The Role of Telemetry In Navstar Checkout

Abstract

Numerous checkout systems are being conceived for factory test, launch readiness assessment, and on-orbit performance evaluation for spacecraft designs of ever-increasing complexity. These systems must in addition be extremely flexible in design to maintain supportive capability at reasonable cost during transition from development through operational program phases. This paper describes a telemetry dependent checkout system for the Navstar Global Positioning Satellite. The Space-Ground Link System (SGLS) compatible telemetry based checkout features elemental units that simulate the Satellite Test Center (STC) and the Remote Tracking Stations (RTS). This approach minimizes the duplication of hardware and software design and documentation for the overall spacecraft assembly-to-orbit checkout process. The telemetry-checkout design is shown to be versatile enough to support growth in both numbers and types of payloads; to reduce the operator training demands; to provide test results, equipment status, and other data to remote evaluation personnel; and to improve delivery through computer-assisted performance assessments.