Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems
I. Introduction
e major space agencies of the world recognize that there are bene ts
in using standard techniques for handling space data and that, by coop-
eratively developing these techniques, future data system interoperability
will be enhanced. In order to assure that work towards standardization of
space-related information technologies provides the maximum bene t for
the interested agencies, both individually and collectively, an international
Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) was established
in 1982 as a forum for international cooperation in the development of data
handling techniques supporting space research, including space science and
applications. In 1991, the committee was incorporated as a subcommittee of
the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
e original participants in the development and approval of the CCSDS
Charter were CNES (France), DLR (Germany, at that time DFVLR), ESA
(Europe), ISRO (India), INPE (Brazil), NASA (USA), JAXA (Japan, at that
time NASDA). e Charter was updated in May 1999 and again in Septem-
ber 2004. It should be noted that the revisions of the charter were essentially
re-organizations of the working methods and not changes to topics to be
addressed.
II. Origins and Development
As the space age evolved in the 1960s and 1970s, there was increasing inter-
est in stimulating international cooperation as a way to enhance space explo-
ration. In particular, since many space agencies had invested large sums of
money in the development of space mission support infrastructure on the
ground, the concept of ‘cross support’ emerged whereby one agency could
o er its data handling services to another and thus enhance the opportuni-
ties for conducting international missions. During those early days, in the
absence of any internationally agreed space data standards, cross support
was generally handled by the introduction of ‘black box’ adapters to forge
compatibility at the interfaces between agencies. ese black boxes were
uniquely con gured for each individual case.
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As space exploration moved along into the 1980s, technological advances
in spacecra computation, memory, and communications capabilities made
it feasible to start standardizing the ways in which spacecra and ground
data systems exchanged information. At the same time, the costs of imple-
menting and operating these more capable space missions were increasing
signi cantly. To take advantage of the opportunities presented by the tech-
nological advances and to meet the scal challenges, some initial steps were
taken which ultimately lead to the
formation of the CCSDS. In March 1981, the NASA-ESA Working Group
(NEWG) held its rst meeting to address cooperative development of space
data standards, initially in the areas of spacecra ‘packet telemetry’ (tech-
nology that allows the remote measurement and receipt of information)
and then in ‘packet telecommand’ (technology that allows a system to be
remotely operated by sending information and instructions to it). In January
1982, at an International Workshop on Space Data Systems held in Wash-
ington, D.C., this bilateral activity was broadened and many of the world’s
space agencies met to begin discussing common problems relative to space
information and data systems. At that meeting, the nal steps were taken to
formalize international space data standardization activities by creating the
CCSDS, which then had its inaugural meeting at CNES in Toulouse, France
on 4–8 October 1982.
e CCSDS was chartered to study the problems of cross support and,
through the collective e orts of its international experts, to develop advanced
standardized solutions to these challenges of exchanging space mission data.
ese solutions, called CCSDS Recommendations, were the primary prod-
ucts of the CCSDS for most of its rst 20 years. Dra CCSDS Recommend-
ations were created, reviewed by CCSDS participating agencies and were
subsequently adopted by the CCSDS participating agencies as nal CCSDS
Recommendations that served to guide the internal development of stan-
dards by each of the members. ese early CCSDS activities signi cantly
enhanced the planning and execution of cooperative space missions own
by the participating agencies.
e initial structure of CCSDS, adopted in 1982, centred around technical
‘panels’ to develop standard Recommendations in various space data system
areas. e initial structure was:
– Panel 1: Telemetry, Tracking, and Command;
– Panel 2: Information Interchange Processes;
– Panel 3: Cross Support Operations; and
– Panel 4: Radio-metric and Orbit Data.
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e space-to-ground data link was the rst part of the data system to be
addressed by CCSDS, primarily because it is unique to space missions and
is constrained by the stressed communications environment. Based on the
precursor work by NASA and ESA, CCSDS Panel 1 soon presented concrete
results in the form of two nal CCSDS Recommendations, one for ‘Packet
Telemetry’ and one for ‘Telemetry Channel Coding’. Panel 1 quickly followed
through with standards for space channel modulation, packet telecommand,
time code formats and – by the end of the 1980s – with the ‘advanced orbit-
ing systems’ standards that became the data communications baseline for the
International Space Station. Meanwhile, Panel 2 rapidly developed new stan-
dards for exchanging information among scienti c and engineering users;
Panel 3 began developing the ‘space link extension’ standards that could
allow one agency’s control centre to connect to another agency’s ground
station; and Panel 4 developed standards for exchanging radio-metric infor-
mation.
In 1991, the CCSDS entered into a cooperative arrangement with the
International Organization for Standardization. Under this arrangement,
CCSDS Recommendations were advanced to Subcommittee 13 within Tech-
nical Committee 20 (Aircra and Space Vehicles) where, via the normal ISO
procedures of review and voting, they are progressed into full International
Standards.
III. Membership
Four types of participation exist within the CCSDS: Members (11); Observ-
ers (26); Liaisons (12); and Associates (>100). While within CCSDS space
agencies are the building blocks, in ISO the speci c countries are the voting
bodies. At rst sight this might seem to be problematic, but apart from ESA,
the representatives of the national space agencies are also the national rep-
resentatives of the standardization bodies in ISO.
Member Agencies
A CCSDS Member Agency is a governmental or quasi-governmental organ-
ization that fully participates in all CCSDS activities and provides a com-
mensurate level of support. Only one agency representing a given country
or multinational organization may participate as a Member Agency of the
CCSDS. A Member Agency adopts the Charter and must ensure that their
agency enforces internal standards to the applicable CCSDS Recommended
Standards.
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Member Agencies have CCSDS voting rights, which are exercised through
Member Agency Representatives. Member Agency Representatives make up
the CCSDS Management Council (CMC), where decisions on the business
and direction of the CCSDS are taken.
In 2009, the following 11 agencies were members of CCSDS: ASI (Italy),
BNSC (Great Britain), CNSA (China National Space Administration), CSA
(Canada), CNES (France), DLR (Germany), ESA (Europe), FSA (Russia),
INPE (Brazil), JAXA (Japan), and NASA (USA).
Observer Agencies
26 governmental or quasi-governmental organizations participate in CCSDS
activities at a reduced level as Observer Agencies. ey are encouraged but
not expected to make best e orts to ensure the adherence of their agency’s
internal standards to the applicable CCSDS Recommended Standards. ere
is no limit on the number of national or multinational agencies that may
participate as Observer Agencies.
Liaisons
Liaison organizations are governmental or private entities with developmen-
tal programmes in the areas of space-related data and information systems.
When Liaison participation occurs, it is usually focused on a particular sub-
ject of interest to the Liaison organization. In 2008, the organizations with
agreements or pending agreements with CCSDS were:
– American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics;
– CEOS;
– COSPAR;
– European Committee for Space Standardization (ECSS);
– Interagency Operations Advisory Group (IOAG);
– International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing;
– ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 2;
– National Archives and Records Administration;
– National Information Standards Organization;
– Norwegian Technology Standards Institution;
– Object Management Group Inc.; and
– World Meteorological Organization.
Associates
Associates include more than 100 scienti c and industrial entities that aim to
more closely monitor and possibly in uence the technical document devel-
opment process in CCSDS.
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IV. Organizational Structure
In 2003, a er more than 20 years of success, and recognizing the need to
streamline and broaden its processes, the CCSDS went through a structural
re-organization based on a model that was used successfully by the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) to develop the terrestrial Internet. Within the
new CCSDS organization, six broad discipline ‘Areas’ were created:
– System Engineering Services;
– Mission Operations and Information Management Services;
– Cross Support Services;
– Spacecra Onboard Interface Services;
– Space Link Services; and
– Space Internetworking Services
Within each of these Areas, specialized Working Groups were created to
develop ‘Recommended Standards’ which are normally transferred into ISO
standards. Additional categories of ‘Recommended Practices’ and ‘Experi-
mental’ standards were also added to the speci cation hierarchy.
Management Structure
As outlined above, the CCSDS consists of Member Agencies, Observer Agen-
cies, Associates and Liaisons. e CCSDS Management Council (CMC) is
the executive management oversight group of the organization. e CMC
is comprised of the Member Agencies who each appoint one Principal Del-
egate. ese Members select the CMC chairman on a rotating basis, although
in practice, the rotation is activated less frequently than it should be. e
CMC is responsible for staying technically and politically informed about
important long-term issues in the eld of international space mission cross
support and for keeping an eye on the ‘big picture’ of the CCSDS pro-
gramme of work. It therefore focuses on long-range planning and coordina-
tion among the various CCSDS discipline-oriented domains, on making sure
that adequate resources exist to do work, and that customer requirements are
satis ed in a timely manner.
e CCSDS Engineering Steering Group (CESG) is the forum in which the
Area Directors synchronize the overall technical programme of work. e
CESG reports to the CMC, and is divided into three ‘domains’ – space tele-
matics; space systems; and space informatics. e space telematics domain
covers three areas: spacecra onboard interface services; space link services;
and space internetworking services. e space systems domain is concerned
with systems engineering, while the space informatics domain deals with
mission operations and information management, as well as cross support
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