CHEOPS Definition and Implementation Phase - Inclusion of the Provision of Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) Services
Programme
GSTP
Programme Reference
G612-001SR
Prime Contractor
RUAG SCHWEIZ AG, RUAG SPACE
Start Date
End Date
Status
Closed
Country
Switzerland
Objectives
The aim of the activity is the provision of Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) Services to the CHEOPS Mission.
Description
CHEOPS mission was adopted by the SPC in February 2014 (ESA/SPC(2014)5) and is being implemented in partnership with Switzerland and several other Member States as defined in the CHEOPS Multi-Lateral Agreement (MLA, ESA/SPC(2014)4). The MLA includes in particular a Swiss contribution to the spacecraft system Assembly Integration and Testing (AIT), through activities to be provided by RUAG Schweiz AG (RSSZ) under the authority and responsibility of the CHEOPS spacecraft contractor.
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The CHEOPS (Characterizing ExOPlanet Satellite) mission is dedicated to the search for planet transits by means of ultrahigh precision photometry on bright stars already known to host planets. Following the ESA Call for small class missions released in March 2012, the SPC selected in October 2012 CHEOPS as S1 mission in ESA Science Programme, with a target launch in 2019. The mission is carried out as a partnership between the ESA Science Programme and Switzerland, with important contributions from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, cooperating within a dedicated mission consortium.
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ESA is the Mission Architect and in charge of the spacecraft development, mission operations and launch. The contribution from the mission consortium nominally includes:
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- The science payload, as Customer Furnished Items (CFI) to the Spacecraft Contractor.
- A contribution to AIT activities at spacecraft system level, which is the subject of the present activity.
- The spacecraft operations.
- The science operations.
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The fast development schedule (less than 4 years) imposes the use of existing, flight qualified equipment and platform designs, as well as streamlined system engineering, procurement and AIT/AIV processes.
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It is proposed to change the duration and the budget of this activity.
During the CHEOPS System CDR, ESA requested the spacecraft Prime to adopt the back-up schedule scenario to reflect an approximate delay of 12 months with respect to the instrument development. In light of the schedule developments described above, the AIT services provided by TAS-CH for this activity needs to be extended by 12 months.
The nature of the activities and deliverables provided by TAS-CH remain consistent with the original activity description: contribution to spacecraft and payload AIT services as an integrated team with the spacecraft contractor together with the provision of test facilities.
Application Domain
Space Science
Competence Domain
8-Ground Systems and Mission Operations
Initial TRL
TRL N/A
Target TRL
TRL N/A
Public Document