Telecommunications Analysis for 'Faster, Better, Cheaper' Deep Space Flight Planning and Operations: The Deep Space 1 (DS1) Experience

In the “faster, better, cheaper” era, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) continues to develop smaller and more frequent missions. The Deep Space Network (DSN) must track many spacecraft simultaneously. With ground tracking resources limited and with NASA moving into an era of full cost accounting, the need for an efficient and well-coordinated multimission telecommunications analysis service is apparent. This service is now provided as part of the Telecommunications and Mission Operations Directorate (TMOD) Deep Space Mission System (DSMS). Deep Space 1 (DS1) is the first mission to subscribe to TMOD’s services. This article describes the DS1 telecommunications link analysis service scenarios, including the DS1 safing incident on July 28, 1999, the day of the asteroid Braille flyby. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that good people, efficient processes, and effective tools are key elements that enable (1) a wide range of cost-effective telecommunications analysis support and (2) timely detection and anticipation of unforeseen situations.