ESA Science & Technology - The Cluster On-Board Software Maintenance

Publication date: 02 July 1997

Authors: Denis, M.

Journal: ESA Bulletin
Volume: 91
Year: 1997

Copyright: ESA

The Cluster mission will be operated from ESOC. In addition to the mission challenges imposed by the simultaneous operation of four co-ordinated spacecraft, ESOC will be responsible for maintaining the software of the On-Board Data Handling (OBDH) subsystem from the time of launch until the end of the mission, which is nominally two and a half years. This on-board software maintenance capability provides a powerful means of adapting the behaviours of the four Cluster spacecraft to the real-time status of the hardware of each and to any operational difficulties that they might encounter during their operating lifetimes.