The SODI Diffusion Soret Coefficient Experiment onboard ISS: a flexible and modular approach to operations in orbit

摘要

The Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument (SODI) is a Class-2 Payload for scientificexperiments in the field of fluids on board the International Space Station. Being equipped withvarious optical diagnostics, such as Mach-Zehnder Interferometer, Particle Image Velocimetryand Near Field Scattering, this design has been expressly conceived to study several phenomenaand, among them, diffusion processes and Soret effects in liquids (SODI DSC). Telespazio(located in Naples, Italy) has played the role of SODI FRC (Facility Responsible Center) andEuropean USOC (User Support Operation Center), receiving the full range of SODI telemetry(H&S and Scientific telemetry), issuing commands to the Payload and providing consolepositions during on orbit active phases (07-Nov to 16-Jan-2012). The NASA interface toTelespazio Operators has been represented by the Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC)at MSFC (located in Huntsville), that also includes the MSG Ops Team (who was in charge ofcoordinating all MSG operations, MSG being the Class-1 facility hosting the SODI hardware andproviding the required interfaces to the ISS data and power systems). In a position of FRC,Telespazio has conceived the mission scenario (Mission Operation Implementation Concept),implemented the Ground Segment and related ground data services, developed all the necessarypayload products and executed the SODI DSC experiment (55 scientific runs) onboard byinteracting directly with NASA on behalf of the European Space agency (ESA).