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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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

Overview of Primitive Object Volatile Explorer (PrOVE) CubeSat or Smallsat Concept

Here we describe the Primitive Object Volatile Explorer (PrOVE), a smallsat mission concept to study the surface structure and volatile inventory of comets in their perihelion passage phase when volatile activity is near peak. CubeSat infrastructure imposes limits on propulsion systems, which are compounded by sensitivity to the spacecraft disposal state from the launch platform and potential launch delays. We propose circumventing launch platform complications by using waypoints in space to park a deep space SmallSat or CubeSat while awaiting the opportunity to enter a trajectory to flyby a suitable target. In our Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) project, we investigated scientific goals, waypoint options, potential concept of operations (ConOps) for periodic and new comets, spacecraft bus infrastructure requirements, launch platforms, and mission operations and phases. Our payload would include two low-risk instruments: a visible image (VisCAM) for 5-10 m resolution surface maps; and a highly versatile multispectral Comet CAMera (ComCAM) will measure 1) H2O, CO2, CO, and organics non-thermal fluorescence signatures in the 2-5 μm MWIR, and 2) 7-10 and 8-14 μm thermal (LWIR) emission. This payload would return unique data not obtainable from ground-based telescopes and complement data from Earth-orbiting observatories. Thus, the PrOVE mission would (1) acquire visible surface maps, (2) investigate chemical heterogeneity of a comet nucleus by quantifying volatile species abundance and changes with solar insolation, (3) map the spatial distribution of volatiles and determine any variations, and (4) determine the frequency and distribution of outbursts.

Clark, Pamela S.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Telecommunication System Design for Interplanetary CubeSat Missions: LunaH-Map

The Lunar Hydrogen Mapper (Luna H-Map) will be one of 13 CubeSats to launch on the first integrated flight of NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft in 2018. The goal of the LunaH-Map mission is to map the hydrogen content of the entire South Pole of the moon, including permanently shadowed regions at high resolution. The spacecraft is a 6 U CubeSat and the main instrument is a neutron spectrometer which will be used to perform the measurements required to accomplish the primary science objective. Once LunaH-Map reaches the Moon, the spacecraft will perform a 60 - day science mission, consisting of 141 science orbits during which the measurements will be taken. In the design of the LunaH-Map spacecraft, one of the main challenges is the elecommunication system as the spacecraft needs the ability to relay data during the long cruise phase and during the science phase. In addition, the telecommunication system needs to support the main navigation functions required to reach the Moon and to insert in the highly elliptical orbit required for the science phase. This paper covers the main aspects of the telecommunication design for the mission including: link and coverage analysis, waveform selection and spectral constraints, hardware selection and ground station coordination.

Babuscia, Alessandra↗
NASA NTRS2019

Using Paraffin PCM for Thermal Management of BOLAS Planetary CubeSats with Ion Thrusters

The Bi-sat Observations of the Lunar Atmosphere above Swirls (BOLAS) is a NASA planetary CubeSat mission concept in low lunar orbit. The BOLAS lower CubeSat is at a 90 km altitude above the lunar surface during spiraling down from the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) to the Moon. Without phase change material (PCM), the worst hot case temperature prediction for the Command and Data Handling (C&DH) exceeds the 61°C maximum operating limit, and those for the Iris solid state power amplifier (SSPA) and transponder exceed the 50°C maximum operating limit. Miniature n-Tricosane PCM packs on the Iris SSPA and transponder, and miniature n-Hexacosane PCM packs on the C&DH are used to store thermal energy in sunlight and release it in the eclipse. With paraffin PCM, all the temperatures are within the maximum operating limits.

Choi, Michael K.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Navigating MarCO, the first interplanetary CubeSats

The NASA’s Mars Cube One (MarCO) probes are twin 6U CubeSats that were launched into space on May 5, 2018. The MarCOs shared a launch vehicle with NASA’s InSight mission, separating from the Atlas V Centaur upper stage after InSight. The MarCOs were injected into an Earth-Mars transfer trajectory and were independently navigated to the proximity of Mars. On 26 November, 2018 the MarCO probes flew by Mars as the InSight lander descended to the surface, providing real-time relay of InSight UHF data back to the Earth. This paper describes the approaches used to design the MarCOs’ trajectories and to navigate them to Mars, presenting the challenges of navigating and operating CubeSats in deep space, and the technological firsts achieved by the MarCO mission.

Young, Brian↗
NASA NTRS2017

Design and characterization of a low cost CubeSat multi-band optical receiver to map water ice on the lunar surface for the Lunar Flashlight mission

Lunar Flashlight is an innovative NASA CubeSat mission dedicated to mapping water ice in the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, which may act as cold traps for volatiles. To this end, a multi-band reflectometer will be sent to orbit the Moon. This instrument consists of an optical receiver aligned with four lasers, each of which emits sequentially at a different wavelength in the near-infrared between 1 μm and 2 μm. The receiver measures the laser light reflected from the lunar surface; continuum/absorption band ratios are then analyzed to quantify water ice in the illuminated spot. Here, we present the current state of the optical receiver design. To optimize the optical signal-to-noise ratio, we have designed the receiver so as to maximize the laser signal collected, while minimizing the stray light reaching the detector from solar-illuminated areas of the lunar surface outside the field-of-view, taking into account the complex lunar topography. Characterization plans are also discussed. This highly mass- and volume-constrained mission will demonstrate several firsts, including being one of the first CubeSats performing science measurements beyond low Earth orbit.

Sellar, Glenn R.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Optical and Mechanical Designs of the Multi-band SWIR Receiver for the Lunar Flashlight CubeSat Mission

Mapping and quantifying lunar water ice addresses one of NASA’s Strategic Knowledge Gaps to understand the lunar resource potential for future human exploration of the Moon. Lunar Flashlight is an innovative NASA CubeSat mission dedicated to mapping water ice in the permanently-shadowed and occasionally-sunlit regions in the vicinity of the lunar South Pole. Lunar Flashlight will acquire these measurements from lunar orbit using a multi-band laser reflectometer composed of an optical receiver aligned with four lasers emitting different wavelengths in the shortwave infrared spectral region between 1 µm and 2 µm. The receiver measures the laser radiance reflected from the lunar surface in each spectral band and continuum/absorption reflectance band ratios are then analyzed to quantify water ice concentration in the illuminated spot. The receiver utilizes a 70×70-mm, aluminum, off-axis paraboloidal mirror with a focal length of 70 mm, which collects the incoming light onto a single, 2 mm diameter InGaAs detector with a cutoff wavelength of 2.4 µm. We present the optical and mechanical designs of the receiver, including its optimization for rejection of solar stray-light from outside its intended field of view. This highly mass- and volume-constrained instrument payload will demonstrate several firsts, including being one of the first instruments onboard a CubeSat performing science measurements beyond low Earth orbit and the first planetary mission to use multi-band active reflectometry from orbit.

Sellar, R. Glenn↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS): A Mission to Understand the Impact of Stars in Exoplanets

The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) is a NASA-funded astrophysics mission, devoted to study the ultraviolet (UV) time-domain behavior in low-mass stars. Given their abundance and size, low-mass stars are important targets in the search for habitable-zone, extrasolar planets. However, not enough is known about the stars flare and quiescent emission, which powers photochemical reactions on the atmospheres of possible planets. Over its 1-year mission, SPARCS will stare at ~10 stars in order to measure short- (minutes) and long- (months) term variability simultaneously in the near-UV (NUV – 280 nm) and far-UV (FUV – 162 nm). SPARCS payload consists of a 9-cm reflector telescope paired with two high-sensitivity 2D-doped CCDs. The detectors are kept passively cooled at 238K, in order to reduce dark-current contribution. The filters have been selected to provide strong rejection of longer wavelengths, where most of the starlight is emitted. The payload will be integrated within a 6U CubeSat to be placed on a Sun-synchronous terminator orbit, which allows for long observing stares for all targets. Launch is expected to occur not earlier than October 2021.

Zellem, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Lunar Flashlight CubeSat Instrument: A Compact SWIR Laser Reflectometer to Quantify and Map Water Ice on the Surface of the Moon

The Lunar Flashlight (LF) mission will send a CubeSat to lunar orbit via NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) test flight. The LF spacecraft will carry a novel instrument to quantify and map water ice harbored in the permanently shadowed craters of the lunar South Pole. The LF instrument, an active multi-band reflectometer which employs four high power diode lasers in the 1-2 μm infrared band, will measure the reflectance of the lunar surface near water ice absorption peaks. We present the detailed instrument design and system engineering required to deploy this instrument within very demanding CubeSat resource allocations.

Shelton, Jacob↗
NASA NTRS2018

Overview of Primitive Volatile Explorer (PrOVE) Cubesat or Smallsat Concept

Here we describe the Primitive Object Volatile Explorer (PrOVE), a smallsat mission concept to study the surface structure and volatile inventory of comets in their perihelion passage phase when volatile activity is near peak. CubeSat infrastructure imposes limits on propulsion systems, which are compounded by sensitivity to the spacecraft disposal state from the launch platform and potential launch delays. We propose circumventing launch platform complications by using waypoints in space to park a deep space SmallSat or CubeSat while awaiting the opportunity to enter a trajectory to flyby a suitable target. In our Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) project, we investigated scientific goals, waypoint options, potential concept of operations (ConOps) for periodic and new comets, spacecraft bus infrastructure requirements, launch platforms, and mission operations and phases. Our payload would include two low-risk instruments: a visible image (VisCAM) for 5-10 m resolution surface maps; and a highly versatile multispectral Comet CAMera (ComCAM) will measure 1) H2O, CO2, CO, and organics non-thermal fluorescence signatures in the 2-5 µm MWIR, and 2) 7-10 and 8-14 µm thermal (LWIR) emission. This payload would return unique data not obtainable from ground-based telescopes and complement data from Earth-orbiting observatories. Thus, the PrOVE mission would (1) acquire visible surface maps, (2) investigate chemical heterogeneity of a comet nucleus by quantifying volatile species abundance and changes with solar insolation, (3) map the spatial distribution of volatiles and determine any variations, and (4) determine the frequency and distribution of outbursts.

Zucherman, Aaron↗
NASA NTRS2018

Mission analysis for the EM-1 CubeSats EQUULEUS and OMOTENASHI

EQUULEUS is a Lunar L2 orbiter and a 6-Unit CubeSat by JAXA and the University of Tokyo. OMOTENASHI is a 6-Unit CubeSat by JAXA, the world’s smallest Lunar lander. EQUULEUS and OMOTENASHI are among the 13 secondary payloads selected by NASA to be launched with Exploration Mission-1 in 2019. Despite their limited size and cost, EQUULEUS and OMOTENASHI are challenging missions, especially in terms of trajectory design and control. EQUULEUS exploits the Earth-Sun-Moon chaotic dynamics and enter a libration point orbit around the L2 of the Earth-Moon system, using a new water propulsion system with low thrust and little propellant. This “Orbit Control Experiment” is one of the main objectives of the mission. OMOTENASHI executes a semi-hard landing that requires breaking the spacecraft to a stop just a few-hundred meters above the Moon’s surface. Both missions present new and unique challenges, where the design of the nominal trajectory is mainly driven by the constrains on orbital control capabilities, and operational and robustness considerations. This paper presents the current baselines, and give an overview of the new techniques developed for their design.

Oshima, Kenta↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The CubeSat Communication Platform (CCP) – Mission Overview and ConOps

This paper presents the CubeSat Communications Platform (CCP) mission concept, architecture, and development. The CCP is a CubeSat demonstration mission, being developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to improve satellite communication capabilities. The CCP payloads include a Software Defined Radio (SDR) with Variable Coded Modulation (VCM) protocols, and an S-band phased array antenna. The mission will test the performance of the VCM protocols versus conventional fixed modulation and coding schemes, relative to the percentage of the Shannon Channel Capacity that each scheme achieves over entire satellite passes. The mission will also test the performance of the phased array antenna, with regard to beamforming and interrogator scanning accuracy. The CCP Mission is collaborating with NASA's Near Space Network (NSN) to demonstrate DVB-S2 VCM and achievable maximum data rate in NASA S-band 5 MHz channel. NSN currently supports missions that communicate with fixed channel codes, modulations, and symbol rates, resulting in a constant data rate that does not adapt to the dynamic link margin. VCM adapts to the dynamics of the link to increase information throughput by changing modulation and coding when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is high. The CCP will be the first mission to demonstrate VCM with NSN ground stations.

phased antenna array↗
NASA NTRS2020

Radiometric Performance Characterization of the CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS) High Operating Temperature-Barrier Infrared Detectors (HOT-BIRD))

The CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS) is a remote sensing instrument under development for thedemonstration and technology maturation of hyperspectral infrared sounding in a 6U CubeSat. The CIRASinstrument utilizes a 2D Focal Plane Array (FPA) of High Operating Temperature-Barrier Infrared Detectors(HOT-BIRD). The HOT-BIRD material provides improved uniformity, higher allowable operating temperatures,and lower 1/f noise. The performance of the HOT-BIRD FPA was tested inside a Integrated Dewarand Cryocooler Assembly (IDCA), allowing the operating temperature of the FPA to reach low temperatures.Experimentation involved using an external Blackbody Calibrator Target (BCT) to generate numerous imagesof the BCT object at varying scene temperatures. The data acquired was compared to a radiometric model tocharacterize the responsivity of the detectors. In addition, a solid angle correction was developed to improve theaccuracy of the modeling. Real and synthetic images are presented in the comparative analysis to validate theexpected responsivity of the detectors through calculation of the quantum efficency.

Rafol, Sir B.↗
NASA NTRS2022

The Cusp Plasma Imaging Detector (Cupid) Cubesat Observatory: Instrumentation

The Cusp Plasma Imaging Detector (CuPID) CubeSat observatory is a 6U CubeSat designed to observe solar wind charge exchange in magnetospheric cusps to test competing theories of magnetic reconnection at the Earth’s magnetopause. The CuPID is equipped with three instruments, namely, a wide field-of-view (4.6° × 4.6°) soft x-ray telescope, a micro-dosimeter suite, and an engineering magnetometer optimized for the science operation. The instrument suite has been tested and calibrated in relevant environments, demonstrating successful design. The testing and calibration of these instruments produced metrics and coefficients that will be used to create the CuPID mission’s data product.

Magnetospheric dynamics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Navigation Performance of the BioSentinel Deep Space CubeSat Mission

The BioSentinel mission was recently launched aboard the SLS launch vehicle (LV) as part of the Artemis- 1 campaign. The BioSentinel navigation team successfully tracked and guided the spacecraft through a lunar gravity assist to its destination Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit. This 6U CubeSat carries live yeast cells to analyze the effects of radiation at large distances from Earth, becoming the first biological payload in Deep Space. Prelaunch activities included mission design updates, orbit determination rehearsals and the development of a tracking schedule in coordination with the Artemis-1 payload office and the Deep Space Network (DSN). An important influence on the trajectories of Artemis I secondaries was the uncertainty associated with deployment from the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System (ICPS), the upper stage of the SLS LV. The ICPS was rotating at a rate of 1 rpm; there was also an uncertainty in the spin axis attitude, which translated into an unknown clock angle of deployment. The variability in this angle and magnitude of deployment implied the existence of a non-negligible risk of a lunar impact, which was evaluated for various potential launch dates. We present the results of Monte Carlo analyses and compute the pertinent maneuvers to avoid it. In addition, we present a comparison with the actual deployment once the mission launched by reconstructing our trajectory with tracking data. On November 16th 2022 BioSentinel successfully deployed from ICPS and the navigation team started to receive 2-way Doppler and Sequential Ranging data from the DSN. We processed early data to try to obtain a first ephemeris using Initial Orbit Determination (IOD) methods such as the least squares. Soon after deployment, the spacecraft was tumbling and entered safe mode, creating a period where the tracking data were sparse. The mission team recovered the spacecraft and after four tracking passes, we solved for a first ephemeris that was sent to the DSN for better tracking of the spacecraft. After propagating this first ephemeris solution, we determined that we avoided impact with a margin of a few hundred km from the lunar surface. More tracking data over the next few days (from DSN as well as ESA antennas) allowed for a more refined orbit solution predicting a periselene altitude of 406 km and a lunar eclipse lasting 36.5 minutes. Therefore, BioSentinel operators aborted any correction maneuvers. This periselene altitude also gave us the necessary energy to achieve a heliocentric orbit. The next challenge was due to the necessary adjustments in our orbit determination method due to the large energy boost resulting from the lunar flyby. After a series of tracking passes we were able to get a nominal solution that resulted into a stable trajectory. This paper discusses in detail the navigation performance using the X-band IRIS transponder, as well as the challenges and lessons learned prior to and during this deep space, CubeSat mission.

Andres Dono Perez↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

BioSentinel Deep Space CubeSat Mission

The BioSentinel mission was recently launched aboard the SLS launch vehicle (LV) as part of the Artemis-1 campaign. This 6U CubeSat carries yeast cells to analyze the effects of radiation at large distances from Earth, becoming the first biological payload in Deep Space. Prelaunch activities included mission design updates, orbit determination rehearsals and the development of a tracking schedule in coordination with the Artemis-1 payload office and the Deep Space Network (DSN). An important influence on the trajectories of Artemis I secondaries was the uncertainty associated with deployment from the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System (ICPS), the upper stage of the SLS LV. The ICPS was rotating at a rate of 1 rpm; there was also uncertainty in the spin axis attitude, which translated into an unknown clock angle of deployment. The variability in this angle and magnitude of deployment implied the existence of a non-negligible risk of a lunar impact, which was evaluated for various potential launch dates. On November 16 th 2022 BioSentinel successfully deployed from ICPS and the navigation team started to receive tracking data from the DSN and ESA antennas. Soon after deployment, the spacecraft was tumbling and entered safe mode. The mission team recovered the spacecraft and after four tracking passes, we solved for a first ephemeris that was sent to the DSN for better tracking of the spacecraft. After propagating this first ephemeris solution, we determined that we avoided impact with a margin of a few hundred km from the lunar surface. More tracking data over the next few days allowed for a more refined orbit solution predicting a periselene altitude of 406 km and a lunar eclipse lasting 36.5 minutes. Therefore, BioSentinel operators avoided any correction maneuvers on the trajectory and successfully tracked and guide the spacecraft. The spacecraft performed a nominal lunar flyby which provided the pertinent energy to achieve a final Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit. Over the course of two weeks, the mission operators corroborated that the subsystems were functioning as expected after the lunar eclipse and the large ΔV incurred. Science operations started once the mission achieved the nominal orbit in Deep Space. This paper discusses in detail the BioSentinel flight performance, as well as the challenges and lessons learned prior to and during this CubeSat mission.

Andres Dono Perez↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

GN&C Flight Experience and Lessons Learned from BioSentinel: A 6U Deep Space Cubesat

This paper reviews the flight experiences of the BioSentinel propulsion and Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) teams. BioSentinel is a 6U cubesat that launched as a secondary payload aboard the Space Launch System's (SLS) maiden flight in November of 2022 and is now operating in an Earth trailing heliocentric orbit. We discuss the mission's original GNC approach as well as several improvements made in-flight, in particular a novel approach to gyro bias estimation in the spacecraft’s sun safe controller. The development and flight experience of the spacecraft's RCS propulsion system is also discussed, along with modifications made to the momentum management approach in response to a failed thruster valve. Finally, we present lessons learned and recommendations for GNC design in future deep-space cubesats.

BioSentinel↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Complete Cubesat Magnetometer System Project

The objective of this work is to provide the center with a fully tested, flexible, low cost, miniaturized science magnetometer system applicable to small satellite programs, like Cubesats, and to rides of opportunity that do not lend themselves to the high integration costs a science magnetometer on a boom necessitates.

magnetometers↗