Online from Jupiter 97

Brenton Bennett

CDS Analyst

The CDS is the computer system which sends all the telemetry (the data coming to earth from the spacecraft) and handles all the commands sent from the earth to the spacecraft.

My major work efforts in the past two years have been to: 1) Redesign the software on the CDS to allow as much data (pictures, other science instrument data, and engineering data) as possible to reach the earth. This became necessary because the high gain antenna did not open as planned.

2) Analyze the problems on the tape recorder (part of the CDS system) which occured recently.

My job is primarely to test the software and a duplicate tape recorder in a test lab, which we call the the Galileo Test Bed.

The Test Bed contains a "breadboard" CDS computer and commands can be sent to it just like the spacecraft. I use the telemetry analysis computers to determine the health and status of the CDS in the Test Bed as commands are sent and also analize induced failures.

In my other life, I am an amateur astronomer and enjoy various hobbies and recreation with my wife and children. We live in a log home which I built in the mountains about 75 miles north of JPL.