Reducing the Cost of the Long Operations Tail

The inherent reliability of scientific spacecraft coupled with creative solutions to failures, degradation and other contingencies means that the vast majority of missions continue well beyond the date scheduled for the end of nominal operations. This long operations tail brings great benefit in terms of additional science data but, the average mission duration extension of over 300 % for recent ESA missions, can make financial planning difficult for operators and funding organisations alike. Furthermore, the resulting extra costs of the operations phase for flying missions are increasingly seen as a cause for delaying new programmes. Examination of historical data on mission extensions suggests that early consideration of mission extensions would allow long-term operations costs to be minimised via alternative operations concepts and modification of the system design to support these. We propose an approach to ensure that new missions analyse, plan for and factor-in possible extensions from the start meaning that operations concepts, tools and extension plans are in place to minimise the costs of all aspects of extended mission operations (including costs of spacecraft & science operations and telecommunications). I