Adam Michaels | Search NASA

NASA NTRS2021

ORCAS – Orbiting Configurable Artificial Star Mission Architecture

In this paper, we establish the mission operation concept for the Orbiting Configurable Artificial Star mission, a hybrid space-ground observatory, which aims to enable ground observations of near-diffraction limited resolution and exquisite sensitivity. We present the mission requirements, introduce a potential orbit solution that can meet them, detail the concrete operational steps to be taken to enable such observations, and develop a mission planning tool which generates a mission schedule that meets all mission requirements and can be altered in real time in the case of disruptions to the mission. Finally, we show the the mission could enable 300 adaptive optics and 1500 flux calibration observations throughout its lifetime.

Eliad Peretz↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Impact of Impulsive Vs Finite Maneuver Modeling on Launch Transfer Trajectories for The Roman Space Telescope

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST) is a flagship astrophysics observatory developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for launch in the mid-2020’s. The nominal mission orbit for RST is a Sun-Earth L2 quasi-halo orbit subject to stringent geometric and dynamical constraints necessary for achieving mission science objectives. After award of the launch vehicle contract to SpaceX, comparing the launch solutions produced by the RST Flight Dynamics team and the SpaceX team revealed that despite targeting the same interface states, modeling the second-stage insertion burn with an impulsive delta-V vs. a higher fidelity finite burn model can result in substantial differences in achieved libration point orbit properties. In this paper, these differences are explored and leveraged to update the models and targeting strategies used by the RST Flight Dynamics tools. These updates allow the mission to achieve more flight-like ascent and insertion dynamics for the libration point transfer, as well as reveal interesting relationships between the dynamics of impulsive models and finite burn models for libration point transfer trajectories in general.

Lauren Schlenker↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 Mission

The Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) Observatory will be situated in a Sun-Earth L1 Lissajous orbit with the goal of providing continuous measurements of the space environment and observations of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, and contributing to accurate forecasts of space weather disturbances. Unique to the SWFO-L1 mission are challenges of a rideshare launch, immoderate momentum management delta-V residuals, and spacecraft maneuver design considerations, resulting in specialized operational approach, management, and support.

cislunar↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 Mission

The Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) Observatory will be situated in a Sun-Earth L1 Lissajous orbit with the goal of providing continuous measurements of the space environment and observations of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, and contributing to accurate forecasts of space weather disturbances. Unique to the SWFO-L1 mission are challenges of a rideshare launch, immoderate momentum management delta-V residuals, and spacecraft maneuver design considerations, resulting in specialized operational approach, management, and support.

Dynamical Systems↗