Lessons-learned from teaching satellite operations in a novel hands-on student project utilizing in-orbit spacecraft during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The Chair of Space Technology at TU Berlin continuously develops new satellite technology and software that is verified and used in various missions in orbit. 27 satellites were launched as of 2022. Many of these satellites by far outreach their design lifetime and work until today. At the same time, an increasing number of satellites not only in the academic domain is demanding for qualified operators. Hence, some of the satellites at TU Berlin are not fully operated anymore. To enable an efficient and sustainable use of those satellites, a novel hands-on student-driven project was implemented in order to utilize these aged but functional satellites to train a new generation of satellite operators. In this lecture course, students with various backgrounds are introduced to the basics of satellite operations by student tutors. Using a laboratory model of a CubeSat as a hardware-in-the-loop operations simulation, participants can collect first experiences in the university’s own Mission Control Center (MCC). Besides theoretical and practical foundations of satellite operations they gain skills in managing and coordinating satellite missions. After finishing the basic course in a theoretical and practical operations test, students qualify to participate in the advanced project giving them the opportunity to work with and operate the available satellites in orbit under supervision. Each semester, several interdisciplinary teams conduct experiments such as Earth Observation scenarios or work on related tasks like the improvement of the operations software or Human Factors of satellite operations. The pandemic has posed new challenges to this innovative educational concept, but was also a motivation to find alternative ways to teach satellite operations. The setup of simulated operations in the MCC was transformed into a combined setup of remote access and video conference. In this way, students are enabled to practice satellite operations from home. Theoretical lectures are prepared as screencasts. Further, the advanced project work was transferred to a remote manner. Students planned satellite scenarios from home, which subsequently were conducted by the student tutors, who provided the acquired telemetry data to the participants for analysis. Among the results of the project are several images with the focus on environmental monitoring of Earth, a software update for a satellite and the continuous analysis and documentation of degradation of components that have been in orbit for many years. These achievements do not only provide exciting hands-on classes and new skills to the students but often even contribute to the institution’s research