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Data from Outerspace
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Services
- Data Science Services
The Challenge
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Herschel Telescope, stationed at Noordwijk (The Netherlands), is constantly bombarded by infrared radiation, high-energy particles from solar eruptions and other events in outer space. The telescope, which is carrying the largest telescope ever flown, collects an average of six to seven gigabit raw telemetry data every day. The data is managed in an onboard storage facility and downloaded during a daily three-hour window to one of two satellite stations on the ground. The data is then transmitted to the ESA satellite control center in Darmstadt, Germany, and forwarded to the scientific control center in Madrid, Spain. On previous ESA missions, the teams responsible for the in-flight instruments had to use a multitude of tools to analyze critical instrument data extracted from various files.
About The Customer
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the exploration of space. Established in 1975, it has 22 member states and is headquartered in Paris, France. The agency's mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA's projects are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe. The projects also aim at developing satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. ESA also works closely with space organizations outside Europe.
The Solution
The Herschel team uses Versant’s object database to manage telemetry data and observation programs recommended by astronomers. Object databases are particularly suitable for managing complex and networked data structures. Once stored, the data is more easily and quickly retrieved compared to conventional database systems. For example, cross-references and pointers are directly mapped in the database and greatly simplify data navigation and queries. The object database permits much more direct data access. After the May 2009 launch Herschel started transmitting measurement data to the ground operations centers, providing the scientific community with many years’ worth of research data.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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