 14 4.5.2 Ground Stations and Data Downlink ........................................................................ 14 4.5.3 Commanding ............................................................................................................. 15 4.5.4 Team Communication ............................................................................................... 15

4.6 NOMINAL OPERATIONS .................................................................................................. 15 4.6.1 Flight Operations Flow............................................................................................. 15 4.6.2 Pre-Launch Configuration ........................................................................................ 15 4.6.3 Launch....................................................................................................................... 15 4.6.4 Mission Monitoring ................................................................................................... 15 4.6.5 Contingency Operations ........................................................................................... 16 4.6.6 Flight Duration ......................................................................................................... 17 4.6.7 Termination and Recovery ........................................................................................ 17

5. BARREL OPERATIONS TRAINING ............................................................................. 17 5.1 PAYLOAD TRAINING ...................................................................................................... 17 5.2 LAUNCH TRAINING ........................................................................................................ 17 5.3 MISSION OPERATIONS TRAINING ................................................................................... 17



LIST OF FIGURES

CHANGE HISTORY LOG ............................................................................................................................. 3 Figure 3-1. BARREL Operations ................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 4-1: Antarctica Communications Organization Chart ...................................................................... 13 Figure 4-2: Flight Operations Flow .............................................................................................................. 16

BARREL Operations Concept & Plan BARREL MOP-101 Page 6 of 17

PRIOR TO USE, PLEASE CHECK THE BARREL MASTER DOCUMENT LIST AT http://www.dartmouth.edu/~barrel/documents.htmlTO VERIFY THIS IS THE CORRECT VERSION

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background The Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL) Project is a multiple-balloon investigation to address one of the highest priority objectives identified by the Geospace Mission Definition Team (GMDT), “to differentiate among competing processes affecting precipitation and loss of outer radiation belt particles”. On August 23, 2005, the RSBP Investigations and Geospace-Related Mission of Opportunity (NNH05ZDA003) was released. After completeing a Phase A concept study, the BARREL project was selected. During Phase B, training and test launches of BARREL prototype payloads were carried out in December 2009 and December 2010 in Antarctica under the supervision of the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF). During the implementation phase, the BARREL Project will fabricate and qualify 45 additional flight payloads (40 plus 5 spares) to be flown during two science campaigns in the Antarctic summer seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014.

1.2 Purpose This document establishes the BARREL Operations concept, plans, and requirements roadmap to ensure that the BARREL mission achieves its scientific objectives.

1.3 Scope The scope of this document covers operations concepts and activities that include logistics planning, ground testing, training, shipping, field deployment, flight systems readiness, flight operations, termination/recovery, and data archival/management. This document is not the sole source of information with respect to each of these areas, but rather provides the framework and direction to supporting documents.

Four overarching Operations phases comprise the path to success for the BARREL project:

Phase 1: Pre-Shipment

The first phase of activity includes deployment of the Science Operations Center (SOC) and the Mission Operations Center (MOC), conducting operational activities in conjunction with end-to-end integrated hang tests, evaluation and updating of nominal and contingency operations procedures, and performing operations training. This phase will culminate in the pre-ship Mission Readiness Review (MRR).

Phase 2: Deployment

The second phase includes two parts:

Phase 2A: Shipping the BARREL flight hardware, deploying the field support team to Antarctica, and preparing the BARREL flight hardware for flight readiness. This phase culminates in the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) held at the launch site.

Phase 2B: Initiation of shift support to prepare the SOC and MOC for flight readiness.

Phase 3: Flight Operations

The third phase is the launch, flight, termination and possible recovery activities, and closeout of each BARREL campaign in Antarctica.



Phase 4: Redeployment and Science Operations

The fourth and final phase is the retrograde shipment of flight and support hardware back to the Dartmouth College, scientific data analysis and dissemination, and delivery of the data to NASA.



2. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

NASA Documents

BARREL PP-101 BARREL Project Plan

BARREL CCP-101 BARREL IT Security Plan

BARREL FPRD-101 BARREL Functional/Performance Requirements Document

BARREL CMP-101 BARREL Configuration Management Plan

BARREL OPS-102 BARREL Launch Operations Procedures

BARREL OPS-101 BARREL Mission Operations Handbook

800-PG-8710.0.2B Operations in Cold Weather Environments



ACRONYMS BARREL Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses BAS British Antarctic Survey BPO Balloon Program Office bps bits per second CFR Code of Federal Regulations CSBF Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility GSE Ground Support Equipment GSFC Goddard Space Flight Center I&T Integration and Test kbps Kilobits Per Second LDB Long Duration Balloon MOC Mission Operations Center MOU Memorandum of Understanding NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NSF National Science Foundation PDL Product Design Lead PI Principal Investigator RBSP Radiation Belt Storm Probes RPSC Raytheon Polar Services Corporation SANAP South African National Antarctic Program SOC Science Operations Center WFF Wallops Flight Facility



3. ORGANIZATION BARREL Operations are divided into three primary categories (Figure 3-1). Launch Operations includes all activities related to planning for and implementation of the field campaigns to launch the balloons. Mission Operations includes operation (health status monitoring and termination) of the balloons. Science Operations includes preparation for and carrying out of science data analysis, and dissemination of scientific results and data to the broader scientific community.

The roles and responsibilities of the persons involved in BARREL Operations support remain essentially the same throughout the operational support period. The BARREL project organization is described in the BARREL Project Plan. Roles specific to BARREL Operations are described in Sections 4.4 and 4.5 below.

Figure 3-1. BARREL Operations



4. OPERATIONAL CONCEPT & PLAN

4.1 Design Drivers BARREL Operations will be based on a 24-hour, 7-day a week schedule for the duration of campaign activities (1-2 months), and normal work-hours following the field operations, during the science data analysis activities. The MOC and SOC shall respectively be monitored in accordance with this philosophy.

Final field deployment will begin upon completion of an end-to-end operational verification of the SOC/MOC. Field deployment of the integrated BARREL payloads to Antarctica will occur via air and sea shipment originating from Dartmouth to the port of departure for the Antarctic stations.

During the launch process, payloads are powered, and all systems are verified prior to inflation of the balloon using a checklist system. The health status of each payload will be monitored in real-time by BARREL support personnel via the launch site GSE (during launch) or the MOC/SOC (after successful launch). BARREL personnel deployed in Antarctica will initiate preparations for possible recovery and return of flight and support hardware.

4.2 Operations Documentation Web-based documents will be generated to support BARREL operations. These include:

1. Documents detailing the description of the control center and each of the BARREL support systems from an “as-built” design description, block diagrams, and capabilities point of view.

2. A BARREL Mission Operations Handbook will detail the nominal and contingency procedures required to operate each payload from launch through termination. These procedures, if new or modified, shall be developed and then tested during I&T to assure success of the mission.

3. The BARREL Launch Operations Procedures will document the pre-launch payload check-out procedures, payload launch checklist, balloon launch procedures and checklists (including GO/NO-GO criteria), and emergency terminate and recovery procedures.

A comprehensive Post-Flight mission report will be generated by the BARREL Project Team that will include a time-lined summary of major mission events, anomalies, failures, work-arounds, console logs, handovers, lessons learned, forward actions, etc.



4.3 Pre-Shipment MOC set-up, deployment, and checkout will occur while the payloads are undergoing I&T. Operations training will be performed in parallel with I&T activities to validate procedures and provide operators with console familiarization.

A Mission Operations Review (MOR) will be held to confirm the readiness of the operations team and plan.

A pre-ship Mission Readiness Review (MRR) will be conducted to ascertain the readiness of the BARREL flight systems for shipment to Antarctica. All technical and operational aspects of the flight and ground systems designed to support the BARREL Operations will be validated, verified, and reviewed prior to the Mission Readiness Review and deployment into any field operations.

The BARREL flight system, including the payload (including software), flight train, and vehicle subsystems shall be finalized prior to the MRR. Any changes to the flight system after the MRR require approval of the MRR Board or their appointed designees.

4.4 Field Support Requirements & Definitions NASA will be responsible for working with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to negotiate logistics support in Antarctica through the South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP) and British Antarctic Survey (BAS). BARREL requirements for supporting field operations will be documented and provided where required. All shipping, facility, and personnel requirements will be documented in a MOU or equivalent documentation between NSF and the supporting agencies.

4.4.1 Deployed Project Authority

The lines of authority for decision-making in Antarctica follow the communications organization chart shown in Figure 4-1. These lines of authority have been delegated, as specified, in order to allow for launch activities to proceed in a timely fashion. The lines of communication will be adhered to for team members while deployed in Antarctica for support of the BARREL launch.

.



Figure 4-1: Antarctica Communications Organization Chart

4.4.2 On-Ice Project Organization The BARREL Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for the overall success of the BARREL project. The PI has authority for all payload decisions and is responsible to NASA Headquarters for defining and meeting science success criteria. These criteria are defined in the BARREL Project Plan and will be delineated in the BARREL Operations Procedures.

Prior to and during campaign operations, the PI will designate members of the BARREL team to fill the roles described below. Because BARREL uses a small field team, and each payload is not complex to operate or launch, it is expected that more than one of these roles may be filled by a single person.

4.4.2.1 BARREL Campaign Manager The BARREL Campaign Manager is responsible for logistical planning, BARREL staff at the site, and the coordination of activities related to preparing for the balloon launch, terminating the flight, and recovery operations. He/she works with the site meteorologist who makes weather and launch condition forecasts to discuss at the daily weather briefings. The Campaign Manager will have responsibility for onsite coordination with the National Science Foundation and/or SANAP and BAS including coordination of transportation, aviation services, and development of recovery plans if needed. The Campaign Manager reports directly to the PI through daily



status reports or telecons. The Campaign Manager is responsible for organizing the Flight Readiness Review and responding to applicable RFAs, and coordinating with the MOC.

4.4.2.2 BARREL Payload Manager The Payload Manager is responsible for pre-flight payload preparations and confirming payload readiness status. He/she establishes and oversees the schedule for payload preparations, leads the payload checkout process ensuring that checklists are followed and any anomalies are documented, and reports any payload issues to the PI. The payload manager is ultimately responsible for declaring that a payload is flight-ready.

4.4.2.3 BARREL Launch Director The Launch Director is responsible for preparing for and managing launch operations, including inspection of equipment, preparation of helium and lift calculations, filing of necessary NOTAMs and/or obtaining flight clearances, and directing the launch process.

4.5 Communication and Flight Support Requirements

4.5.1 Payload Telemetry System Each payload carries an Iridium satellite modem designed to operate in continuous calling mode. Each Iridium connection is initiated by the ground station and supports downlink of data and uplink of command.

4.5.2 Ground Stations and Data Downlink

4.5.2.1 SOC/MOC, Santa Cruz, California The primary control center for BARREL Mission Operations is located in Santa Cruz, California. The Mission Operations Center (MOC) handles flight Iridium communications to and from each BARREL payload, and monitoring of instrument health data. The Science Operations Center (SOC) carries out tasks related to science data monitoring and dissemination.

4.5.2.2 Remote Site Ground Stations Ground station equipment capable of Iridium communications and archiving of science data will be maintained at each BARREL launch site. For the 2013 and 2014 science campaigns, these sites are expected to be SANAE and Halley Bay. The launch site ground stations will be used for pre-flight testing, backup to the MOC, and communications during launch operations. It is expected that hand-over of communications to the MOC will occur when each payload reaches float altitude.

4.5.2.3 Ground Station Staffing To support 24/7 operations during the flight of each BARREL payload, shift work will be implemented. Two duty scientists will be responsible for maintaining the BARREL active control centers (MOC/SOC) 24 hours a day, seven days a week during their respective operational timeframes. Mission monitors will monitor data in shifts (nominally 3 hour) and MOC shift assignments will be documented.



4.5.3 Commanding There is only one command sent from the ground station to a payload. This command is used to terminate the flight. Normal termination is carried out by a duty scientist from the MOC following the BARREL termination procedure. Safeguards will be in place to prevent accidental termination, including password protection that is payload specific, and limited access to the MOC.

4.5.4 Team Communication Field team personnel will be provided with an Iridium handset for voice communications with CONUS BARREL team members. A daily teleconference will be held between the field teams and the MOC to discuss flight readiness, MOC readiness, and launch strategies.

4.6 Nominal Operations

4.6.1 Flight Operations Flow Following the FRR, the Campaign Manager will determine when environmental conditions are “GO” for launch via weather briefings. Figure 4-2 shows the flight operations flow starting with the weather briefings. This flow shows the steps that are required and approximate times prior to launch to prepare the flight system for launch. Go/No-Go decision points are indicated at each step. Go/No-Go criteria are included on the payload pre-launch checklist and launch director checklists as described in the Launch Operations Procedures document.

4.6.2 Pre-Launch Configuration Each payload will be powered on in a previously tested configuration and determined for a “GO” state to initiate flight line activities. A pre-launch checklist will be followed during checkout procedures. Checkout will include a communications test with the MOC prior to moving the payload to the flight-line.

4.6.3 Launch Each payload will be powered on and determined for a “GO” stated prior to balloon inflation (refer to Go/No-Go criteria in BARREL Launch Operations Procedures). A launch checklist and flight-line safety procedures will be followed as also described in the Launch Operations Procedures.

4.6.4 Mission Monitoring A variety of per-shift, daily, and weekly activities will be performed throughout the mission by the DS, MM’s, and SOC manager. These items include, but are not limited to maintaining a console log of activities, generating shift handover information, reviewing data trends, performing planned operational activities, verification of archival data, and maintaining daily flight status reports. These activities are captured in detail in the BARREL Mission Operations Handbook.



4.6.5 Contingency Operations The BARREL Mission Operations Handbook contains contingency procedures for the payload sub-systems and the control centers. In addition, the severity or level of each contingency response is identified in the respective procedure.

Figure 4-2: Flight Operations Flow



4.6.6 Flight Duration The project requirement is a flight system capable of flying for 10 days. The actual duration, after meeting minimum success criteria, will have to be balanced between the actual flight trajectory, health of the flight system, and potential recovery requirements.

4.6.7 Termination and Recovery Each BARREL payload is equipped with a termination system commandable from both the BARREL MOC and the launch-site ground station equipment. The BARREL PI will work with NSF and NASA BPO to define criteria for determining when each payload will be terminated based on instrument health and maximizing the opportunity for recovery wherever possible.

5. BARREL OPERATIONS TRAINING Operations training will include payload checkout procedures, launch training, and mission operations training. In all categories, training will be achieved through development and validation of nominal and contingency procedures, review of Procedures, and hands-on activities with flight systems. One-on-one console training and dry-runs of operational procedures will be performed concurrently with I&T and after payload shipment to the field.

5.1 Payload Training Training for payload checkout starts with Payload assembly, Integration & Testing. It is expected that all BARREL field personnel will have participated in integration and testing of BARREL payloads prior to deployment. This is essential in order to ensure that all field personnel are familiar with flight hardware, proper handling procedures, and pre-launch checklist procedures. Payload training will include “dry-run” exercises for launch preparation.

5.2 Launch Training Launch training includes familiarizing all launch team personnel with launch equipment, flight-line safety, and launch procedures. Launch training will include test flights (i.e. the BARREL test campaign), a launch training refresher course, and a field-site review and hands-on practice session with launch equipment.

5.3 Mission Operations Training Mission Operations training will include training for mission monitors, duty scientists, and help desk personnel. Where possible, training will include hands-on monitoring of one or more operating payloads that have Iridium connections established through the MOC/SOC.

1. Train duty scientists on the operation and trouble-shooting of the SOC/MOC ground equipment. Instruction will be given on how to operate the control center computers. Overview of the control centers, starting up the computers, operations, display operations, and commanding will be taught.

2. Train mission monitors on use of the SOC, procedures to ascertain the health and safety of each subsystem, and how to respond to abnormal situations. MMs will also be instructed on keeping accurate flight status reports during their shift.