DATAware; A Graphical Approach for Decoding and Displaying Small Satellite Data and Telemetry

Today's small satellites are capable of producing vast quantities of data from experiments and engineering telemetry. The requirements of the small satellite operator define how science and engineering data is treated. The small satellite operator typically does not have the financial resources for a worldwide network of downlink ground stations. These constraints require that the satellite's status must be ascertained within a relatively short window during a pass over a single or a few ground stations. Any anomalous operation needs to be quickly identified so that corrective action may be taken. In addition, the satellite operator is often the end user of the data gathered from the onboard experiments. Currently, ground stations display data in a list format. The display requires decoding and analyzing the data two distinctly different software algorithms. There is a need for a single software package to decode and display the experiment data and engineering telemetry in an easy to interpret format. A single software package will ease the burden of understanding satellite data decoding, calibration, and display. DATAware is being developed to fulfill this need.