Evolution of Operations Throughout DEIMOS-1 Mission

Abstract

Deimos Imaging (Spain), a subsidiary of UrtheCast Corp. (Canada), is a private Spanish company specialized in the operation and commercial exploitation of Earth Observation systems. Currently, Deimos Imaging owns and operates the DEIMOS-1 and DEIMOS-2 satellites. DEIMOS-1 is the first Spanish Earth Observation satellite, providing 22 m resolution, 3 band imagery (Red, Green and Near Infrared) with a very wide (650 km) swath from its 650 km of altitude. The Operations Team is in charge of the satellite's control and mission planning activities, being also responsible for assessment duties related to Flight and Ground Segment. Two Ground Stations (one polar located at Svalbard, Norway, and one local in Boecillo, Spain) allows at least one contact every orbit. Throughout its almost 9 years of mission, DEIMOS-1 operations have experienced a great evolution to reach the current state of stability and automation. This evolution has been reflected in both Ground Segment and Flight Segment. Ad-hoc software tools, improvements and procedures have been developed and applied in order to satisfy operations needs and increase the efficiency of the mission.