Spacecraft Telecommand: Published standards
The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) publishes recommended standards (Blue Books) for spacecraft telecommand. The standards define protocols, procedures and data structures, including the TC Transfer Frame. The recommended standards have been adopted by many space agencies including NASA.
CCSDS documents can be downloaded from the website at www.ccsds.org. The ECSS website is at www.ecss.nl.
CCSDS recommended standards for telecommand space data links
- TC Synchronization and Channel Coding, CCSDS 231.0-B-2, September 2010
- TC Space Data Link Protocol, CCSDS 232.0-B-2, September 2010
- Communications Operation Procedure-1, CCSDS 232.1-B-2, September 2010
plus related standards:
- Space Packet Protocol, CCSDS 133.0-B-1, September 2003 (with Technical Corrigendum 1, September 2010)
- Encapsulation Service, CCSDS 133.1-B-2, October 2009
- Space Link Identifiers, CCSDS 135.0-B-4, October 2009
CCSDS original recommendations
The CCSDS original recommendations for packet telecommand are now obsolete (silver status):
- Telecommand Part 1: Channel Service, CCSDS 201.0-B-3-S, June 2000
- Telecommand Part 2: Data Routing Service, CCSDS 202.0-B-3-S, June 2001
- Telecommand Part 2.1: Command Operation Procedures, CCSDS 202.1-B-2-S, June 2001
- Telecommand Part 3: Data Management Service, CCSDS 203.0-B-2-S, June 2001
The original recommendations have some differences, for example in presentation and technical terms, but the major technical content is similar to the current recommended standards.
ESA Standards and ECSS
The telecommand standards of the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are based on the CCSDS recommended standards:
- Space data links - Telecommand protocols, synchronization and channel coding, ECSS-E-ST-50-04C, 31 July 2008
The ECSS standards replace the earlier ESA standards:
- ESA Packet Telecommand Standard, ESA-PSS-04-107, Issue 2, April 1992
- ESA Telecommand Decoder Specification, ESA-PSS-04-151, Issue 1, September 1993
I B + M A de Lande Long Software + Consultancy has many years of background experience with the definition of the CCSDS and ESA standards. We provided support for the development of the telecommand standards for ECSS.
CCSDS informational reports
CCSDS publishes informational reports (Green Books) which provide additional information and explanation. The Green Books relevant to telecommand include:
- Overview of Space Communications Protocols, Green Book, CCSDS 130.0-G-2, December 2007
- Space Data Link Protocols - Summary of Concept and Rationale, Green Book, CCSDS 130.2-G-1, December 2007
- TC Synchronization and Channel Coding - Summary of Concept and Rationale, Green Book, CCSDS 230.1-G-1, June 2006