An automated deep space communications station

This paper describes an architecture being implemented for an autonomous Deep Space Tracking Station(DS-T). The architecture targets fully automated routine operations encompassing scheduling and resource allocation, antenna and receiver predict generation, track procedure generation from service requests, and closed loop control and error recovery for the station subsystems. This architecture is being validated by construction of a prototype DS-T station which will be demonstrated in two phases: down-link (March 98) and up-link/down-link(July 98).