GSEOS (Ground Support Equipment Operating System) was designed to support the testing and integration of instruments and small spacecraft.
GSEOS meets the need for a low cost, flexible, and maintainable spacecraft ground system which is a common denominator across most space programs.
Low Budget
One of the most common requirements of any spacecraft program is the need to test and operate the hardware prior to launch, and monitor its operation after launch. In recent years, spacecraft and missions have grown more complex while budgets and schedules have grown ever tighter. While such an environment puts pressure on all aspects of a mission, it is particularly difficult on the elements that support ground test and operations, since these elements must be in place to support early hardware development, and yet must last throughout the mission.
Bench Checkout Equipment
Typically, this capability has often been met by developing and supporting several independent systems. The first, often called bench checkout equipment, is designed primarily to help engineers test the flight hardware in a stand-alone configuration. Due to the need to support early testing, the BCE's capability is often limited. Despite these limitations, and the fact that it is not intended for long-term use, the BCE development often requires significant resources to insure that the hardware delivery is not imperiled.
Spacecraft Integration
A second system, developed in parallel with the BCE, is intended primarily to support mission operations. Because such systems can not be fully checked until late in the hardware development cycle, significant resources are expended to run simulated hardware interface tests. Such tests are not a complete substitute for testing with real hardware, however, and invariably, problems are discovered in the hardware and/or software. A third system may also be used solely to support system-level testing during spacecraft integration. It shares problems with both of the systems described above; it must be available in time for system integration, but the opportunity for testing may be limited.
GSEOS addresses these problems by providing a common platform that allows to perform bench checkout as well as spacecraft integration and flight operations. The advantages of recycling a system in such a way are manyfold. The picture below depicts three possible system configurations:
