Failure detection, identification and recovery (FDIR) has been an important
and necessary instrument for space engineering since the first space flight
in 1957 and has even gained importance in 1961 with the first manned
flight.
As the research progressed, the satellite payload increased in value, hence
becoming another strong argument for FDIR.
Nowadays, an on-board computer is commonly carried by each satellite
(except of LAGEOS project perhaps), providing basic FDIR procedures in
collaboration with ground operator. The ability of autonomous FDIR varies
with satellite purpose, mission and equipment. However, as will be shown in
part 3, even in deep-space missions with highly autonomous decisive
algorithms, the on-board software (OBSW) is barely capable of handling very
complex situations like multiple failures, chain reactions, externally
caused failures or operator's mistakes. The autonomy of the OBSW is related
to the satellite's communication possibilities. The time in view of a
geostationary spacecraft is 24 hours/day, whereas the majority of the
satellites merely pass by their ground station(s) several times per day with
time in view in the order of minutes. Deep space missions, for a change,
show the reaction time to a ground initiated command in the order of hours,
a high autonomy is therefore required.
Obviously, a fully automated solution of the FDIR is needed, replacing slow
reacting or far away human operator. The problem is stated as the set of
failures the OBSW is incapable of preventing, detecting, identifying or
recovering from.
Recently, such failures are to be handled by a human operator in the
operating centre, requiring a constant attention of highly skilled and
mission-specifically trained personnel, increasing expenses of the mission
by the necessity of hiring and subsequent training of a team of highly
educated, stress resistant specialists.
A thought occurs, an FDIR extension could be implemented within the ground
control, specifically the Mission Control Systems (fig. 1.1) for all near-
Earth missions, providing an open area for research of similar principle
implementation into the deep space missions, to aid the operator. Such
extension, in a form of a software tool, would provide the operator with
situation prediction, analysis and recovery recommendations, thus improving
the performance of the human operator rapidly.
Once tested and su...
