Parallel Operation of Housekeeping and Mission in ETS-VIII

ETS-VIII was launched on December 18, 2006. Now ETS-VIII is in the routine operation phase. ETS-VIII has multiple experiments (satellite communication, positioning, etc) as mission. Experiments share bus RF link with housekeeping for downlinking telemetry and uploading command. In addition to that, housekeeping and experiments affect one another electrically, thermally, etc. To reduce operation cost and improve its flexibility, the operation of ETS-VIII is designed applying the policy that housekeeping and experiments can process their own procedures independently in such situation. ETS-VIII has operated housekeeping and mission with the policy mentioned above since April 26, 2007. ETS-VIII continues mission operations smoothly without real-time human interaction except a few experiment plans (with attitude control, unusual operation, etc).