Design concept and architecture of musis-cil: A common interoperability layer federating the optical space system CSO and the radar imaging system CSG

The "Multinational Space-based Imaging System for surveillance, reconnaissance and observation" (MUSIS) is an endeavour launched by several European nations to bring together the coming generation of military and dual- use space-based Earth Observation (EO) systems. The main objective of MUSIS is to provide continuity of service of the current generation of optical and radar satellites and to ensure adequate access of the partners to space systems which will enter into service in the coming years. It is within this spirit that two MUSIS participants, France and Italy, recently entrusted the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) with a programme called MUSIS Federating Activities. These activities aim at interoperating the optical space system Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO, under realization in France) and the radar imaging system COSMO-SkyMed Seconda Generazione (CSG, under realization in Italy). On behalf of the two nations the OCCAR Executive Administration placed a contract with the Italian and French space industry to define an architecture for a ground federating system called Common Interoperability Layer (CIL). The CIL will provide Italy and France with an easy and reliable access from their national own space system to optical and radar images which will be acquired by two space systems, envisaging, in addition, the possible future access of other MUSIS partners and to other MUSIS space components. The solution retained consists in developing an advanced bridge, the CIL, to be placed on the ground between the two space systems, CSO and CSG, which are to be designed with enhanced interoperable, flexible and modular interfaces. The CIL will enable operators from one nation to order image products from the other nation's system, task the satellites of the other nation, receive the image products (both new acquisitions and stored in common archives) and store them in a fully secure way. The personnel needed to operate the CIL will be kept at minimum, thereby minimizing lifecycle costs. The CIL will be based on a suite of services (i.e. hardware and software either developed in common or made available by one nation to the other), standard format interfaces and a secured network. Involving two nations at this stage, the CIL will subsequently be open to other partners and to additional MUSIS space components. This paper, starting from the cooperation frame to fulfil the operational needs, focuses on the design concept and provides an architectural overview of the MUSIS CIL, the French and Italian new approach for the cooperation in future military and dual-use space-based imaging systems. Copyright © (2012) by the International Astronautical Federation.