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3.4 Student Mission Operation Centers

Since students were the main focus of KidSat, emphasis was placed upon the Student Mission Operation Centers (SMOCs). Students in the SMOCs had the responsibility of determining where to take pictures and validating the information associated with their pictures. In the middle schools, small versions of JSC's Mission Control Center were set up so that students could perform mission operations tasks during the KidSat missions. Using the Internet and Web pages designed specifically for KidSat operations, students were able to:

• determine where they wanted to take pictures,
• determine the specific MET time to obtain these pictures,
• submit these times tot he Gateway at UCSD,
• monitor the validity of their commands and modify them if necessary,
• monitor the progress of the mission
• determine whether their photographs were successfully taken,
• download the photographs from the KidSat Data System as soon as they arrived at JPL,
and
• validate their location and the associated information.

3.4.1 SMOC Configuration

There were a variety of SMOC configurations. Some schools involved only one class in a SMOC and some incorporated classes from many schools in their district. Some SMOCs were set up in classrooms and others in dedicated areas. Some SMOCs operated only during school hours while others included after-school or even all-night operations as the KidSat camera continued operations 24 hours a day.

3.4.2 Computers

A minimum computer platform configuration was necessary to support SMOC activities. Mission operations activities included performing off-line and on-line mission planning, using real-time telemetry, sending and receiving e-mail, electronically submitting image requests, and accessing weather and other available information via the Internet. Thus, the minimum SMOC computer had to be capable of using Netscape browser software, accessing the KidSat Mission Control Gateway determined that a minimum of three SMOC computers could perform all of the duties necessary for KidSt missions operations. The specifications for the computers are included in Table 1.

3.4.3 Tools

SMOCs also used a variety of other tools including atlases, clocks showing MET and local time, maps, and books. A key tool was a slider map that showed Earth and the current shuttle orbit. The position of the orbit was specified by the equatorial node crossing. These node crossings were supplied by the Gateway as part of the SMOC Web pages. In addition, a series of guides and handbooks were developed by the Mission Operations team to support teachers in the operation of the SMOCs.

3.4.4 Positions

All positions in the SMOCs were staffed by students, but the Missions Operations Director set the tone and pace for the center. Each SMOC had a slightly different set of positions. The positions for the Redwood SMO and each position's responsibilities are shown in Table 2.

3.4.5 Training

Students and teachers wired with the KidSat curriculum to study the logistics of an upcoming mission. They learned the skills necessary to participate in the KidSat missions. These skills were reinforced