Orbital maneuvering vehicle teleoperation and video data compression

The Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) and concepts of teleoperation and video data compression as applied to OMV design and operation are described. The OMV provides spacecraft delivery, retrieval, reboost, deboost and viewing services, with ground-control or Space Station operation, through autonomous navigation and pilot controlled maneuvers. Communications systems are comprised of S-band RF command, telemetry, and compressed video data links through the TDRSS and GSTDN networks. The control console video monitors display a monochrome image at an update rate of five frames per second. Depending upon the mode of operation selected by the pilot, the video resolution is either 255 x 244 pixels, or 510 x 244 pixels. Since practically all video image redundancy is removed by the compression process, the video reconstruction is particularly sensitive to data transmission bit errors. Concatenated Reed-Solomon and convolution coding are used with helical data interleaving for error detection and correction, and an error-containment process minimizes the propagation of error effects throughout the video image. Video sub-frame replacement is used, in the case of a non-correctable error or error burst, to minimize the visual impact to the pilot.