20 Years of operations onboard the International Space Station

For over two decades, the Belgian operational centre has served as the link for research on the International Space Station. Operating 24/7, B.USOC controls and monitors scientific and technological experiments on the ISS, connecting ground-based scientists and engineers directly with their projects in orbit.

Founded by BELSPO and supported by the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre (B.USOC) joined the decentralized European ISS ground segment network in 1999. The centre was built on the operational expertise of its predecessor, the Belgian Space Remote Operation Centre (SROC), which had gained experience from late 20th-century missions such as EURECA, ATLAS-2 & -3, and Space-Hab-98.

The Belgian OdISSea mission in 2002

In November 2002, B.USOC played a key role in the Odissea mission, a 10-day taxi flight for Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne.

This ambitious mission involved over 50 scientific and industrial teams, with 24 experiments in total. B.USOC coordinated the science activities and operations for the Belgian experimental program, which included 16 experiments led by Belgian Principal Investigators (PIs). The centre was also in charge of all public relations events, and the mission itself was a crucial first step in coordinating ISS operations with multiple partners.

The Spanish Cervantes Mission in 2003

Building on its experience with the Odissea mission, B.USOC supported a suite of five re-flown Belgian experiments during the Cervantes mission with Spanish astronaut Pedro Duque. These experiments were: Message, Rhythm, Neurocog, PromISS-2, and Nanoslab.

The ESA PROMISS-3 experiment in 2004

For 30 consecutive days, B.USOC continuously operated the Promiss-3 experiment, which studied the growth of protein crystals in weightlessness. This accomplishment was the first of its kind for both ESA and NASA.

The Columbus era

When the European Columbus laboratory was installed on the ISS in February 2008, B.USOC began a new chapter, providing continuous operational support for a wide range of scientific, technological and educational experiments.

Monitoring the Sun

For nine years, B.USOC operated the SOLAR platform, an external observatory located on the zenith of the Columbus module. Using three dedicated instruments—SOLSPEC, SOLACES, and SOVIM—the moving platform tracked and measured the Sun's spectral and total irradiance.

Pioneering Telescience

In 2009, B.USOC pioneered the concept of telescience with the Protein Crystallisation Diagnostics Facility (PCDF). Installed in the European Drawer Rack, the experiment's images were analysed by B.USOC operators in real-time, allowing them to adjust experiment parameters on the fly in collaboration with scientists. This mission continued non-stop for four months.

Educational experiments

B.USOC prepared several educational experiments for high school students. Some were performed by astronaut Frank De Winne. During live-link events, he conducted simple demonstrations to show the effects of freefall and used free-floating water bubbles to illustrate the properties of water in microgravity.

Preparing for Future Missions

In 2015, B.USOC joined international partners on the METERON project, a suite of technological experiments designed to capture know-how on new communication protocols like DTN (Delay Tolerant Network). This vital work prepared the way for future planetary exploration missions.

Studying Fluids in Microgravity

Since 2014, B.USOC has been the operations centre for the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), a key facility inside Columbus. A series of experiments have been conducted under B.USOC's control, beginning with the RUBI investigation to study boiling in microgravity. This was followed by the SMD Experiment Container, which included the CompGran experiment on granular matter and Foam-C samples to study foams.

Chasing Flashes on the upper atmosphere

Since April 2018, B.USOC has been operating the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM), a payload on the exterior of Columbus, looking nadir towards the Earth. Using optical cameras and X- and Gamma-ray sensors, the instrument actively observes and records Transient Luminous Events and Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes.

After more than 20 years, B.USOC has proven its capability to handle payloads across a wide variety of scientific fields. The centre has shown a remarkable ability to conduct long-duration missions —some lasting for months, others for years— while consistently providing a 24/7 operational service.

References:

• Telescience and Space Missions Operations at the Belgian User Support and Operation Centre - J. Vanhaverbeke,...
   

• Dot the i's and cross the t's… and mark the X: Belgian space control centre (B.USOC) operators are wrapping up the RUBI-X mission
   

• Belgisch experiment gedurende een maand in het ISS
   

• Mission Odissea : suite avec Cervantes
   

• Successful PCDF PROTEIN mission in ISS after meticulous preparation and on-the-fly flexibility De Smet, L.; Klaï, S.; Decanniere, K.; Haumont, E. (2010). Successful PCDF PROTEIN mission in ISS after meticulous preparation and on-the-fly flexibility. , SpaceOps 2010 Conference, DOI: 10.2514/6.2010-2355.