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Abstract: SMART-1 is the first of a series of ESA Small Missions for Advance Research and Technology where elements of the platform and the payload technology have been conceived as a demonstration for future cornerstone missions and an early opportunity for science. SMART-1 has also been an opportunity to experiment with new ways of conducting ground operations taking advantage of both increased satellite autonomy and ground automation tools. The paper will focus on three areas: [1.] The accumulated performance of the technology demonstration components since launch as the electrical propulsion engine, the triple-junction solar cells, the lithium-ion batteries, the 32 bit CPU ERC32 Single Chip, the CAN bus, the DTU Star Trackers and the complex on-board autonomy. [2.] The changes implemented on-board and on the ground during the lunar phase to increase the data return. [3.] The pros and contras in some of the choices made for SMART-1, the developments and solutions implemented to mitigate the problems, the tools developed to automate the operations and the distribution of data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]