Assessing Satellite Control Capability Status

As the status of space systems move from research and development into that of full operational systems, they are subject to operational test and evaluation. The objective of this paper is to examine the performance and workload levels of the satellite control operator as an effect of downtimes, anomalies, and malfunctions, all contributors to the reliability and availability of the satellite system. These observations are based on a review of the command and control operations centers for several Department of Defense (DOD) satellites.