ESAS OPERATIONAL NETWORK FOR FUTURE MISSIONS - THE INTRODUCTION OF INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

ESOC has implemented and maintains a spacecraft operations support net work known as OPSNET, which connects the ESA ground stations and other space-mission-relevant sites with the Operations Control Centre (OCC) in Darmstadt, This article describes the concept and underlying techn ology of today's OPSNET, as well as the technological changes and augm entations that the present network architecture will undergo in the co ming years in order to support Europe's future space missions in an op timal manner, The main drivers for making these functional and technol ogical changes to OPSNET are: - the streamlining of organisational res ponsibilities within ESA - the rapid developments taking place in comm unications technology and the maintenance limitations of legacy instal lations - the need to improve interoperability with the operational ne tworks of other agencies the changing communications requirements in t erms of increased bandwidth, data delivery profiles, etc, of ESA proje cts like XMM, Cluster-II, Integral and Rosetta - the challenge of redu cing carrier costs by exploiting the changes in telecommunications tar iffs brought about by recent market deregulation.