The Ground Segment Reference Facility includes several ground systems infrastructure hardware and software, such as:
- Mission Control System (MCS);
- Ground Station (GS) equipment;
- Space segment simulation tools.
The GSRF is providing a complete representative ground segment for any of ESA’s entrusted missions: planetary, astronomy, Earth observation or third party missions. This facility is used in particular for:
- Acceptance test of new, modified or maintained ground system components prior to integration/deployment in the operational environment;
- Spacecraft interface test with ESOC MCS;
- System operation validation;
- Ground Segment System Test.
Addressing the variety and complexity of components and interfaces, the MUSEG system aims at managing the availability of the different components of the GSRF and supporting the different users in their utilization. The main technical objectives are:
- the scheduling/booking of these components;
- the harmonization/standardization of processes and tools across these different components by providing a single overarching system bridging between the GS and the MCS areas;
- to provide visibility on the components availability (which equipment is used and what for);
- to optimize the utilization of each component.