[MOIMS-NAV-EXEC] Data messages for re-entry and fragmentation events

[Tim.Flohrer at esa.int]

Dear colleagues,

as mentioned and very briefly discussed at the last telecon of the MOIMS 
Navigation Working Group, we are working at ESA on data formats that cover 
the exchange of information on re-entry and fragmentation events. This 
work has been triggered by actual needs from the operational support that 
ESA's Space Debris Office is providing to missions, and, in parallel, 
during the developments and architectural analysis performed in ESA's SSA 
program in the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) segment. My colleague 
Luis Martin (my predecessor in the working group for the SSA/SST) made a 
first statement on planned developments at the London meeting of the 
CCSDS.

With this email we want to provide to you additional information on both 
formats. It would be very interesting for us to learn about your opinions 
and expectations on whether such topics are of interest for a wider 
community and, hence, on whether the working group may want to address 
these needs. 

We are ready to give more detailed presentations on the drafted data 
messages at the Darmstadt meeting.

Best regards,
Tim and Alexandru


Re-entry Data Message (RDM)
The exchange of spacecraft re-entry event data has been developed for the 
ESA SSA/SST project. The used format is inspired by CCSDS messages.
Satellite operators exchange several types of messages already covered by 
CCSDS, describing orbits, observations, attitude state and conjunctions. 
However, currently no message for spacecraft (re-)entry exists. 
Predictions on re-entry epochs, sometimes also including the estimated 
location, are already exchanged at technical level, e.g., in the frame of 
test campaigns run by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee 
(IADC). These test campaigns aim at comparing prediction techniques and 
tools, and verifying readiness and technical expertise for high-risk 
re-entry events. With an increase in Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) 
activities, it is expected that re-entry tracking campaigns will become 
more frequent and the need for simpler, standardised data exchange will 
increase. The developed format facilitates data sharing and 
interoperability, for example for analysis and visualisation. For 
instance, during the last orbits of a re-entering spacecraft, agency A 
might not have the sensors to track the spacecraft, but agency B does and 
provides up to date information about the re-entry (such as the projected 
impact location), without having to exchange tracking data.
The Re-entry Data Message contains information about an object entering 
the Earth's atmosphere. It is not intended to describe a controlled 
re-entry, or a landing, or to provide detailed orbit information for the 
object. Re-entry data are expected to be exchanged between entities 
monitoring the space environment, spacecraft operators and national or 
international authorities. The types of information currently exchanged in 
re-entry monitoring campaigns include: object name, class and properties 
(mass, cross-sectional area), the predicted epoch and location of the 
re-entry event, and the concise description of used models.
A CCSDS-like Re-entry Data Message has been drafted for the ESA SSA/SST 
system and aims at enabling a simpler exchange of re-entry data between 
different entities and/or agencies.


Fragmentation Data Message (FDM)
The exchange of spacecraft fragmentation event descriptions has been 
developed for the ESA SSA/SST project. The used format is inspired by 
CCSDS messages.
A system observing the space environment and determining the orbits of the 
covered objects can determine when and where a fragmentation event 
occurred, and can issue the appropriate warnings. With an increase in 
Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) activities, it is expected that 
fragmentation detection campaigns will become more frequent and the need 
for simple, standardised data exchange will increase. The developed format 
facilitates data sharing and interoperability, e.g., for analysis and 
visualisation. For example, agency A does not have fragmentation detection 
capabilities and a fragmentation event occurs in the same orbital regime 
as one of its spacecraft. Agency B does have the capability and provides 
agency A with the fragmentation information, which enables agency A to 
assess the risk to its spacecraft, without having to exchange tracking 
data. 
The Fragmentation Data Message contains information about fragmentation 
events in orbit around Earth. It is not intended to provide detailed orbit 
information for the originator or the generated fragments. Fragmentation 
data includes, as far as available, information about the progenitor 
object (physical properties, COSPAR ID, etc.), spatial coordinates and 
epoch of the fragmentation event, the spread in orbital properties of the 
fragments, a list of fragments and their detection epochs, and the 
increase in object spatial density due to the fragmentation event. If the 
fragmentation was caused by a collision, the properties of the second 
colliding spacecraft and the reference to the CDM describing the 
conjunction can also be exchanged as an option.
A CCSDS-like Fragmentation Data Message has been drafted for the ESA 
SSA/SST system and aims at enabling for a simpler exchange of 
fragmentation data between different entities and/or agencies.

-- 
Tim Flohrer, PhD
ESA/ESOC Space Debris Office (HSO-GR)
Robert-Bosch-Strasse 5, DE-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
+49-6151-90-3058 (phone), +49-6151-90-2625 (fax)
http://www.esa.int/debris 


This message and any attachments are intended for the use of the addressee or addressees only.
The unauthorised disclosure, use, dissemination or copying (either in whole or in part) of its
content is not permitted.
If you received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system.
Emails can be altered and their integrity cannot be guaranteed by the sender.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.ccsds.org/pipermail/moims-nav-exec/attachments/20150907/00b1850f/attachment.html>