A new standard (Spacecraft Monitoring and Control, SMC) specifying the monitoring and control services to be offered by space systems is being defined within Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS). The standard is based on a technology and communication protocols independent implementation. In addition, the CCSDS Spacecraft Onboard Interface Services (CCSDS SOIS) family of standards will specify the on-board interfaces and services. All current and future ESA missions will however be designed in accordance with the Packet Utilisation Standard (PUS), which defines the ground-to-space interface to access the on-board monitoring and control services. The natural question is whether these three standards can be made compatible and how. A possible approach is to adopt the definition of the SMC services in the ground interfaces between the monitoring and control kernel (the SMC service provider) and the ancillary monitoring and control applications consuming these services (e.g. requesting the execution of a given action, receiving alerts in case of anomalies detected by the monitoring service, etc.). This activity will look into the feasibility of such an approach by prototyping an SMC service provider for a PUS/SOIS based spacecraft.

This study proposal addresses the issue of compatibility between the CCSDS SMC and SOIS standards and the ECSS PUS standard. Each of these standards bring an added value and represent a useful reference for the definition and implementation of Monitoring and Control (MC) kernels on ground. However, they are unfortunately defined independently from each other and show significant overlaps (especially between SMC and PUS) and/or contradictions. As stated above, the SMC philosophy is not to rely on any specific implementation and not even to address the split of responsibility between the controlling entity (ground) and the controlled entity (the spacecraft) in the monitoring and control activities. The PUS philosophy is entirely the opposite i.e. it defines exactly the ground/space interfaces enabling access to the MC services provided by the controlled system (the spacecraft). In spite of these fundamental differences, the two standards can however be reconciled. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of mapping the SMC services onto the PUS/SOIS based on-board implementation. A prototype will be developed which will be verified end-to-end by means of the (OPS) ground segment and (TEC) space segment test-beds.