Charters : 6.08 Motion Imagery and Applications Working Group

 

In the early days of human spaceflight, motion imagery was accomplished with motion picture cameras, set at varying frame rates depending on lighting conditions.  Upon safe return the film was processed and eventually shared with the world via documentaries or television.  Inevitably live video became operationally desirable for situational awareness and to satisfy the public’s interest in high profile events such as the Moon landings or the Apollo-Soyuz test project.  Compromises were made with those first video systems to fit within the constraints of bandwidth, avionics, and transmission systems.  Even in the modern era, video systems on spacecraft are a hybrid of analog and digital systems, typically made to work within the spacecrafts avionics, telemetry and command/control systems.

With the advent of digital cameras, encoding algorithms and modulation techniques, it is desirable to treat video as data and utilize commercially available technologies to capture and transmit live and recorded motion imagery, possibly in high definition or even better.

Future Human Spaceflight endeavors are expected to be collaborations between many agencies, with complex interactions between spacecraft, and Lunar/Mars surface systems, with intermediate locations (EVA crew, habitats, etc.) requiring the ability to view video generated by another agency’s systems.  Therefore interoperability between these systems will be essential to mission success and in some cases crew safety.  Such interoperability will only be achieved by use of common references and joint agreement on international standards, either commercial or CCSDS or a combination of the two. 

Representative issues to be addressed by this Working Group will include:

• Packetization of compressed and uncompressed data streams

• Metadata

• Embedded audio

• Command and control methodologies

• Compression standards and implementations

• Distribution formats

• Remote operations of space-based MIA systems

• Compatibility with avionics systems

• Common references and quality standards

The Motion Imagery & Applications Working Group will develop a Green Book documenting the requirements for using the Bundle Protocol for CCSDS (CCSDS 734.2-B-1) to support streaming applications (including video and possibly voice), and documenting existing approaches to and results of using BP to support streaming. During this process the working group may identify additional follow-on work; if such work is identified the WG will propose further charter modifications and projects to carry out the work.

The MIA documents will include patented technology. However the research from the WG at this time gives us confidence that no programs from space agencies will have to pay any license fees. This is largely because the MIA documents will specify the usage of commercial hardware and software, and license fees apply to those manufacturers, not to end users. Additionally, as far as this WG can determine, the cited technologies are already standardized, and have been verified by ISO as Reasonable and Non Discriminatory (RAND).

Low risk due to intent to utilize existing technologies and standards.

Possibility of technology surpassing or out-dating any documents produced.

Risk will be mitigated by referencing internationally recognized standards such as ISO, MPEG or Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers vs. proprietary or commercial solutions or other unique applications of technologies.

Lack of resources or Agency support.

The schedule outlined in this document is not so aggressive that WG members will be forced to choose between their other responsibilities and the group’s work.  Further, much of the group’s work should be able to be accomplished electronically.  Commitments to support the group’s objectives have been sought and obtained from other Agencies before pursuing working group status