Automation in satellite TT&C systems - a survey of international best practices and lessons learned

This paper presents preliminary results from a survey of best practices and lessons learned in satellite operations from 18 different organizations in industry government, and the military in North America and Europe. The Aerospace Corporation is conducting this survey for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of a study on how to improve the efficiency and flexibility of NOAA's satellite ground systems. This paper provides insight into the current state of automation in satellite operations and compares the level of automation and implementation approaches across industry and government programs. This knowledge can be used to assess existing satellite programs in comparison to the state of the industry and as a guide for future ground system acquisitions and legacy ground system modernizations