PIGI (Predictive Interactive Groundstation Interface) is a software suite designed to better manage the massive amount of telemetry data streaming to and from a satellite network. The software will incorporate artificial intelligence to predict spacecraft behavior and detect pending failures in order to reduce the demands on human operators.

Current groundstations must represent hundreds of data items to controllers who have limited time to analyze them and make decisions. Data represented is often non-intuitive, cryptic, and time consuming to interpret. Saber Astronautics aims to streamline the system by using intelligent and ergonomic representation of spacecraft health and welfare telemetry. It will conduct inference analysis based on statistics and present it in a fashion most useful to groundstation controllers.

PIGI consists of two parts: a 3D Graphic User Interface (GUI) front-end, and a software-driven backend to conduct predictive analysis. The GUI will display statistically meaningful data to assist controllers in inferring, diagnosing, and predicting spacecraft behavior. One of the most important benefits of the PIGI system lies in its ability to reveal nominal spacecraft conditions at a glance- greatly improving controller reaction time during error conditions.

PIGI early tests tracking the performance of a high-fidelity lunar base simulation. Each yellow circle is a metric, driven from simulation produced health and welfare telemetry. PIGI accurately tracked cause-and-effects paths from space weather events to electric power and thermal subsytems, finally to the effect on Astronaut life support and health.

We would like to thank the following groups for support with time and data.

• CSIRO's Self-organised Sentient Structures (SOSS) group.

• University of Stuttguart Institute for Rocket Systems (IRS).

• University of New South Wales.

• Deakin University.

• NSW Rocketry Society.

Roll, pitch, and Yaw was estimated for a rocket launched by the NSW Rocketry group. We estimated positions errors as a function of environmental constraints, such as wind pressure and temperature. This can make launch control easier and safer.

Hive networks will use wireless technology to replace much of the heavy wiring presently used on spacecraft. Saber Astronautics robust Hive-ISP system will not only provide radiation resistance, but will offer superior design flexibility and cost savings.

Hive Intra-Spacecraft Proximity Network (Hive-IPN) will consist of networked “cells” and distributed agents operating in the unlicensed ISM radio band. Hive-IPN will allow the transmission of telemetry, command interface services, and internal Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. Hive-IPN implementation will be based on simple network management strategies and employ standards-based protocols and technologies.

The resulting architectural blueprint from will include the design for command and data handling (C&DH) as well as a wireless appliance adapter. The design will also include the integration of platform subsystem components and represent a balanced trade-off between mass, coverage area, power consumption, and system capabilities. In addition, the design will use either spread-spectrum frequency hopping or Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to provide EMI/RFI isolation in the radiation-intense environment of space.

Initial results from PIGI simulations created an unexpected spinoff through collaboration with the video game and education communities. Conquest of the Milky Way (CoW) is a Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) which uses the gameplay as a tool to directly educate the players in scientific, engineering, and mathematical methods. Geared for high school and undergraduates, each player is the leader of a young space faring society, starting with a single colony at a random star system in the known Milky Way. They grow a colonial empire by improving technology, economy, and military. The greater the player learns about different fields- astrodynamics, biology, geology, etc., the more capable the civilization becomes. Players experience the transition from early spaceflight to modern spaceflight, to future spaceflight and colonization, and finally to the edge of scientific possibility with interstellar flight. Saber Astronautics is also organizing experts from NASA and the aerospace industry that will assist students as in-game tutors. CoW provides:

FUN: Space strategy combat, civilization building, and economy in a rich 3-D interplanetary environment.

REALISM: Movements use true orbital mechanics played in the known Milky Way (Hipparchus catalogue). Players will be able to use space weather and spectroscopy to strategize their actions. Space environments will affect gameplay. New science discoveries in the real world will be updated in the game.

EDUCATION: The more a player learns, the more capable their colonial empire. Difficulty increases with technology level in each research area. Players can specialize learning in areas of their own interest, for balanced gameplay. Background material and in-game help by industry experts will supplement technology training sessions.