AMFESYS: Modelling and diagnosis functions for operations support

Packetized telemetry, combined with low station coverage for close-earth satellites, may introduce new problems in presenting to the operator a clear picture of what the spacecraft is doing. A recent ESOC study has gone some way to show, by means of a practical demonstration, how the use of subsystem models combined with artificial intelligence techniques, within a real-time spacecraft control system (SCS), can help to overcome these problems. A spin-off from using these techniques can be an improvement in the reliability of the telemetry (TM) limit-checking function, as well as the telecommand verification function, of the Spacecraft Control systems (SCS). The problem and how it was addressed, including an overview of the 'AMF Expert System' prototype are described, and proposes further work which needs to be done to prove the concept. The Automatic Mirror Furnace is part of the payload of the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) spacecraft, which was launched in July 1992.