Overview

There is a saying that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. That is certainly true when it comes to ground control operations of a satellite communications system. This chapter is a discussion of the overall operation of the ground segment, utilizing both technical and human resources. Vital to the ground segment is a dependable satellite control center (discussed in Chapter 9) that provides appropriate and adequate contact with all working satellites, allowing a trained and experienced staff of professionals to perform the tasks necessary to achieve overall performance requirements. In our experience, that requires considerable investment in quality hardware, software, and human capital. What good satellite operation strives for is zero defects in terms of all satellite control functions. In practice, problems occur and mistakes, unavoidably, are made.

Satisfactory performance of the satellite control system depends on how well the operator deals with contingencies. We previously dealt with the physical hardware of the space and ground segments. Those elements must be designed and implemented to provide a working system. Keeping the system in operation and delivering services is the challenge of the soft side of the business the assignment and management of the staff of professionals who attend to the immediate and long-term needs of the hardware. To that is added the users and the customers who access the space segment; they are partners in the important process of maintaining reliable and effective services. We provide this review to give the reader an appreciation of the requirements...