2.6.3 STS Interface Description
The orbiter provides the capability to relay commands to and TLM from the HST.
During both the deploy and maintenance missions, STOCC command messages are
transmitted to the JSC Mission Control Center (MCC), which interleaves the message
into the orbiter S-band or Ku-band operational forward link. Once received by the
orbiter system, the command message is processed through the systems management
GPC and the orbiter payload communications system and is retransmitted to the HST
via its LGAs in a manner resembling the GSTDN uplink mode of the HST MA
transponders. The command message is then processed further, as described in
Section 2.5.4.
2.6.3.1 Orbiter Processing of HST Commanding
The orbiter systems management GPC issues each serial digital command message
through the PSP/PI. A PSP transaction may contain up to sixty-four 16-bit command
words per message, and the GPC supersedes each message with a PSP configuration
message of five 16-bit words in length. This configuration message programs the PSP
to output the subsequent HST command data words in the transaction in a specified
manner via a specified route. For HST, the PSP output is RF only and has the following
characteristics per the PSP configuration message:
PSP command rate 1 kbps
PSP command data type NRZ-L
PSP subcarrier idle pattern Yes
Once the HST MA receiver has acquired the forward link carrier from the PI, the PSP
subcarrier idle pattern will be enabled to allow the HST to remain locked onto the PI
forward link. The PI will be configured to transmit at a nominal carrier frequency of
2106.4 MHz (channel 701).
2.6.3.2 Orbiter Relay of HST Telemetry
The HST return link is acquired by the orbiter PI, which receives the HST return link on
a nominal carrier frequency of 2287.5 Mhz (channel 701). From the PI, HST telemetry
is transmitted to the STOCC via orbiter S-band or Ku-band communication systems.
Data relayed via the S-band system are routed around the PSP (PSP-bypass
configuration) to the HST PGSC, then to the PDI for supporting 0.5, 4, and 32k
telemetry. See Figure 2.6-13 for PSP-bypass configuration. The PDI synchronizes
data to the data stream and buffer to allow the orbiter system to interleave the HST TLM
into the orbiter operational downlink. Once received at the MCC, the HST stream is stripped from the orbiter data and redistributed to the STOCC over the NASCOM network.
When available, the Ku-band wideband data system may be configured to relay the
HST return link to the TDRSS through the orbiter. The Ku-band system is used
primarily for downlinking 1024k HST telemetry and as a backup to the S-band
communication system for 0.5, 4, and 32k telemetry.
The nominal HST forward and return link carrier frequencies coincide with those of the
orbiter high-frequency mode. For this reason, the orbiter communications system must
be configured to low frequency during servicing missions.