## 5 Mission Concept of Operations  
The mission concept of operations defines, at a high level, how the mission will be carried out. The mission concept of operations for the OpenOrbiter mission is now presented.  
The OpenOrbiter mission is constrained, in terms of the traditional mission concept elements, by the infrastructure, funding and launch services available. Table 1 lists the mission concept of operations elements and the possible options available. Table 2 lists the option selected for each concept of operations element.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|} \hline
**Element** & **Options** & **Considerations** \\ \hline Data Delivery & Data collected, processed/enhanced onboard and transmitted to the ground & Spacecraft computer performance, power considerations and data link constraints will drive the data processing/delivery decision \\  & Data collected and transmitted to & \\  & ground for processing & \\  & Partial onboard processing & \\ \hline Communications & UND Ground Station & UND possesses most of the hardware required to operate a small ground station. This is likely the lowest cost option and maximizes student involvement \\  & & An academic network such as GENSO or the concept proposed in [22] could be used; \\  & Academic or Commercial Network & however, reliability, student involvement and \\  & & ITAR implications must be considered \\ \hline Tasking, & Autonomous Control Required & Given the limited communications windows that will be possible and lack of 24x7 \\ Controlled & & communications capability, the spacecraft \\  & & must be able to perform autonomously based on controller-specified tasking \\ \hline Mission & The spacecraft must be available for & The timeline is driven by the ELANA/CLI \\ Timeline & launch at the data specified by the & program schedule for launch opportunities \\  & launch provider & \\  & The mission duration will be & Current guidance from NASA/CalPoly does \\  & determined by the time that it takes & not allow propulsion elements \\  & the low-Earth orbit to decay (no & \\  & propulsion is available to boost the & \\  & orbit) & \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Mission Concept of Operations Solution Space.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|} \hline
**Element** & **Options** & **Considerations** \\ \hline Data Delivery & Data collected, processed/enhanced & Spacecraft computer performance, power considerations and data link constraints will \\  & onboard and transmitted to the & drive the data processing/delivery decision \\  & ground & \\  & Data collected and transmitted to & \\  & ground for processing & \\  & Partial onboard processing & \\ \hline Communications & UND Ground Station & UND possesses most of the hardware required to operate a small ground station. \\  & & This is likely the lowest cost option and maximizes student involvement \\  & & An academic network such as GENSO or the concept proposed in [22] could be used; \\  & Academic or Commercial Network & however, reliability, student involvement and \\  & & ITAR implications must be considered \\ \hline Tasking, & Autonomous Control Required & Given the limited communications windows that will be possible and lack of 24x7 \\  & & communications capability, the spacecraft \\  & & must be able to perform autonomously based \\  & & on controller-specified tasking \\ \hline Mission & The spacecraft must be available for & The timeline is driven by the ELANA/CLI \\ Timeline & launch at the data specified by the & program schedule for launch opportunities \\  & launch provider & \\  & The mission duration will be & Current guidance from NASA/CalPoly does \\  & determined by the time that it takes & not allow propulsion elements \\  & the low-Earth orbit to decay (no & \\  & propulsion is available to boost the & \\  & orbit) & \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Mission Concept of Operations.