014 - Ingesting Additional Conjunction Analysis from UKSA Orbital Analysts
Purpose
This design document will propose a design for ingesting additional conjunction analysis from UKSA Orbital Analysts.
Context and scope
UKSA orbital analysts complete additional analysis on conjunction events that cross certain predefined thresholds (set by UKSA) for the benefit of satellite operators. This analysis differs from the additional analysis conducted by OAs for escalated conjunction reports for government users. Orbital Analysts (OAs) will need to submit their analysis when an event crosses these thresholds and/or if they receive ephemeris files from operators and decide to conduct additional analysis.
Goals and non-goals
The goal of this design doc is to articulate a design for the ingestion of additional conjunction analysis from UKSA Orbital Analysts into Monitor Space Hazards.
Goals
- OAs need to be able to share their analysis with users of Monitor Space Hazards
- OA analysis must be uploaded and stored securely
- Validation mechanisms must be in place to ensure data is safe and valid
- OA analysis must be stored in a way that allows it to be monitored and audited
- Users of Monitor Space Hazards need to know when the data that they are seeing is from OA analysis (and how and when this analysis was conducted - at MVP, Monitor Space Hazards will provide standard text and at post-MVP OAs can add comments or operators can contact an analyst for more information)
Non-Goals
- Case management system for OA conjunction analysis
The actual design
Data schema
The table below contains the data required from the OAs:
| Table in UI | Data field | Units | Entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event ID | Event ID | String | 13 characters |
| N/A | Primary object | String | NORAD ID |
| Secondary object | String | NORAD ID | |
| Event summary | Probability of collision | Number | |
| TCA | UTC | Time and date | |
| Total miss distance | m | Number | |
| Mean radial miss distance | m | Number | |
| In-track miss distance | m | Number | |
| Cross-track miss distance | m | Number | |
| Time of update | UTC | Time and date | |
| Additional event information | Altitude | AGL (above ground level) | Number |
| Latitude | Number | ||
| Longitude | +/- | Number | |
| Relative velocity | m/s | Number | |
| Estimated combined mass of objects | kg | Number | |
| Estimated number of fragments if collision occurs | Number | ||
| Data sources | Primary object: data received | UTC | Time and date |
| Primary object: data source | Free text | Text | |
| Primary object: number of observations | Number | ||
| Primary object: timespan of observations | hours | Number | |
| Secondary object: data received | UTC | Time and date | |
| Secondary object: data source | Free text | Text | |
| Secondary object: number of observations | Number | ||
| Secondary object: timespan of observations | hours | Number | |
| Method for generating PofC | Free text |
Post-MVP data fields
- Miss distance uncertainties
- Comments field for OAs to add free text
- Ability to overwrite manoeuvrability and other object fields
- Ability to add sources of activeness and manoeuvrability data
File upload
Initially, ingestion of OA analysis required manual upload of a JSON file via the web interface. However, the service has now been integrated with the OA workbench tools via API to enable automatic uploading of additional analysis. Following this API integration, there are limits on the number of uploads per day.
Once this data is ingested via API, the analysis is input into the UKSA columns in the event summary table, the additional event information table and data sources table. For example:
Operator and Government users then receive an email from GOV.UK Notify saying the event has been updated. Users will receive notifications for any analysis that is submitted by the UKSA OAs irrelevant of their thresholds.
Data Storage
OA analysis will be stored indefinitely against an event. Each update will be stored and shown in the event history table.
Security considerations
- Monitoring and logging OA activity
- OA activity will be logged to provide an audit trail
- Analysis is classified as OFFICIAL
- User will see a warning message saying “do not share outside of your organisation”
Alternatives considered
It was also considered whether to allow OAs to attach a file to an email to Monitor Space Hazards, but this was deemed a less efficient means of uploading analysis in comparison to an API.
Cross-cutting concerns
- Bad actor concerns - a record needs to be kept of all analysis uploads.