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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10

Attitude analysis of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) yaw turn anomaly

The July 2 Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) hydrazine thruster-controlled yaw inversion maneuver resulted in a 2.1 deg/sec attitude spin. This mode continued for 150 minutes until the spacecraft was inertially despun using the hydrazine thrusters. The spacecraft remained in a low-rate Y-axis spin of .06 deg/sec for 3 hours until the B-DOT control mode was activated. After 5 hours in this mode, the spacecraft Y-axis was aligned to the orbit normal, and the spacecraft was commanded to the mission mode of attitude control. This work presents the experience of real-time attitude determination support following analysis using the playback telemetry tape recorded for 7 hours from the start of the attitude control anomaly.

Kronenwetter, J.↗

Near term space transportation systems for earth orbit and planetary applications

With the resumption of Space Shuttle flights in mid-1988, many of the initial flights will include a mix of upper stage propulsion systems for geosynchronous orbit and planetary mission applications. This paper presents a system definition and the modifications required to the Inertial Upper Stage and the Transfer Orbit Stage for the near term Space Shuttle missions, namely the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, Magellan, Galileo, Ulysses, Mars Observer, and the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite. The definition and capabilities of the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle, currently being developed by NASA to perform a wide range of on-orbit missions and services in support of orbiting spacecraft, are also included.

Saucier, Sidney↗

SDIO robotics in space applications

Robotics in space supporting the Strategic Defense System (SDS) program is discussed. Ongoing initiatives which are intended to establish an initial Robotics in Space capability are addressed. This is specifically being referred to as the Satellite Servicing System (SSS). This system is based on the NASA Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) with a Robotic Manipulator(s) based on the NASA Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) and other SSS equipment required to do the satellite servicing work attached to the OMV. Specific Robotics in Space Requirements which have resulted from the completion of the Robotics Requirements Study Contract are addressed.

Iliff, Richard↗

The Navstar GPS master control station's Kalman filter experience

The Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) is a highly accurate space based navigation system providing all weather, 24 hour a day service to both military and civilian users. The system provides a Gaussian position solution with four satellites, each providing its ephemeris and clock offset with respect to GPS time. The GPS Master Clock Station (MCS) is charged with tracking each Navstar spacecraft and precisely defining the ephemeris and clock parameters for upload into the vehicle's navigation message. Briefly described here are the Navstar system and the Kalman filter estimation process used by MCS to determine, predict, and ensure quality control for each of the satellite's ephemeris and clock states. Routine performance is shown. Kalman filter reaction and response is discussed for anomalous clock behavior and trajectory perturbations. Particular attention is given to MCS efforts to improve orbital adjust modeling. The satellite out of service time due to orbital maneuvering has been reduced in the past year from four days to under twelve hours. The planning, reference trajectory model, and Kalman filter management improvements are explained.

Scardera, Michael P.↗

A-Train Mission Operations Working Group: CALIPSO Mission Status

This series of viewgraphs presents an introduction to the status of the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO),lessons learned during CALIPSO inclination maneuvers, the planning for CALIPSO's inclination maneuver to take place in 2009, examines a decision whether to precess or not, the plans to change CALIPSO's pitch, and the plans to change CALIPSO's pitch from the viewpoint of the payload.

Cisewski, Michael S.↗

Using the Flow-3D General Moving Object Model to Simulate Coupled Liquid Slosh - Container Dynamics on the SPHERES Slosh Experiment: Aboard the International Space Station

The SPHERES Slosh Experiment (SSE) is a free floating experimental platform developed for the acquisition of long duration liquid slosh data aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The data sets collected will be used to benchmark numerical models to aid in the design of rocket and spacecraft propulsion systems. Utilizing two SPHERES Satellites, the experiment will be moved through different maneuvers designed to induce liquid slosh in the experiment's internal tank. The SSE has a total of twenty-four thrusters to move the experiment. In order to design slosh generating maneuvers, a parametric study with three maneuvers types was conducted using the General Moving Object (GMO) model in Flow-30. The three types of maneuvers are a translation maneuver, a rotation maneuver and a combined rotation translation maneuver. The effectiveness of each maneuver to generate slosh is determined by the deviation of the experiment's trajectory as compared to a dry mass trajectory. To fully capture the effect of liquid re-distribution on experiment trajectory, each thruster is modeled as an independent force point in the Flow-3D simulation. This is accomplished by modifying the total number of independent forces in the GMO model from the standard five to twenty-four. Results demonstrate that the most effective slosh generating maneuvers for all motions occurs when SSE thrusters are producing the highest changes in SSE acceleration. The results also demonstrate that several centimeters of trajectory deviation between the dry and slosh cases occur during the maneuvers; while these deviations seem small, they are measureable by SSE instrumentation.

Schulman, Richard↗

The General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT): Current Features And Adding Custom Functionality

The General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) is a software system for trajectory optimization, mission analysis, trajectory estimation, and prediction developed by NASA, the Air Force Research Lab, and private industry. GMAT's design and implementation are based on four basic principles: open source visibility for both the source code and design documentation; platform independence; modular design; and user extensibility. The system, released under the NASA Open Source Agreement, runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. User extensions, loaded at run time, have been built for optimization, trajectory visualization, force model extension, and estimation, by parties outside of GMAT's development group. The system has been used to optimize maneuvers for the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) and ARTEMIS missions and is being used for formation design and analysis for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS).

Conway, Darrel J.↗

An Initial Analysis of Automating Conjunction Assessment and Collision Avoidance Planning in Space Traffic Management

We introduce a framework that automates the process of assessing potential satellite conjunctions in space, and generating collision avoidance maneuvers to support mitigation efforts within a novel space traffic management (STM) architecture. A software implementation of the framework was developed in a MATLAB-STK integrated environment, however, the concept and framework is agnostic to the language or environment. The software pulls from existing catalogs of spaceborne objects and ingests user-defined parameters to produce conjunction data, which could potentially aid collision avoidance planning in the STM architecture. The utility of the software in maneuver planning and exploring a performance-based tradespace of actions is demonstrated using three example cases: one-to-one conjunction, one-versus-four conjunctions, and a near head-on collision. The framework also provides a test-bed for the use of application programming interfaces (APIs) to demonstrate machine-to-machine communication between entities in our proposed STM architecture. Results from this software implementation are expected to aid distributed decision-making among various stakeholders, and inform efficient, autonomous, structured but flexible concept of operations within STM.

Space Systems Engineering↗

Phase Plane Analysis and Observed Frozen Orbit for the TOPEX/Poseidon Mission

The existence and stability of low eccentricity frozen orbits in a zonal geopotential perturbed by atmospheric drag, solar radiation pressure, and a continuous along-track thrust is studied. General expressions are derived for the steady state eccentricity and gravity- only phase plane trajectories. The TOPEX/Poseidon satellite has remained in a frozen orbit throughout its three year primary mission.

TOPEX/Poseidon↗

The use of the tethered satellite system to perform low density aerothermodynamics studies

The Tethered Satellite System (TSS) is a cooperative space system development activity of the U.S.A. and Italy. It is comprised of the Tether Satellite (TS) and the deployer. Within TSS, the Shuttle Tethered Aerothermodynamic Research Facility (STARFAC) concept has the potential to provide access to vast portions of the upper atmosphere for atmospheric and aerothermodynamic research. The feasibility and capability of the TSS to operate as a continuous open wind tunnel and to perform low density aerothermodynamic studies are investigated. This is accomplished through a modified version of the TS simulation program (SKYHOOK). The results indicate that STARFAC concept is both feasible and practical. The TS can go below 100 km but, if thrust is used, large velocity variation (delta V) maneuvers and an attitude control are required; if a satellite lift is considered, large tether tension is produced and an attitude control is required.

Carlomagno, Giovanni M.↗

Cassini-Huygens Maneuver Experience: Second Year of Saturn Tour

This paper documents the maneuver experience during the second year of the Cassini-Huygens mission at Saturn. Since Saturn arrival in July 2004, the Cassini orbiter has made many flybys of Titan and Saturn's icy satellites. From August 2005 to June 2006, there were 39 planned maneuvers designed to target Cassini to aimpoints near Titan, Hyperion, Dione, and Rhea. Highlights of this paper include maneuver designs and strategies, maneuver performance, maneuver cancellation rationales, and a new maneuver execution-error model based on maneuvers executed to date.

navigation↗

Fuel optimal reorientation of axisymmetric spin-stabilized satellites

The fuel optimal spin axis reorientation problem for large and small maneuver times is solved using a new numerical technique. The approach, which employs the adaptive grid bisection search, is shown to be useful in determining the fuel optimal impulsive control strategy, particularly when rapid maneuvers are desired. For large enough maneuver times, the method produces the two-impulse reorientation maneuver. For even larger maneuver times, the existence of multiple optimal pulsing schemes is demonstrated.

Redmond, Jim↗

SPICE Module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP)

A SPICE module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP) precisely represents complex motion and maneuvers in an interactive, 3D animated environment with support for user-defined quantitative outputs. (SPICE stands for Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, Camera-matrix, and Events). This module enables the SOAP software to exploit NASA mission ephemeris represented in the JPL Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) SPICE formats. Ephemeris types supported include position, velocity, and orientation for spacecraft and planetary bodies including the Sun, planets, natural satellites, comets, and asteroids. Entire missions can now be imported into SOAP for 3D visualization, playback, and analysis. The SOAP analysis and display features can now leverage detailed mission files to offer the analyst both a numerically correct and aesthetically pleasing combination of results that can be varied to study many hypothetical scenarios. The software provides a modeling and simulation environment that can encompass a broad variety of problems using orbital prediction. For example, ground coverage analysis, communications analysis, power and thermal analysis, and 3D visualization that provide the user with insight into complex geometric relations are included. The SOAP SPICE module allows distributed science and engineering teams to share common mission models of known pedigree, which greatly reduces duplication of effort and the potential for error. The use of the software spans all phases of the space system lifecycle, from the study of future concepts to operations and anomaly analysis. It allows SOAP software to correctly position and orient all of the principal bodies of the Solar System within a single simulation session along with multiple spacecraft trajectories and the orientation of mission payloads. In addition to the 3D visualization, the user can define numeric variables and x-y plots to quantitatively assess metrics of interest.

Coggi, John↗

Pursuit/evasion in orbit

Maneuvers available to a spacecraft having sufficient propellant to escape an antisatellite satellite (ASAT) attack are examined. The ASAT and the evading spacecraft are regarded as being in circular orbits, and equations of motion are developed for the ASAT to commence a two-impulse maneuver sequence. The ASAT employs thrust impulses which yield a minimum-time-to-rendezvous, considering available fuel. Optimal evasion is shown to involve only in-plane maneuvers, and begins as soon as the ASAT launch information is gathered and thrust activation can be initiated. A closest approach, along with a maximum evasion by the target spacecraft, is calculated to be 14,400 ft. Further research to account for ASATs in parking orbit and for generalization of a continuous control-modeled differential game is indicated.

Kelley, H. J.↗

CloudSat Anomaly and Return to the A-Train: Lessons Learned for Satellite Constellations

In April 2011, CloudSat suffered a severe battery anomaly, leaving the space-craft in emergency mode without the ability to command or maneuver the spacecraft. Before the team was able to recover spacecraft operability, CloudSat passed close to the Aqua satellite in the A-Train and then exited the A-Train. A new mode of operations, termed Daylight Only Operations (DO-Op) mode was developed to enable CloudSat to resume science operations in an orbit under the A-Train by November 2011, and in July 2012 CloudSat re-entered the A-Train. This paper describes challenges and lessons-learned during the anomaly, the exit from the A-Train and the return to the A-Train. These lessons-learned may ap-ply to other current and future satellite constellations in Earth orbit.

formation-flying↗

Small monopropellant thruster contamination measurement in a high-vacuum low-temperature facility

The contamination that results from the exhaust plume of small thrusters used for attitude control maneuvers can pose severe problems for long-life satellite systems. In order to assess this type of contamination problem, analytical and experimental techniques must be developed. Mass deposition rate measurements of a representative 0.44-N thrust hydrazine thruster were made in a space simulation chamber using five appropriately placed variable-temperature quartz crystal microbalances. The mass deposition rates within the thruster plume were measured while operating the thruster over a wide range of operating parameters, including duty cycles, catalyst bed start temperatures, propellant water variation, as well as thruster aging effects. The contamination measurements were made over a temperature range of 144 to 256 K for all duty cycles. In addition, the nominal duty cycle of 100 msec on and 10 sec off was run at a temperature of 106 K. These data will make possible better prediction of deposition rates of contaminants from thrusters used in satellite systems.

Passamaneck, R. S.↗

41-B tenth Space Shuttle mission

The manned maneuvering unit, two untethered ""spacewalks'', EVA timeline, shuttle pallet satellite, payloads (Palapa-B2, Westar 6), and a rehearsal rendezvous are discussed.

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