BitByBit has significantly contributed to the creation of a new European system that provides a unified ground infrastructure for multiple European space missions. The company will participate in the further development and operation of the system.
European agencies and entities in the space sector have created a new version of the European Ground Segment-Common Core (EGS-CC) system - a platform designed to control, monitor and process data from space missions.
The Poznań-based company BitByBit implemented a community-based software development model, among other things.
This approach allows space industry developers to submit source code changes, which are reviewed and incorporated into EGS-CC by experienced community members, including BitByBit.
The Polish team is also responsible for improving and fixing bugs in the EGS-CC user interface. Additionally, BitByBit maintains and develops the automated Scenario Validation tests which help to identify regression in the source code.
The company also contributes to software releases, documentation, and community support.
In 2023, along with Germany's SpaceQube and the Netherlands' ITCGR, the company was selected to provide Release Agent (RA) service.
It includes releasing the EGS-CC, providing software development infrastructure and managing the community portal.
The new platform enables the European Space Agency and its partners to use a common infrastructure for their ground systems.
As a result, different missions can share resources such as ground stations, mission planning tools, and data centres.
The system is designed to be scalable and adaptable to different mission types, from small satellite missions to complex exploration missions. It is interoperable with other ground systems and international standards.
'We are impressed by the quality and the effectiveness of the consortium's contribution, including BitByBit Company. Through joint efforts, we have created a system that significantly improves the management of European space missions, contributing to their greater efficiency and reliability', says Guillaume Gain, the EGS-CC and Release Agent project Technical Officer.
The EGS-CC software has been released under the ESA Software Community License, making it open source for entities from ESA Member States.
Polish companies can use the system for their own projects, integrate their products with this new framework and even contribute to the development of the EGS-CC
'We are delighted that our company has earned the trust of the European Space Agency and is successfully handling the assigned task. This is a great honour and a testament to our ability to execute complex space sector projects at the highest level. I am pleased that Polish entities can use the results of our work, and I hope this will bring great benefits to the Polish space industry', says BitByBit CEO, Dr. Dariusz Walczak.
Find out more here.
PAP - Science in Poland, Marek Matacz
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