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Built in cooperation with the P.R of China, in October 29th of 2008, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela launched its
first Telecommunication Satellite, the so called VENESAT-1 (Simón Bolívar Satellite), which operates in C (covering
Center America, The Caribbean Region and most of South America), Ku (Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela) and Ka bands (Venezuela). The launch of VENESAT-1 represents the starting point for
Venezuela as an active player in the field of space science and technology. In order to fulfill mission requirements and to
guarantee the satellite's health, local professionals must provide continuous monitoring, orbit calculation, maneuvers
preparation and execution, data preparation and processing, as well as data base management at the VENESAT-1
Ground Segment, which includes both a primary and backup site. In summary, data processing and real time data
management are part of the daily activities performed by the personnel at the ground segment. Using published and
unpublished information, this paper presents how human resource organization can enhance space information
acquisition and processing, by analyzing the proposed organizational structure for the VENESAT-1 Ground Segment.
We have found that the proposed units within the organizational structure reflect 3 key issues for mission management:
Satellite Operations, Ground Operations, and Site Maintenance. The proposed organization is simple (3 hierarchical
levels and 7 units), and communication channels seem efficient in terms of facilitating information acquisition,
processing, storage, flow and exchange. Furthermore, the proposal includes a manual containing the full description of
personnel responsibilities and profile, which efficiently allocates the management and operation of key software for
satellite operation such as the Real-time Data Transaction Software (RDTS), Data Management Software (DMS), and
Carrier Spectrum Monitoring Software (CSM) within the different organizational units. In all this process, the
international cooperation has played a key role for the consolidation of its space capabilities, especially through the
continuous and arduous exchange of information, documentation and expertise between Chinese and Venezuelan
personnel at the ground stations. Based on the principles of technology transfer and human training, since 1999 the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has shown an increasing interest in developing local space capabilities for peaceful
purposes. According to the analysis we have performed, the proposed organizational structure of the VENESAT-1
ground segment will allow the country to face the challenges imposed by the operation of complex technologies. By
enhancing human resource organization, this proposal will help to fulfill mission requirements, and to facilitate the safe
access, processing and storage of satellite data across the organization, during both nominal and potential contingency
situations.
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