BitByBit develops components for ESA's PULSE space mission control system

The Polish software company BitByBit, based in Poznań, is participating in the European Space Agency (ESA) project to develop the PULSE mission control infrastructure, reports Nauka w Polsce. The multi-stage project is focused on building software components intended for monitoring and controlling satellites and probes both prior to launch and during flight naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗.

Ground platform architecture

The PULSE initiative establishes a shared framework across spacecraft testing, assembly, and flight operations. While individual satellites and probes retain dedicated operational procedures, the platform provides unified tools for handling telemetry, science data, and commanding routines naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗. According to project representatives, this approach aims to streamline data flow, automate operational procedures, and lower mission operating expenses across European teams naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗.

Within this framework, BitByBit engineers are building components for the European Ground Systems Common Core (EGS-CC) platform naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗. The core software is distributed under the ESA Software Community License, making the codebase available to entities across ESA member states naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗.

Operator interfaces and testing

Company specialists are responsible for the user interface and the underlying services that link operator consoles to the broader ground platform subsystems naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗. The engineering team also builds automated test suites designed to replicate operational scenarios, ensuring that telemetry visualization, command dispatching, and newly added software features function without interfering with existing modules naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗.

Preparations are currently underway to introduce the PULSE infrastructure into operational flight support, including an ongoing migration of the control setup for the Swarm satellite constellation naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗. Following this integration, ESA plans to prepare and demonstrate a dedicated configuration of the system for scientific endeavors, using the Euclid space telescope mission as a test case naukawpolsce.plNauka w Polscenaukawpolsce.plOpen source ↗.