STARS (spacelift telemetry acquisition and reporting system) limit checking system

During two recent launch countdown activities, The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) engineering analysts recognized the need for a tool to make it easier to identify and monitor unexpected telemetry measurement values to allow timely anomaly resolution. Unnecessary delay of a launch can cost the Government millions of dollars, while launching a vehicle that is not flight-worthy can lead to loss of mission, with potential losses in the billions of dollars and possible loss of vital national security capability. To satisfy this need Aerospace personnel developed and deployed an automated limit-checking system to monitor launch vehicle pre-flight measurements. A database that holds the measurement information and limits, a real-time measurement archive, and a limit-checking engine and data visualization client application comprise the Limit Checking System. The real-time limit-checking system has also been helpful in detecting calibration constant mismatches between sites, noisy links, and other data issues during tests to allow resolution of these issues before launch support. The realtime limit-checking system was used by analysts at Aerospace to monitor a Titan IVB vehicle during the B30 and B26 launches