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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

Sound broadcasting satellite systems for individual reception by mobile receivers

In this paper, the feasibility of a multi-channel sound broadcasting satellite system for operation in a band between 0.5 and 2.0 GHz is investigated. Considered are sound broadcasting satellite systems that provide conventional FM sound broadcasting for individual receivers in a wide geographical area. Comparative weight estimation of sound broadcasting satellites is carried out for various sizes of coverage area and spacecraft antenna, and for different carrier frequencies in the band from 0.5 to 2.0 GHz. It is concluded that relatively light (1200 to about 1500 lbs) spacecraft are feasible, even with low-cost portable or mobile receiving systems.

Park, Y. H.↗

Wide-Bandgap CIAS Thin-film Photovoltaics with Transparent Back Contacts for Next-Generation Single and Multijunction Devices

Future spacecraft and high-altitude airship (HAA) technologies will require high array specific power (W/kg), which can be met using thin-film photovoltaics (PV) on lightweight and flexible substrates. It has been calculated that the thin-film array technology, including the array support structure, begins to exceed the specific power of crystalline multi-junction arrays when the thin-film device efficiencies begin to exceed 12%. Thin-film PV devices have other advantages in that they are more easily integrated into HAA s, and are projected to be much less costly than their crystalline PV counterparts. Furthermore, it is likely that only thin-film array technology will be able to meet device specific power requirements exceeding 1 kW/kg (photovoltaic and integrated substrate/blanket mass only). Of the various thin-film technologies, single junction and radiation resistant CuInSe2 (CIS) and associated alloys with gallium, aluminum and sulfur have achieved the highest levels of thin-film device performance, with the best efficiency, reaching 19.2% under AM1.5 illumination conditions and on thick glass substrates.(3) Thus, it is anticipated that single- and tandem-junction devices with flexible substrates and based on CIS and related alloys could achieve the highest levels of thin-film space and HAA solar array performance.

Woods, Lawrence M.↗

Dynamics and Control of Granular Imaging Systems

In this paper, we present some ideas regarding the modeling, dynamics and control aspects of granular spacecraft. Granular spacecraft are complex multibody systems composed of a spatially disordered distribution of a large number of elements, for instance a cloud of grains in orbit. An example of application is a spaceborne observatory for exoplanet imaging, where the primary aperture is a cloud instead of a monolithic aperture. A model is proposed of the multi-scale dynamics of the grains and cloud in orbit, as well as a control approach for cloud shape maintenance and alignment, and preliminary simulation studies are carried out for the representative imaging system.

optical trapping↗

Alternative MMOD Shielding Concepts

The main types of meteoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shields are single-layer “monolithic” shields, dual-wall “Whipple” shields, and multi-wall shields (“Stuffed Whipple” and “multi-shock” are common types). Aluminum alloys are typically used for the outer bumper layer and for the rear wall of the dual- and multi-wall shields, although carbon-composites are increasingly employed in MMOD shields given their low-mass and high-strength. Ceramic (NextelTM) and KevlarTM fabrics are commonly used for the intermediate layers of Stuffed Whipple shields. The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Hypervelocity Impact Technology (HVIT) group is continuously working to improve NASA spacecraft MMOD shielding by evaluating new materials and shielding concepts by test and analysis. HVIT has performed many hypervelocity impact tests over several years to evaluate alternative MMOD shield materials and concepts. This paper will provide results of this work in the following areas: (1) Material substitutions to improve radiation and MMOD protection within Stuffed Whipple shields, (2) Metallic and ceramic foam bumper and intermediate layer materials, (3) Self-sealing materials. In the first two areas listed above, the candidate shield materials were tested under similar test conditions and with fixed shield standoff and mass. Damage to the rear wall was quantified and compared to determine the best performing shield materials. In the self-sealing material evaluations, the test objective was to gauge the ability of different materials and techniques to stop leaks in a rear wall with a 1-atmosphere (air) delta-pressure across the wall. This paper provides results of the investigations and describes forward work to continue the development of the most promising MMOD shield alternatives. KevlarTM is a trademark of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. NextelTM is a trademark of 3M Corporation Note, Trade names and trademarks are used in this report for identification only. Their usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Hypervelocity↗

Solar Pumped High Power Solid State Laser for Space Applications

Highly coherent laser light provides a nearly optimal means of transmitting power in space. The simplest most direct means of converting sunlight to coherent laser light is a solar pumped laser oscillator. A key need for broadly useful space solar power is a robust solid state laser oscillator capable of operating efficiently in near Earth space at output powers in the multi hundred kilowatt range. The principal challenges in realizing such solar pumped laser oscillators are: (1) the need to remove heat from the solid state laser material without introducing unacceptable thermal shock, thermal lensing, or thermal stress induced birefringence to a degree that improves on current removal rates by several orders of magnitude and (2) to introduce sunlight at an effective concentration (kW/sq cm of laser cross sectional area) that is several orders of magnitude higher than currently available while tolerating a pointing error of the spacecraft of several degrees. We discuss strategies for addressing these challenges. The need to remove the high densities of heat, e.g., 30 kW/cu cm, while keeping the thermal shock, thermal lensing and thermal stress induced birefringence loss sufficiently low is addressed in terms of a novel use of diamond integrated with the laser material, such as Ti:sapphire in a manner such that the waste heat is removed from the laser medium in an axial direction and in the diamond in a radial direction. We discuss means for concentrating sunlight to an effective areal density of the order of 30 kW/sq cm. The method integrates conventional imaging optics, non-imaging optics and nonlinear optics. In effect we use a method that combines some of the methods of optical pumping solid state materials and optical fiber, but also address laser media having areas sufficiently large, e.g., 1 cm diameter to handle the multi-hundred kilowatt level powers needed for space solar power.

Fork, Richard L.↗

Attitude Ground System: Recent Experiences in Attitude Sensor Calibration and Upcoming Mission Support for Momentum Unloading

A key component of the mission ground system used for supporting NASA Goddard Space Flight Center space missions, known as the Attitude Ground System (AGS), is used to perform operational and analytical support for the spacecraft attitude con-trol system (ACS). The AGS is comprised of a real-time attitude analysis and moni-toring system, and a tool for performing offline analysis of the ACS system using key sensor telemetry collected and stored onboard and transmitted to the mission operations center. The AGS performs numerous functions, including independent ground attitude determination, attitude slew planning and commanding, attitude sensor calibration, and real-time monitoring of the health and safety of the ACS. The AGS is developed in MATLAB using a core library of utility functions called the Multi-Mission Three-Axis Satellite System (MTASS). The MTASS library has been used to support mission operations for over thirty NASA missions starting in the late 1990s. It is customized for each mission to meet specific mission requirements. In this paper we describe recent operational experience using the AGS to support the launch and early orbit (L&EO) phase of the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud Ocean Ecosys-tem (PACE) and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) missions. Our summary of L&EO support for PACE and JPSS includes ACS sensor calibration of the alignment and scale factors for the Star Trackers, Inertial Reference Unit, and Three-Axis Magnetometers. We will also describe new capabilities for planning and executing reaction wheel momentum unloading for the Roman Space Telescope (RST) During the spacecraft early orbit phase, the AGS is operated in the mission operations center by a team of subject matter experts that also develop and configure the AGS soft-ware. This unique approach, integrating system development and operation in a sin-gle engineering team, provides valuable expertise for quick assessment of ACS per-formance and safety; critical to anomaly resolution and mission success.

Guidance, Navigation, and Control↗

Pre-Hardware Optimization of Spacecraft Image Processing Software Algorithms and Hardware Implementation

Spacecraft telemetry rates have steadily increased over the last decade presenting a problem for real-time processing by ground facilities. This paper proposes a solution to a related problem for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Spacecraft (GOES-8) image processing application. Although large super-computer facilities are the obvious heritage solution, they are very costly, making it imperative to seek a feasible alternative engineering solution at a fraction of the cost. The solution is based on a Personal Computer (PC) platform and synergy of optimized software algorithms and re-configurable computing hardware technologies, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and Digital Signal Processing (DSP). It has been shown in [1] and [2] that this configuration can provide superior inexpensive performance for a chosen application on the ground station or on-board a spacecraft. However, since this technology is still maturing, intensive pre-hardware steps are necessary to achieve the benefits of hardware implementation. This paper describes these steps for the GOES-8 application, a software project developed using Interactive Data Language (IDL) (Trademark of Research Systems, Inc.) on a Workstation/UNIX platform. The solution involves converting the application to a PC/Windows/RC platform, selected mainly by the availability of low cost, adaptable high-speed RC hardware. In order for the hybrid system to run, the IDL software was modified to account for platform differences. It was interesting to examine the gains and losses in performance on the new platform, as well as unexpected observations before implementing hardware. After substantial pre-hardware optimization steps, the necessity of hardware implementation for bottleneck code in the PC environment became evident and solvable beginning with the methodology described in [1], [2], and implementing a novel methodology for this specific application [6]. The PC-RC interface bandwidth problem for the class of applications with moderate input-output data rates but large intermediate multi-thread data streams has been addressed and mitigated. This opens a new class of satellite image processing applications for bottleneck problems solution using RC technologies. The issue of a science algorithm level of abstraction necessary for RC hardware implementation is also described. Selected Matlab functions already implemented in hardware were investigated for their direct applicability to the GOES-8 application with the intent to create a library of Matlab and IDL RC functions for ongoing work. A complete class of spacecraft image processing applications using embedded re-configurable computing technology to meet real-time requirements, including performance results and comparison with the existing system, is described in this paper.

Kizhner, Semion↗

A Machine Learning-Based Approach to Time-Series Wave Identification in the Solar Wind

The Wind spacecraft has yielded several decades of high-resolution magnetic field data, a large fraction of which displays small-scale structures. In particular, the solar wind is full of wavelike fluctuations that appear in both the field magnitude and its components. The nature of these fluctuations can be tied to the properties of other structures in the solar wind, such as shocks, that have implications for the time evolution of the solar wind. As such, having a large collection of wave events would facilitate further study of the effects that these fluctuations have on solar wind evolution. Given the large volume of magnetic field data available, machine learning is the most practical approach to classifying the myriad small-scale structures observed. To this end, a subset of Wind data is labeled and used as a training set for a multi-branch 1D convolutional neural network aimed at classifying circularly polarized wave modes. Using this algorithm, a preliminary statistical study of one year of data is performed, yielding about 300,000 wave intervals out of about 5,000,000 solar wind intervals. The wave intervals come about more often in the fast solar wind and at higher temperatures, and the number of waves per day is highly periodic. This machine learning-based approach to wave detection has the potential to be a powerful, inexpensive way to catalog waves throughout decades of spacecraft data.

Samuel Fordin↗

Low energy CMOS for space applications

The current focus of NASA's space flight programs reflects a new thrust towards smaller, less costly, and more frequent space missions, when compared to missions such as Galileo, Magellan, or Cassini. Recently, the concept of a microspacecraft was proposed. In this concept, a small, compact spacecraft that weighs tens of kilograms performs focused scientific objectives such as imaging. Similarly, a Mars Lander micro-rover project is under study that will allow miniature robots weighing less than seven kilograms to explore the Martian surface. To bring the microspacecraft and microrover ideas to fruition, one will have to leverage compact 3D multi-chip module-based multiprocessors (MCM) technologies. Low energy CMOS will become increasingly important because of the thermodynamic considerations in cooling compact 3D MCM implementations and also from considerations of the power budget for space applications. In this paper, we show how the operating voltage is related to the threshold voltage of the CMOS transistors for accomplishing a task in VLSI with minimal energy. We also derive expressions for the noise margins at the optimal operating point. We then look at a low voltage CMOS (LVCMOS) technology developed at Stanford University which improves the power consumption over conventional CMOS by a couple of orders of magnitude and consider the suitability of the technology for space applications by characterizing its SEU immunity.

Panwar, Ramesh↗

Evaluation and Selection of Replacement Thermal Control Materials for the Hubble Space Telescope

The mechanical and optical properties of the metallized Teflon(Registered Trademark) FEP thermal control materials on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have degraded over the nearly seven years the telescope has been in orbit. Given the damage to the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) that was apparent during the second servicing mission (SM2), the decision was made to replace the outer layer during subsequent servicing missions. A Failure Review Board was established to investigate the damage to the MLI and identify a replacement material. The replacement material had to meet the stringent thermal requirements of the spacecraft and maintain structural integrity for at least ten years. Ten candidate materials were selected and exposed to ten-year HST-equivalent doses of simulated orbital environments. Samples of the candidates were exposed sequentially to low and high energy electrons and protons, atomic oxygen, x-ray radiation, ultraviolet radiation and thermal cycling. Following the exposures, the mechanical integrity and optical properties of the candidates were investigated using Optical Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and a Laboratory Portable Spectroreflectometer (LPSR). Based on the results of these simulations and analyses, the FRB selected a replacement material and two alternates that showed the highest likelihood of providing the requisite thermal properties and surviving for ten years in orbit.q

Townsend, Jacqueline A.↗

Ground-Based Testing of Replacement Thermal Control Materials for the Hubble Space Telescope

The mechanical and optical properties of the metallized Teflon FEP thermal control materials on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have degraded over the nearly seven years the telescope has been in orbit. Given the damage to the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) that was apparent during the second servicing mission (SM2), the decision was made to replace the outer layer during subsequent servicing missions. A Failure Review Board was established to investigate the damage to the MLI and identify a replacement material. The replacement material had to meet the stringent thermal requirements of the spacecraft and maintain mechanical integrity for at least ten years. Ten candidate materials were selected and exposed to ten-year HST-equivalent doses of simulated orbital environments. Samples of the candidates were exposed sequentially to low and high energy electrons and protons, atomic oxygen, x-ray radiation, ultraviolet radiation and thermal cycling. Following the exposures, the mechanical integrity and optical properties of the candidates were investigated using Optical Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), a Laboratory Portable Spectroreflectometer (LPSR) and a Lambda 9 Spectroreflectometer. Based on the results of these simulations and analyses, the Failure Review Board selected a replacement material and two alternates that showed the highest likelihood of providing the requisite thermal properties and surviving for ten years in orbit.

Townsend, Jacqueline A.↗

Developing the World's Most Powerful Solid Booster

NASA's Journey to Mars has begun. Indicative of that challenge, this will be a multi-decadal effort requiring the development of technology, operational capability, and experience. The first steps are underway with more than 15 years of continuous human operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and development of commercial cargo and crew transportation capabilities. NASA is making progress on the transportation required for deep space exploration - the Orion crew spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket that will launch Orion and large components such as in-space stages, habitat modules, landers, and other hardware necessary for deep-space operations. SLS is a key enabling capability and is designed to evolve with mission requirements. The initial configuration of SLS - Block 1 - will be capable of launching more than 70 metric tons (t) of payload into low Earth orbit, greater mass than any other launch vehicle in existence. By enhancing the propulsion elements and larger payload fairings, future SLS variants will launch 130 t into space, an unprecedented capability that simplifies hardware design and in-space operations, reduces travel times, and enhances two solid propellant five-segment boosters, both based on space shuttle technologies. This paper will focus on development of the booster, which will provide more than 75 percent of total vehicle thrust at liftoff. Each booster is more than 17 stories tall, 3.6 meters (m) in diameter and weighs 725,000 kilograms (kg). While the SLS booster appears similar to the shuttle booster, it incorporates several changes. The additional propellant segment provides additional booster performance. Parachutes and other hardware associated with recovery operations have been deleted and the booster designated as expendable for affordability reasons. The new motor incorporates new avionics, new propellant grain, asbestos-free case insulation, a redesigned nozzle, streamlined manufacturing processes, and new inspection techniques. New materials and processes provide improved performance, safety, and affordability but also have led to challenges for the government/industry development team. The team completed its first full-size qualification motor test firing in early 2015. The second is scheduled for mid-2016. This paper will discuss booster accomplishments to date, as well as challenges and milestones ahead.

Priskos, Alex S.↗

ELEET- Formulating a Multi-Element, Inter-agency Error Budget for Robust Earth Entry of Returned Mars Samples

The operational segment of a potential Mars Sample Return campaign could end with final delivery of the Earth Entry System to the surface of Earth, punctuating an impressive international collaboration on multiple flight elements over many years. A comprehensive error budget approach is presented to characterize the high-dimensional technical challenge of this concept, including inputs from interdisciplinary stakeholders. Effects considered include interplanetary navigation, spacecraft attitude and maneuver control, and entry environment, culminating in figures of merit such as landing range accuracy. Broad tradespace exploration confirms some intuitions while challenging others, and a set of solutions are identified that are mutually agreeable to NASA and ESA.

Lobbia, Marcus↗

NASA's Space Launch System: Developing the World's Most Powerful Solid Booster

NASA's Journey to Mars has begun. Indicative of that challenge, this will be a multi-decadal effort requiring the development of technology, operational capability, and experience. The first steps are under way with more than 15 years of continuous human operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and development of commercial cargo and crew transportation capabilities. NASA is making progress on the transportation required for deep space exploration - the Orion crew spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket that will launch Orion and large components such as in-space stages, habitat modules, landers, and other hardware necessary for deep-space operations. SLS is a key enabling capability and is designed to evolve with mission requirements. The initial configuration of SLS - Block 1 - will be capable of launching more than 70 metric tons (t) of payload into low Earth orbit, greater mass than any other launch vehicle in existence. By enhancing the propulsion elements and larger payload fairings, future SLS variants will launch 130 t into space, an unprecedented capability that simplifies hardware design and in-space operations, reduces travel times, and enhances the odds of mission success. SLS will be powered by four liquid fuel RS-25 engines and two solid propellant five-segment boosters, both based on space shuttle technologies. This paper will focus on development of the booster, which will provide more than 75 percent of total vehicle thrust at liftoff. Each booster is more than 17 stories tall, 3.6 meters (m) in diameter and weighs 725,000 kilograms (kg). While the SLS booster appears similar to the shuttle booster, it incorporates several changes. The additional propellant segment provides additional booster performance. Parachutes and other hardware associated with recovery operations have been deleted and the booster designated as expendable for affordability reasons. The new motor incorporates new avionics, new propellant grain, asbestos-free case insulation, a redesigned nozzle, streamlined manufacturing processes, and new inspection techniques. New materials and processes provide improved performance, safety, and affordability but also have led to challenges for the government/industry development team. The team completed its first full-size qualification motor test firing in early 2015. The second is scheduled for mid-2016. This paper will discuss booster accomplishments to date, as well as challenges and milestones ahead.

Priskos, Alex↗

Measuring Crosstalk in MODIS Spectral Bands On-orbit Using the SRCA

Near-identical MODIS instruments launched on-board the Terra and Aqua spacecraft in 1999 and 2002, respectively. Each MODIS instrument has36 spectral bands covering 0.41 to 14.2μm mounted among four focal plane assemblies, along with a series of on-board calibrators (OBCs) used to characterize the instrument performance on-orbit. One such OBC is the Spectro-radiometric Calibration Assembly (SRCA), which is a multi-function calibrator, able to provide calibration sources to measure spatial, spectral, or radiometric properties of the MODIS bands depending on its configuration. The MODIS instrument performance, including measurements of the signal cross-contamination (crosstalk) between bands, was measured on-orbit during early-mission characterization for both instruments. This crosstalk test used the SRCA in its spatial mode while utilizing the thin slit, which is normally used for spectral calibrations. A similar crosstalk test was recently performed for Terra MODIS. Since the Terra safe mode event in 2016, the PVLWIR bands specifically (6.7-9.7μm) have shown increased influence from crosstalk. The process involved in preparing and performing this crosstalk test is included in this work, as well as the findings from the recent and previous SRCA-based crosstalk characterizations.

MODIS↗

Low Power Transceiver

One of the FREESTAR experiments, the Low Power Transceiver (LPT) experiment is a low-power, lightweight software programmable transceiver prototype technology demonstration that is being developed by NASA as a low-cost S-band spacecraft navigation and communication device. The LPT prototype receives Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signals for spacecraft navigation support and provides both forward and return, low-rate data communications links to the Merritt Island (MILA) and Dryden Flight Research Facility (DFRC) ground stations and to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The experiment is designed to demonstrate the system's ability to do simultaneous communications and navigation, as well as multi-mode communications and reconfiguration. LPT is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and sponsored by NASA/HQ Code M. The LPT experiment consists of one thermally conductive box containing the electronics stack, three S-band antennas and one L-band antenna. The LPT payload uses general Orbiter services, including power control, command, and telemetry provided through the HHC avionics. On-orbit, the LPT payload will be primarily operated via direct communications between LPT and ground stations (MILA, WLPS, or DFRC) and/or TDRSS, with backup command and telemetry capability provided via the hitchhiker avionics and remote Payload Operations Control Center. During operations, LPT will utilize high Sband frequencies for communications. The LPT TDRSS (and GN) forward link (uplink) frequency is 2106.40625 MHz and their TDRSS (and GN) return link (downlink) frequency is 2287.5 MHz (utilizing Left-handed Circular Polarization to work with the TDRSS MA system). Two standard switch panel switches will be utilized to prohibit inadvertent operation of the antenna. An additional inhibit will be provided through the HH avionics power relay to the LPT.

Source record↗

Tetrahedron Formation Control

Spacecraft flying in tetrahedron formations are excellent instrument platforms for electromagnetic and plasma studies. A minimum of four spacecraft - to establish a volume - is required to study some of the key regions of a planetary magnetic field. The usefulness of the measurements recorded is strongly affected by the tetrahedron orbital evolution. This paper considers the preliminary development of a general optimization procedure for tetrahedron formation control. The maneuvers are assumed to be impulsive and a multi-stage optimization method is employed. The stages include targeting to a fixed tetrahedron orientation, rotating and translating the tetrahedron and/or varying the initial and final times. The number of impulsive maneuvers citn also be varied. As the impulse locations and times change, new arcs are computed using a differential corrections scheme that varies the impulse magnitudes and directions. The result is a continuous trajectory with velocity discontinuities. The velocity discontinuities are then used to formulate the cost function. Direct optimization techniques are employed. The procedure is applied to the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) to compute preliminary formation control fuel requirements.

Guzman, Jose J.↗

GOES I-M: A Retrospective Look at Image Navigation and Registration (INR), Jitter and Lessons Learned

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) I-M series of spacecraft was the second generation of United States meteorological observational platforms in geosynchronous orbit. They served as the principal Earth- viewing observational platforms for continuously monitoring dynamic weather events from the mid-1990s and into the 21st century. This paper will look back at the program framing key system attributes of the mission, which necessitated a multi-layered development approach to meet stringent meteorological instrument Line-of-Sight (LoS) pointing and pointing stability requirements. The overall approach involved understanding, correcting, and avoiding pointing errors across a broad frequency range including what would typically be called dynamic interaction and jitter. Background information will be provided covering the mission architecture and program drivers. The systems solution for man- aging and mitigating the deleterious influences of on-board disturbances in order to meet the challenging instrument LoS pointing and jitter requirements will be described, along with the ‘first of its kind’ Image Navigation and Registration system. A broad look back at the lessons learned that emerged from the GOES I- M experience will be presented, with the intent of capturing general and specific insights for developers of future missions having stringent payload instrument pointing requirements. These discussions will touch on such critical aspects as defining jitter and related pointing requirements, the importance of early system architectural decisions, understanding and reducing on-board disturbances, the balance of test and analysis, and the imperative for maximizing on-orbit operational flexibility in order to accommodate unexpected dynamic interactions.

Sudey, John↗