Having begun employing VTS for testing out Proba-3’s mission simulator, as a next step the team will soon be extending its use to start training Proba-3 operators, who will oversee the satellite pair from ESA’s Redu centre in Belgium. Then, once the mission begins flight, VTS will also be integrated into their control infrastructure.

“The controllers will not be overseeing the satellites continuously,” adds Esther. “But for example, when the satellites are at perigee, or their closest point to Earth, VTS will ingest the telemetry that estimates their orbital tracks out to 60 530 km away, so the controllers will be able to look at a glance and see if there is any problem that needs to be corrected, for instance if the satellites will come too close to one another or venture too far away.”