Data return technology [for spacecraft]

The requirement to successfully return data is important for all spacecraft. However, for the science missions, such as Horizon 2000, it is essential. The objective of these missions is to operate a number of scientific instruments, to capture data from these instruments and to transmit the data reliably to Earth. The successful return of data requires data handling subsystems that also provide control functions often autonomously, and communication subsystems. The data handling subsystems provide command decoding, verification and distribution, collection and formatting of telemetry data and are also capable of providing support functions for the spacecraft platform