GSMS – GMSPAZIO Satellite Mission Simulator -

GSMS – GMSPAZIO Satellite Mission Simulator

GSMS is a self-standing software tool aimed at simulating the behavior of the whole Satellite System from a mission point of view.

GSMS is based on AGI STK (AGI Systems Tool Kit) platform, a specific COTS SW dedicated to space orbiting objects modeling, and the features specially made by GMSPAZIO, which offers GSMS under Windows 10 operative system (64 bit).

GSMS is a powerful tool that allows for the simulation of realistic mission scenarios to verify satellite system performances, mission performances, and figures in a 3D modeling environment. It also allows for the analysis of mission features and scenarios and supports system elements optimization.

The software GUI is articulated in 2D and 3D interfaces to start a complex simulation evaluating the performance of the satellite system, considering various types of constraints, through a wide range of reports and graphs, exportable into text format or Microsoft Excel file format.

GSMS operates two different types of analysis:

The System Performance analysis mode, where the global performances of the satellite are computed without constraints, such as multiple users requesting operations, the different priority of the users, etc.;
The Planner-Scheduler analysis, where the performances of the satellite are computed with all the possible constraints, simulating the real behavior of the satellite.

Response time

The response time tool allows users to evaluate the time between the submission deadline time and the delivery of the acquired image of the selected target. Is possible to select various types of targets: point target, Area of Interest (AOI), latitude belt, and region list. Can be set additional constraints to the evaluation, such as:

SZA (Solar Zenith Angle) represents the maximum angle of the incidence of the solar rays on the surface;
Time Delay Data;
User request Time;
Operational System Mode.

Revisit the time

The revisit time is the time necessary for the satellite to retake an acquisition of the selected target. Is possible to select various types of targets: point target, Area of Interest (AOI), latitude belt, and region list.

3. Information Age

The information age represents the time between the acquisition of the selected target and the end-time of the download of the entire data volume, accounting for the data-rate, using the selected downlink ground stations. Is possible to select various types of targets: entire World, Area of Interest (AOI), latitude belt, and region list. An additional constraint to the sunlighting can be set with the Max SZA.

The Planner-Scheduler analysis mode evaluates the performance of the satellite system with additional constraints. It manages a list of acquisitions coming from a list of different users and evaluates the capability of the satellite to perform these acquisitions accounting for the priority of the user, the usage quota assigned to the user, and the type of acquisition requested.

This type of analysis allows evaluation of all the steps of an acquisition of a defined target, from the sending of the task from the uplink to the delivery to the user after the downlink to the ground station and the processing of the acquired image.

The output data can be presented in two different modes:

Graphic Mode: the scheduled activities of the satellite calculated are displayed on the 2D and 3D graphics windows;
Text Report: the results of the computations are saved in a txt file reporting all the necessary information, such as order id, uplink time, acquisition start/stop time, downlink time, and other information.

All the scheduled activities computed during the analysis are listed in the report, considering the uplink time (the uplink station involved in the acquisition period), the number of images acquired, and a detailed list of any sub-image acquired.