Technocrat

Satellite Operations go Open Source

zogger
Sun Apr 01 13:28:15 -0700 2007
Open+Source+Software.
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The European Space Agency is using an inhouse developed open source "Space Craft Operating System", called SCOS-2000. A recent project, the German TerraSAR-X radar imaging craft is using it.

"Germany's next-generation TerraSAR-X uses sophisticated ground infrastructure to deliver Earth observation data to scientists and commercial customers. Open-source software developed at ESA's Operations Centre is helping to make the mission a success."...more at that page

Here is the SCOS-2000 project page note: this software, which runs on Linux, appears to only be available to ESA partners and contractors via a form submission.

Satellite Operations go Open Source
Oliver Kiddle
Mon Apr 02 02:02:11 -0700 2007
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The licence is not really open source: you need permission to transfer it outside the ESA member states. But it is common for the contractor firms to customise SCOS-2000 for use with non-ESA satellites (I work for one of the contractor firms). I think similar licence terms apply for the other ESA software - simulators, ground station and flight dynamics and so on. This TerraSAR-X announcement is the first time I've seen it officially termed as open source. The licence itself is nothing new - and the reasons for it are related to tax revenues having been used to fund the development.

The software runs on Solaris or Linux by the way.
 

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