November Monthly Status Review (MSR)SCaN Testbed

David Irimies, Project ManagerNovember 29, 2012

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GRC Project Manager: MSC/David IrimiesChief Engineer: DT/Josh FreehSafety & Mission Assurance Lead: Q/Rick PlastowNASA Customer: SCaN Program/John RushKey Contractor(s): SpaceDOC/ZIN, GESS/Vantage

Project Mission Statement:• SCaN Testbed is an advanced communications lab facility

installed on ISS, which provides the opportunity to develop and advance communications, navigation, and networking technologies in the dynamic operational environment of space

• Develop and demonstrate experiments on ISS that will advance the TRL of Software Defined Radios (SDR) and the Space Telecommunications Radio Standard (STRS) in support of future NASA missions

Project Life Cycle Schedule (Governing NPR 7120.5)

HTV Docked to ISS

Flight System in TVAC

SCaN Testbed Project

Milestones SRR IVR PDR CDR Ph III Safety

SAR ORR Launch Ops On-Orbit Expts

Return Final Report

Actual/ Baseline

5/2008 10/2008 9/2009 4/2010 08/2011 10/2011 6/2012 7/2012 Inc. 32=> 01/2013 N/A N/A

Installedonto ISS ELC

GRC Scope:¨ The SCaN Testbed project is defined as the development,

integration and on-orbit execution of experiments, as well as the operations and maintenance of the SCaN Testbed.

¨ Project closeout will occur no earlier than 2018, or upon Program direction, with SCaN Testbed decommissioning, disposal, and final documentation.

SCaN Testbed Master Schedule Overview

Acro-BusterERR = Experiment Reqs ReviewVTR = Verification Test ReviewEOR = Experiment Operations Review

Rev 11/15/12

• First three STRS Standard Compliant radios in space – Space Telecommunications Radio Standard (STRS) is NASA’s new standard for SDRs

• First NASA/JPL built SDR with a waveform developed externally by someone other than the platform developer.

• JPL SDR received GPS signals at L1, L2, and L5 and is first civilian reception of L5 signals in space

• NASA’s first TDRSS Ka-band user - transmit and receive in the Ka-band frequency

(Harris SDR is first NASA 26.5 GHz Ka-band transceiver in space operating with TDRSS)

NASA Firsts by SCaN Testbed (1 of 2)

SCaN Bob Test Pants

• First true multi-SDR event – Harris was operating in duplex mode during a Ka-Band SN event – GD was operating in transmit mode during an S-Band NEN event with

Wallops Ground Station

• First NASA user to successfully auto track on orbit, in duplex mode– STB tracking TDRS (TDRS-E) and TDRS auto tracking STB. – Witnessed appropriate delta for TDRS to be in auto-track mode, and STB

successfully maintained dual-system closed-loop auto track mode – Return Link operating at 100Mbps – Forward Link operating at 3 Mbps– Besides one error burst mid-event, the performance was nominal. – Testing in coming days will try the Return link at various rates, so STB can

verify that WSC can get their system fully configured.

NASA Firsts by SCaN Testbed (2 of 2)

On-Orbit Accomplishments (1 of 3)

• Radio Frequency (RF) subsystem checkout– Approach was to verify RF path integrity post-launch, Rx only first, then

duplex operations– ALL RF Subsystem Paths have been exercised in Rx mode– ALL SDRs have been exercised in Tx mode– Each SDR acquired their respective forward link waveforms and provided

relative receive power or AGC telemetry– Each SDR transmitted their return link waveforms and received at WSC,

verifying power amplifier and TWTA operation

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On-Orbit Accomplishments (2 of 3)

• Antenna Characterization activities underway– GPS Antenna has received L1, L2, & L5 signals– Each of the S-band and Ka-band RF antenna patterns will be further post-

processed and evaluated over the next few weeks– Validated SCaN Testbed Analysis Tool (STAT) performance predictions tool

during the TDRS-E autotrack, STB within 0.3dB– Validated STAT’s real-time data acquisition functionality during

commissioning tests

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On-Orbit Accomplishments (3 of 3)

• Antenna Pointing System (APS) Checkout and Commissioning– APS checkout completed, and initial telemetry supports a nominal and

healthy APS subsystem– 2 Closed-Loop Tracking Events were fully successful (one during an ISS

reboost)– APS Commissioning underway to fully characterize performance

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• Experiments 1a and 1b (S-band SDR Technology Advancement)– 1a: GIU characterization report draft was released for comments inside the experiment team– 1b: Completed power estimator characterization testing on GIU; continuing waveform development to

incorporate the new power estimates.– 1b: Developing JPL SDR waveform enhancements on GIU for upload to flight

• Signal-to-noise ratio estimator

• Experiment 2 (S- and Ka-band SDR Technology Advancement)– Verified GIU pre-amp circuit working with LRO TWTA

• Experiment 3 (Baseline Networking & Routing)– Developed experiment plan and detailed execution/development schedule, currently in Project

review

• Experiment 6 (Bandwidth Efficient, High-Rate WF at Ka-Band)– Creating an experiment plan to address future development and operations– Placing procurements for software development environment

• SBIR Experiment 8 (SBIR Phase 2)– CommLargo awarded a SBIR-2 to continue developing scintillation-hardened GPS for STB (open

source GPS)

Experiments Status

TDRS-K Checkout (Expt 25a)

• Successfully completed TDRS-K Dress Rehearsal (Dry Runs)– Two TDRS events simulated over 3 hours– Used GIU to get realistic response times and test out our procedures– WSC test conductor thought it went well and so did TDRS-K test conductor, as

evidenced by calling off the third planned pass

• Expt 25a Overview:- Program track / autotrack on both STB and TDRS-K- Demonstrate that TDRS-K can acquire and successfully autotrack a Ka-band user in low

Earth orbit. - This will be the first test of autotrack service with an orbiting customer during in-orbit

checkout- Provide test-as-you-fly data not captured in the L5 autotrack test procedures executed

by Boeing- STB offers in-orbit Ka-band user to verify KaSA services and autotrack requirements

that are called out in TDRS-K Test Plan

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Challenges Overcome (1 of 2)

• Resolved subsystem current telemetry anomaly (instrumentation issue, not a safety issue)– Several days of GIU testing and simulations performed to identify cause– Circuit has voltage and temperature dependency – No documented requirements for precision and accuracy on subsystem

power draw – yet required by science to understand performance of radios.

– Ground SW incorporating voltage and temp data into coefficients and offsets to derive more accurate power draw telemetry

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Challenges Overcome (2 of 2)

• Resolved anomaly on critical commanding (procedure/process issue, not a safety issue)– STB mission operations inadvertently sent two critical commands from the

GRC TeleScience Center (TSC) that should have been issued from the Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) at MSFC.

– STB responded nominally and there was no safety hazard but the commands should not have been accessible from the GRC TSC.

– Commands removed from the configuration file and are fully removed from the database to prevent another occurrence of this issue

– Procedures updated to emphasize that POIC issues those critical commands

– Issue, corrective actions, and resolution reviewed and approved with the POIC team, ISS Payload Safety Review Panel, and ISS Ops Tagup - STB approved to resume nominal operations

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General Accomplishments & Outreach

• Briefed SCaN Testbed status and FY13 plans at TSD Program Status Review

• Briefed at GRC 2012 SCaN TSD Annual Review – November 8

• One of three GRC lead projects in current HQ OCE Audit/Survey In-Brief, Interviews, and Out-briefs– Only STB Non-compliance is no wavier secured for EVM– STB provided corrective action response for GRC review

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Technical Issues in Work

• STB Front End Processor (SFEP) Anomaly– SFEPs are injecting errors into the data stream at low rates on JPL and GD SDRs– GSFC contractor using spare SFEP located at GSFC to troubleshoot– WSC personnel assisting– Full duplex data flow is needed for commissioning. Harris SDR unable to achieve forward link

data flow.• Plus, forward link BER data won’t work during APS Comm’n

• ISS inhibits (EVR, EVA, visiting vehicles) continue to challenge planning– Flight rules being re-evaluated and updated based on new/updated RF radiation limits– Continuing to coordinate with ISS Robo, JSC-EVR, POIC, MOD, et al. on other flight

rules/inhibits

• ISS MiPROM pitch – to extend manifest (see Risk #2)

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Upcoming Events

• STB Booth at NASA Technology Days – November 28-30

• Brief SCaN Program and HEOMD Directorate on CoNNeCT Lessons Learned and Cost Performance – dates TBD

• Wireless Innovation (SDR) Forum: Keynote address, STRS subtopic, 2 technical presentations, Washington, DC – January 7-10, 2013

• ISS MiPROM (Multi-Increment Payload Resupply and Outfitting Manifest) Working Group – January 23, 2013 (tentative)

– STB Presenting to extend manifest and delay decommissioning from 2015 to 2018 (see Risk chart, Risk #2)

StatusCost Schedule Technical Mgmt

Current Month G Y G Y

Prior Month G G G R

Stoplight Status and Explanations

CURRENT MONTH EXPLANATIONS

Mgmt Issue / Realized Impact Action Plan Resolution

Date

Y

Workforce Shortages in RF and Comm. due to lack of GRC personnel availability:

1a. Rebaselined schedule to complete Antenna Characterization operations (last Checkout task) by end of November, and Commissioning operations by end of February.

1b. Seeking Code D/R CS lead roles1c. Project in parallel pursuing SSC lead roles thru

existing contractor responsible for SE&I, 1d. Assign Bryan Welch to SCaN Testbed full time until

new RF SME is identified to cover RF Checkout, Antenna Characterization, APS, and initial portion of SDR Commissioning (Sep’12– mid February’13).

2. Accept smaller GRC experiment portfolio and deploy resources to securing, integrating and operating outside experiments

1a. Complete

1b. Continual1c. In work

1d. In work (tied to 1c.)

2. Continual

SCaN Testbed Top Project Risks

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 5

LIKELIHOOD

CONSEQUENCES

LxCTrend

Rank Approach Risk Title

è 1 MOut-Year Funding Profile Insufficient to Execute Project

2 M Premature STB Disposal by ISS

3 M Experimenter SW Interface (API)

ApproachM – MitigateW – WatchA – AcceptR – ResearchC – Closed

Criticality

Decreasing (Improving) Increasing (Worsening)è Unchanged

N New

L x C Trend

High

Med

Low

1

3 2

STATUS AS OF: 11/27/12

Rank Consequence(s)

1

Given an out-years (FY14+) resource shortage, there is a possibility that:

•STB Experiment integration and operations will stop

•Progress on experiment development will be slow

•Low contribution to the STRS repository

2

Given an ISS disposal schedule of April 2015, there is a possibility that

•Experiments in development will not be executed on-orbit

•Payload will be underutilized

•Low contribution to the STRS repository

3

Given a lack of an Experimenter API, there is a possibility of:

•STB unable to accommodate external Experimenters

•Increased development time for all Experimenters

Back Up

Level 1 Requirement Assessment

• SCaN Testbed has 27 Level 1 Reqs - science type “wills” and “shalls”

• 19 requirements can be met with current funding – Basic S-band connection to TDRS and direct to ground– Basic Ka-band connection to TDRS– GPS L1, L2, and L5, etc . . .

Level 1 Requirement Assessment

• 8 Requirements (Experiments) need additional $ to meet the Level 1 Reqs– Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN)and Internet Protocol (IP) routing: More experiment

development, SW and Expt Integration– Testbed capabilities available to industry: More SW, Expt Integration, and Expt Dev– Demonstrate various levels of compliance with STRS: More Expt development– Develop library of software devices that have legacy value: More Experimenters, SW

and Comm support – Demonstrate Comm, Nav, and networking technologies: More than a single

experiment– Ground based system used for testing and upload of new waveforms: More

Experiment Development System support– TDRS Augmentation Service for Satellites (TASS): Funded in FY15/16 at JPL

• Additional funding needed to develop experiments and the infrastructure (SW and integration) to support them.

Satisfied by Checkout & Commissioning Satisfied by Experimentation

> > We need Experiments to satisfy project criteria < <

Mission Success Criteria Assessment

Mission Success Criteria Assessment

Risk TypeSub Risk

Type1 2 3 4 5

 Safety

PersonnelMinor injury not

requiring first aid treatment.

Minor injury regarding first aid

treatment.

Medical treatment for a minor injury,

illness.

Permanent or major injury, illness or incapacitation.

Death

Flight Systems N/A N/AMinor damage to

flight systems.Major damage to

flight systemsLoss of flight assets.

Ground Facilities/

Equipment

Negligible damage to Non-Critical

ground facilities or systems.

Minor damage to Non-Critical

ground facilities or systems.

Moderate damage to critical ground

facilities or systems. -Or-

Loss of Non-critical

Major damage to critical ground

facilities or systems

Loss of critical ground facilities or

systems.

Technical

Requirements

No impact to meeting

performance and/or other mission

objectives.

L4 requirements and/or other

mission objectives cannot be met.

L3 requirements and/or other

mission objectives cannot be met.

L2 requirements and/or other mission objectives cannot be

met.

L1 requirements and/or mission

objectives cannot be met.

OperationsNegligible impact to mission objectives/

operations

Minor impact to mission objectives/

operations -workarounds

available.

Moderate impact to mission objectives/

operations.

Major impact to mission objectives/

operations -workarounds not

available.

Unable to achieve major mission

objective/operations.

Cost   <$50K $50K - $100K $101K - $250K $251K - $500K >$500K

 Schedule  2-4 week delay to

major project milestone.

1-3 month delay to major project

milestone.

3-4 month delay to major project

milestone.

4-6 month delay to major project

milestone.

>6 month delay to major project

milestone.

LIKELIHOOD RATINGLikelihood Value RangeVery High 5 76% - 99%

High 4 51% - 75%Moderate 3 26% - 50%

Low 2 11% - 25%Very Low 1 0% - 10%

TIMEFRAME

Time to Initiate Handling Strategy

Near 0 to 1 Month

Mid 1 to 3 Months

Far >3 Months

SCaN Testbed Risk Scorecard