Wireless Handheld Device For Distributed Ground Operations

Operations on the International Space Station (ISS) currently require 24/7 support from Ground Operations personnel due to the relatively new establishment of that facility on orbit. As ISS activities become commonplace, the need for continuous monitoring by Ground Operations will wane. Automated and teleoperated systems as well as ISS crew experience will allow the Flight Controllers to leave their consoles for extended periods. The expertise of those persons will still be required but on an on-call basis. Wireless hand-held devices tied into the Mission Control Center?s live voice, video, and data systems can be used by the Flight Controllers to remotely access their consoles when the need arises. With such devices, these experts can be tied-in at a moments notice to handle both routine and emergency issues. Wireless transmissions can easily be intercepted so media encryption must be integrated into the devices. Commercial wireless hand-held implementations exist that can handle streaming audio, video, and data but not in real-time, not at the same time, and not in a secure manner.