Payload Operations Support Team Tools is a software system that assists in (1) development and testing of software for payloads to be flown aboard the space shuttles and (2) training of payload customers, flight controllers, and flight crews in payload operations. POST Tools includes the following subsystems:

An Orbiter-in-a-Box can be used to test the orbiter interface between the cargo PC and the payload.
  • The Orbiter-in-a-Box Tool is an embedded real-time operating-system model of the space-shuttle orbiter avionics. In conjunction with the Command and Data Tool described below, the Orbiter-in-a-Box Tool (see figure) enables testing of the application software of the Cargo PC, which is a computer through which a space-shuttle crew can monitor and control payloads.
  • The Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) Model Tool is a suite of software tools that payload customers can use to create mathematical models of payloads. These models will be used in the SMS to train flight controllers and flight crews on payload operations.
  • The Mission Operations Tool provides a streamlined and simplified way to collect the payload-operations data to support the development of mission operations documentation.
  • The Command and Data Tool is a client-server database application program to be used to collect command and telemetry data for the Cargo PC.

This program was written by Bill Askew, Matthew Barry, Gary Burrows, Mike Casey, Joe Charles, Nicholas Downing, Monika Jain, Rebecca Leopold, Roger Luty, David McDill, Scott Mermelstein, Jon Morsics, Richard Osborne, Cindy Owens, Thomas Price, Ayman Quaddumi, Jim Thompson, and Patrick Walter of United Space Alliance, LLC; Melanie Vail of Raytheon Co.; and Richard Campbell and Mark Kelly of Systems Interface Software, Ltd. for Johnson Space Center. Title to this invention has been waived under the provisions of the National Aeronautics and Space Act {42 U.S.C. 2457(f)}, to United Space Alliance, LLC.

Inquiries concerning licenses for its commercial development should be addressed to:

United Space Alliance, LLC
Flight Operations
600 Gemini
Houston, TX 77058-2777

Refer to MSC-23419-1/20-1/1-1/2-1, volume and number of this NASA Tech Briefs issue, and the page number.