Reference Architecture for Space Data Systems (RASDS) is intended to provide a standardized approach for description of space data system architectures and high-level designs. This document has been reconfirmed by the CCSDS Management Council through April 2021.

This Recommended Practice defines a mission operations reference model, which provides a common basis for coordinating the development of CCSDS Recommended Standards for mission operations service specifications and serves as a reference to maintain the consistency of those Recommended Standards.

This Recommended Practice defines the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS). The current issue includes clarifications to many concepts, in particular, Authenticity with the concept of Transformational Information Property introduced; corrections and improvements in diagrams; addition of Access Rights Information to PDI.

This Recommendation establishes a common framework and provides a common basis for the specification of data services that extend the space-to-ground communication services previously defined by CCSDS. It allows implementing with the development of compatible derived standards for the ground systems that are within their cognizance. The current issue updates terminology to be consistent with current CCSDS usage and adds new subsections on cross support security and the time span of SLE agreements and packages.