Ground data system for Space Flyer Unit (SFU)

The Space Flyer Unit (SFU) is an unmanned, multi-purpose, retrievable and reusable space platform. The first mission of SFU (SFU-1) will be launched by NASDA's H-2 launch vehicle in early 1995 and retrieved by NASA's Space Shuttle after several months in orbit. Two Japanese ground stations, several ground stations belonging to NASA, and a ground station in Chile will be used for tracking of SFU-1. The control center of SFU-1 is the Sagamihara Operations Center (SOC) of ISAS located in Sagamihara, Japan. This paper describes the tracking and data acquisition network for SFU-1, the configuration and design policy of the SFU operations control system, and data processing schemes used for mission operations of SFU.