ISO 23041:2018

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 23041
Second edition
2018-04
Space systems — Unmanned
spacecraft operational procedures —
Documentation
Systèmes spatiaux — Procédures opérationnelles de véhicule spatial
non habité — Documentation
Reference number
©
ISO 2018
© ISO 2018
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms . 2
5 Documentation . 3
5.1 General preparations . 3
5.1.1 General. 3
5.1.2 Arrangement of material . 3
5.1.3 Illustration . 4
5.2 Space operation handbook . 4
5.2.1 General. 4
5.2.2 Overview . 5
5.2.3 Space system description (Clause 1 of handbook) . 7
5.2.4 Space system operating functions (Clause 2 of handbook) .10
5.2.5 Mission operating procedures (Clause 3 of handbook) .13
5.2.6 Space segment contingency procedures (Clause 4 of handbook) .13
5.2.7 Operating limitations (Clause 5 of handbook) .14
5.2.8 Ground segment emergency procedures (Clause 6 of handbook) .14
5.2.9 Crew duties and responsibilities (Clause 7 of handbook) .14
5.2.10 Vocabulary (Clause 8 of handbook).14
5.3 Classified material/document .15
5.4 Abbreviated checklists and step-by-step procedures .15
5.4.1 Abbreviated checklists .15
5.4.2 Step-by-step procedures .16
Annex A (informative) The operational documentation tree and procedure .17
Annex B (informative) Mission checklist (MCL) .22
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/ iso/ foreword .html
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 20, Aircraft and space vehicles,
Subcommittee SC 14, Space systems and operations.
This edition of ISO 23041:2018 cancels and replaces the first edition ISO 23041:2007, which has been
technically revised and includes the following changes:
— debris mitigation requirements based on 24113 were added;
— mission execution procedures and post-mission procedures now include de-orbit and re-entry;
— addition of a sub clause on propulsion subsystem; and
— addition of a sub clause on control re-entry segment.
iv © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Introduction
This document prescribes a standard means to facilitate the sharing and exchange of beneficial
information among organizations (the spacecraft manufacturer, the mission equipment supplier, the
customer or the spacecraft operation centre) and their involvement with space operations and support.
This document provides a common interface to simplify space operations planning and reduce the
effort needed to learn and deal with new space programmes and support organizations.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 23041:2018(E)
Space systems — Unmanned spacecraft operational
procedures — Documentation
1 Scope
This document establishes standards, current guidelines and uniform procedures to minimize
duplication of effort between the customer, the agency, participating nations and the emerging
commercial space community. This document provides recommended practices for the development
of space operations and support documentation, which should facilitate the sharing and exchange
of beneficial information between organizations involved with space operations. This document
establishes a common interface to simplify space operations planning and reduce the effort needed to
learn and work with new space programmes and support organizations.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
3.1
abbreviated checklist
comprehensive list of items and time schedule of tasks to be done that are needed to check each step-
by-step task at the telemetry/command (TLM/CMD) console and at the network console
3.2
acquiring agency
organization that is planning and managing the development and acquisition contracts for the space
system, understands the engineering and technical aspects of the system’s operation and acts as a
provider of particular equipment if necessary
3.3
developing agency
organization that develops the spacecraft and operation system under contract to the acquiring agency
Note 1 to entry: One organization may constitute more than one of these agencies.
3.4
mission segment
ground system that consists of the facilities of mission data acquisition and processing
3.5
operations agency
agency responsible for the operations and maintenance of the space systems and organization to which
the operations crew members belong
3.6
operations crew members
personnel who will be using the operations handbook to support space systems
3.7
separate and distinctive checklist
list that contains information to compensate the part of the operation facilities peculiar to the
operations agency
3.8
spacecraft operation handbook
handbook that includes information needed for normal and contingent TLM/CMD operations
3.9
tracking control segment
ground system consisting of the facilities of spacecraft tracking, ranging and telemetry (TLM) monitor
and command (CMD) control
Note 1 to entry: The launch segment includes the pre-launch segment, the spacecraft segment includes the
mission segment and the ground segment includes the facilities and operations handbook.
3.10
space system operation
operation that contains launch segment operation, spacecraft segment operation and tracking control
segment operation
Note 1 to entry: The launch segment operation includes pre-launch segment operation and the spacecraft
segment operation includes the mission phase segment and the post-mission phase segment.
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms
AOCS attitude and orbit control subsystem
AOS acquisition of signal
BB base band
CMD command
EL elevation angle
FCP flight control procedure
FDIR fault detection, isolation and reconfiguration
GCP ground segment control procedure
IOT in-orbit test
LEOP launch and early orbit phase
LOS loss of signal
MCL mission (operation) checklist
OBC onboard computer
OBDH onboard data handling unit
OBS onboard computer software
2 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

PS power subsystem
RF radio frequency
SOE sequence of events
SOOH satellite on-orbit operational handbook
SOP satellite operation procedure
STR structure
TCS thermal control subsystem
TLM telemetry
TTC tracking, telemetry and command subsystem
5 Documentation
5.1 General preparations
5.1.1 General
Unless otherwise specified, the operation handbook and checklists shall include a reproducible copy in
a digital format specified by the acquiring agency. If the magnitude of the information to be included
in the operation handbook is such that a single volume is not practical, then more than one volume
may be used to provide the material. The operation handbook shall contain a revision record when the
document is changed or revised.
5.1.2 Arrangement of material
The document shall contain a main table of contents. At the beginning of each clause, there shall be a
subsidiary clause table of contents. The clause table of contents shall include the page number and title
of each sub clause or major subject headings.
When classified or proprietary information (needed for operation handbook) is involved, the same
principles established for the treatment of the main table of contents shall be followed. The main table
of contents shall contain numbers and titles of clauses with their initial page numbers, but shall not
contain any classified or proprietary information.
EXAMPLE Operation crew members sometimes need detailed classified or proprietary design information
of spacecraft for troubleshooting.
Space operation handbooks are normally unclassified. If the space system classification guide identifies
the subjects as classified by the space systems operation crew members requirements, in accordance
with current classification standards and for these classified subjects, the operat
...