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Significant transformation
In 2023, in coordination with the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO), the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre (B.USOC) underwent a significant transformation to align with the planned phase-out of International Space Station (ISS) payload operations.
Now integrated as a Scientific Programme of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), B.USOC’s objectives have shifted to focus on supporting the institute’s priorities.
This includes contributions to key space projects such as the ESA Space Weather Service Network, the ALTIUS mission, Comet Interceptor, and the VenSpec-H instrument, involving collaboration with other institute teams.
Origins: support for European payloads on the ISS
B.USOC’s origins trace back to the Space Remote Operation Centre (SROC) at the Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI-IRM), which supported experiments on NASA’s Space Shuttle ATLAS missions. Established in 1997 at BELSPO’s initiative, B.USOC was created to support Belgium’s role in the International Space Station (ISS) cooperative framework, formalized by the Intergovernmental Agreement signed on January 29, 1998.
Initially taking over SROC’s responsibilities, B.USOC joined ESA’s network of nine national user centres to support decentralized operations for European payloads on the ISS, particularly the Columbus module, berthed on February 11, 2008.
Gradual reduction in B.USOC’s ISS involvement
As digital technology advanced, ESA’s user centre network evolved, with centres specializing in specific domains. Over time, some centres, such as ERASMUS (Netherlands), MARS (Italy), and N-USOC (Norway), closed.
In late 2019, following decisions at ESA’s Ministerial Council, BELSPO announced a gradual reduction in B.USOC’s ISS involvement, emphasizing a user-driven approach to serve Belgium’s scientific community. This shift led to the downgrading of B.USOC’s contractual agreement with ESA’s Human and Robotic Exploration Programme (HRE).
Payloads not yet in operation were reassigned to other centres, limiting B.USOC’s activities to two active payloads (FSL and ASIM) until their decommissioning.
Strategic realignment
To adapt to this change, a comprehensive review has been conducted of B.USOC’s projects, expertise, and stakeholder interests, including:
- Belgium’s microgravity community,
- Federal Scientific Institutions (notably KMI-IRM and KSB-ORB), and
- BIRA-IASB.
This process led to a strategic realignment, emphasizing technical and operational support for satellite missions involving Belgian partners.
B.USOC continuing as a Scientific Programme of BIRA-IASB
The Memorandum of Understanding governing B.USOC’s activities among BELSPO, BIRA-IASB, KMI-IRM, and KSB-ORB was terminated. From 2023, B.USOC operates as a BIRA-IASB Scientific Programme, dedicated to supporting space missions funded by BELSPO, ESA/PRODEX, or other organizations, with baseline funding secured to maintain essential resources.
This realignment marks a new era for B.USOC, shifting focus from ISS operations to new initiatives. These include:
- managing the ESA Space Weather Service Network,
- hosting and operating the ALTIUS Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS),
- developing the Science Data Centre for the Comet Interceptor mission, and
- supporting other space projects at BIRA-IASB and beyond.
