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NASA NTRS2022

The Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) Mission

The Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) will provide an entirely new view on particle acceleration and transport in the inner heliosphere by creating the first low radio frequency interferometer in space to localize heliospheric radio emissions. By imaging and determining the location of decametric-hectometric (DH, 0.1 MHz–23 MHz) solar radio bursts, SunRISE will provide key information on particle acceleration mechanisms associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the magnetic field topology from active regions into interplanetary space. The SunRISE Observatory will consist of six space vehicles in a passive formation, in orbits designed to keep them within approximately 10 km of each other, and flying in a supersynchronous geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Each space vehicle consists of a Solar DH-GNSS payload and a 6U form factor spacecraft. The SunRISE Observatory together with significant ground-based processing, will enable imaging of the Sun in a portion of the spectrum that is blocked by the ionosphere and cannot be observed from Earth. Key aspects that enable this mission are that only position knowledge of the space vehicles is required, not active control, and that the architecture involves a modest amount of on-board processing coupled with significant ground-based processing for navigation, position determination, and science operations. Mission-enabling advances in software-defined radios, GPS navigation and timing, and small spacecraft technologies, developed and flown on the DARPA High Frequency Research (DHFR) and the Community Initiative for Continuing Earth Radio Occultation (CICERO) have made this mission affordable and low-risk. The SunRISE mission will exploit the multiple spacecraft per aperture (MSPA) capability of NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), for more efficient data transfers of larger data volumes, and utilize commercial access to space, in which the SunRISE space vehicles will be carried to their target orbit as secondary payloads in conjunction with a larger host spacecraft intended for GEO.

Neilson, Tim↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) DVB-S2 Demonstration Testing for Enhancing Higher Data Rates for CubeSat/Small Satellite Missions at X-/Ka-band

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) CubeSat/SmallSat missions are moving to higher data rates. Digital Video Broadcast, Satellite Second Generation (DVB-S2) is a communications standard that uses power and bandwidth efficient modulation and coding techniques to deliver performance approaching radio frequency (RF) channel theoretical limits. The Near Earth Network (NEN) will test DVB-S2’s ability to provide higher data rates for CubeSat/SmallSat missions at X-band and Ka-band at Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). The goal is to upgrade the NEN with DVB-S2 to increase science data return for missions and enable support for more CubeSat/SmallSat missions. This paper describes NEN DVB-S2 X-band and Ka-band demonstration objectives, scope, and performance measures as well as NEN channel test configuration. The NEN has planned 2020 tests to demonstrate all modulation and coding schemes in the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) DVB-S2 standard over X-band and Ka-band. A link analysis study for the trade-offs among achievable data rates, modulations, codes, spacecraft antenna sizes and power amplifiers (PA) is provided. This paper identifies Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) CubeSat/SmallSat X-band and Ka-band communication systems and discusses low cost DVB-S2 X-band software defined radio (SDR) transmitter development concepts and implementation with a practical system for CubeSats/SmallSats.

Yen Wong↗
NASA NTRS2002

Low-Loss, High-Isolation Microwave Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Switches Being Developed

Switches, electrical components that either permit or prevent the flow of electricity, are the most important and widely used electrical devices in integrated circuits. In microwave systems, switches are required for switching between the transmitter and receiver; in communication systems, they are needed for phase shifters in phased-array antennas, for radar and communication systems, and for the new class of digital or software definable radios. Ideally, switches would be lossless devices that did not depend on the electrical signal's frequency or power, and they would not consume electrical power to change from OFF to ON or to maintain one of these two states. Reality is quite different, especially at microwave frequencies. Typical switches in microwave integrated circuits are pin diodes or gallium arsenide (GaAs) field-effect transistors that are nonlinear, with characteristics that depend on the power of the signal. In addition, they are frequency-dependent, lossy, and require electrical power to maintain a certain state. A new type of component has been developed that overcomes most of these technical difficulties. Microelectromechanical (MEMS) switches rely on mechanical movement as a response to an applied electrical force to either transmit or reflect electrical signal power. The NASA Glenn Research Center has been actively developing MEMS for microwave applications for over the last 5 years. Complete fabrication procedures have been developed so that the moving parts of the switch can be released with near 100-percent yield. Moreover, the switches fabricated at Glenn have demonstrated state-of-the-art performance. A typical MEMS switch is shown. The switch extends over the signal and ground lines of a finite ground coplanar waveguide, a commonly used microwave transmission line. In the state shown, the switch is in the UP state and all the microwave power traveling along the transmission line proceeds unimpeded. When a potential difference is applied between the cantilever and the transmission line, the cantilever is pulled downward until it connects the signal line to the ground planes, creating a short circuit. In this state, all the microwave power is reflected. The graph shows the measured performance of the switch, which has less than 0.1 dB of insertion loss and greater than 30dB of isolation. These switches consume negligible electrical power and are extremely linear. Additional research is required to address reliability and to increase the switching speed.

Ponchak, George E.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Development of Network-based Communications Architectures for Future NASA Missions

Since the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) announcement, NASA has been developing a communications infrastructure that combines existing terrestrial techniques with newer concepts and capabilities. The overall goal is to develop a flexible, modular, and extensible architecture that leverages and enhances terrestrial networking technologies that can either be directly applied or modified for the space regime. In addition, where existing technologies leaves gaps, new technologies must be developed. An example includes dynamic routing that accounts for constrained power and bandwidth environments. Using these enhanced technologies, NASA can develop nodes that provide characteristics, such as routing, store and forward, and access-on-demand capabilities. But with the development of the new infrastructure, challenges and obstacles will arise. The current communications infrastructure has been developed on a mission-by-mission basis rather than an end-to-end approach; this has led to a greater ground infrastructure, but has not encouraged communications between space-based assets. This alone provides one of the key challenges that NASA must encounter. With the development of the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), NASA has the opportunity to provide an integration path for the new vehicles and provide standards for their development. Some of the newer capabilities these vehicles could include are routing, security, and Software Defined Radios (SDRs). To meet these needs, the NASA/Glenn Research Center s (GRC) Network Emulation Laboratory (NEL) has been using both simulation and emulation to study and evaluate these architectures. These techniques provide options to NASA that directly impact architecture development. This paper identifies components of the infrastructure that play a pivotal role in the new NASA architecture, develops a scheme using simulation and emulation for testing these architectures and demonstrates how NASA can strengthen the new infrastructure by implementing these concepts.

Slywczak, Richard A.↗
NASA NTRS2010

SBIR Technology Applications to Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)

This slide presentation reviews the mission of the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Office with particular emphasis on opportunities for technology development with SBIR companies. The SCaN office manages NASA's space communications and navigation networks: the Near Earth Network (NEN), the Space Network (SN), and the Deep Space Network (DSN). The SCaN networks nodes are shown on a world wide map and the networks are described. Two types of technologies are described: Pull technology, and Push technologies. A listing of technology themes is presented, with a discussion on Software defined Radios, Optical Communications Technology, and Lunar Lasercom Space Terminal (LLST). Other technologies that are being investigated are some Game Changing Technologies (GCT) i.e., technologies that offer the potential for improving comm. or nav. performance to the point that radical new mission objectives are possible, such as Superconducting Quantum Interference Filters, Silicon Nanowire Optical Detectors, and Auto-Configuring Cognitive Communications

Liebrecht, Phil↗
NASA NTRS2011

High-Speed Isolation Board for Flight Hardware Testing

There is a need to provide a portable and cost-effective galvanic isolation between ground support equipment and flight hardware such that any unforeseen voltage differential between ground and power supplies is eliminated. An interface board was designed for use between the ground support equipment and the flight hardware that electrically isolates all input and output signals and faithfully reproduces them on each side of the interface. It utilizes highly integrated multi-channel isolating devices to minimize size and reduce assembly time. This single-board solution provides appropriate connector hardware and breakout of required flight signals to individual connectors as needed for various ground support equipment. The board utilizes multi-channel integrated circuits that contain transformer coupling, thereby allowing input and output signals to be isolated from one another while still providing high-fidelity reproduction of the signal up to 90 MHz. The board also takes in a single-voltage power supply input from the ground support equipment and in turn provides a transformer-derived isolated voltage supply to power the portion of the circuitry that is electrically connected to the flight hardware. Prior designs used expensive opto-isolated couplers that were required for each signal to isolate and were time-consuming to assemble. In addition, these earlier designs were bulky and required a 2U rack-mount enclosure. The new design is smaller than a piece of 8.5 ~11-in. (.22 ~28-mm) paper and can be easily hand-carried where needed. The flight hardware in question is based on a lineage of existing software-defined radios (SDRs) that utilize a common interface connector with many similar input-output signals present. There are currently four to five variations of this SDR, and more upcoming versions are planned based on the more recent design.

Yamamoto, Clifford K.↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2011

Topics covered include: 1) SNE Industrial Fieldbus Interface; 2) Composite Thermal Switch; 3) XMOS XC-2 Development Board for Mechanical Control and Data Collection; 4) Receiver Gain Modulation Circuit; 5) NEXUS Scalable and Distributed Next-Generation Avionics Bus for Space Missions; 6) Digital Interface Board to Control Phase and Amplitude of Four Channels; 7) CoNNeCT Baseband Processor Module; 8) Cryogenic 160-GHz MMIC Heterodyne Receiver Module; 9) Ka-Band, Multi-Gigabit-Per-Second Transceiver; 10) All-Solid-State 2.45-to-2.78-THz Source; 11) Onboard Interferometric SAR Processor for the Ka-Band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn); 12) Space Environments Testbed; 13) High-Performance 3D Articulated Robot Display; 14) Athena; 15) In Situ Surface Characterization; 16) Ndarts; 17) Cryo-Etched Black Silicon for Use as Optical Black; 18) Advanced CO2 Removal and Reduction System; 19) Correcting Thermal Deformations in an Active Composite Reflector; 20) Umbilical Deployment Device; 21) Space Mirror Alignment System; 22) Thermionic Power Cell To Harness Heat Energies for Geothermal Applications; 23) Graph Theory Roots of Spatial Operators for Kinematics and Dynamics; 24) Spacesuit Soft Upper Torso Sizing Systems; 25) Radiation Protection Using Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Derivatives; 26) PMA-PhyloChip DNA Microarray to Elucidate Viable Microbial Community Structure; 27) Lidar Luminance Quantizer; 28) Distributed Capacitive Sensor for Sample Mass Measurement; 29) Base Flow Model Validation; 30) Minimum Landing Error Powered-Descent Guidance for Planetary Missions; 31) Framework for Integrating Science Data Processing Algorithms Into Process Control Systems; 32) Time Synchronization and Distribution Mechanisms for Space Networks; 33) Local Estimators for Spacecraft Formation Flying; 34) Software-Defined Radio for Space-to-Space Communications; 35) Reflective Occultation Mask for Evaluation of Occulter Designs for Planet Finding; and 36) Molecular Adsorber Coating

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2011

CoNNeCT Baseband Processor Module

A document describes the CoNNeCT Baseband Processor Module (BPM) based on an updated processor, memory technology, and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The BPM was developed from a requirement to provide sufficient computing power and memory storage to conduct experiments for a Software Defined Radio (SDR) to be implemented. The flight SDR uses the AT697 SPARC processor with on-chip data and instruction cache. The non-volatile memory has been increased from a 20-Mbit EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory) to a 4-Gbit Flash, managed by the RTAX2000 Housekeeper, allowing more programs and FPGA bit-files to be stored. The volatile memory has been increased from a 20-Mbit SRAM (static random access memory) to a 1.25-Gbit SDRAM (synchronous dynamic random access memory), providing additional memory space for more complex operating systems and programs to be executed on the SPARC. All memory is EDAC (error detection and correction) protected, while the SPARC processor implements fault protection via TMR (triple modular redundancy) architecture. Further capability over prior BPM designs includes the addition of a second FPGA to implement features beyond the resources of a single FPGA. Both FPGAs are implemented with Xilinx Virtex-II and are interconnected by a 96-bit bus to facilitate data exchange. Dedicated 1.25- Gbit SDRAMs are wired to each Xilinx FPGA to accommodate high rate data buffering for SDR applications as well as independent SpaceWire interfaces. The RTAX2000 manages scrub and configuration of each Xilinx.

Yamamoto, Clifford K↗
NASA NTRS2012

Connect Global Positioning System RF Module

The CoNNeCT Global Positioning System RF Module (GPSM) slice is part of the JPL CoNNeCT Software Defined Radio (SDR). CoNNeCT is the Communications, Navigation, and Net working reconfigurable Testbed project that is part of NASA's Space Communication and Nav igation (SCaN) Program. The CoNNeCT project is an experimental dem onstration that will lead to the advancement of SDRs and provide a path for new space communication and navigation systems for future NASA exploration missions. The JPL CoNNeCT SDR will be flying on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2012 in support of the SCaN CoNNeCT program. The GPSM is a radio-frequency sampler module (see Figure 1) that directly sub-harmonically samples the filtered GPS L-band signals at L1 (1575.42 MHz), L2 (1227.6 MHz), and L5 (1176.45 MHz). The JPL SDR receives GPS signals through a Dorne & Margolin antenna mounted onto a choke ring. The GPS signal is filtered against interference, amplified, split, and fed into three channels: L1, L2, and L5. In each of the L-band channels, there is a chain of bandpass filters and amplifiers, and the signal is fed through each of these channels to where the GPSM performs a one-bit analog-to-digital conversion (see Figure 2). The GPSM uses a sub-harmonic, single-bit L1, L2, and L5 sampler that samples at a clock rate of 38.656 MHz. The new capability is the down-conversion and sampling of the L5 signal when previous hardware did not provide this capability. The first GPS IIF Satellite was launched in 2010, providing the new L5 signal. With the JPL SDR flying on the ISS, it will be possible to demonstrate navigation solutions with 10-meter 3-D accuracy at 10-second intervals using a field-program mable gate array (FPGA)-based feedback loop running at 50 Hz. The GPS data bits will be decoded and used in the SDR. The GPSM will also allow other waveforms that are installed in the SDR to demonstrate various GNSS tracking techniques.

Franklin, Garth W.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Experiments Program for NASA's Space Communications Testbed

NASA developed a testbed for communications and navigation that was launched to the International Space Station in 2012. The testbed promotes new software defined radio (SDR) technologies and addresses associated operational concepts for space-based SDRs, enabled by this first flight of NASA's Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) architecture standard. The experiments program consists of a mix of in-house and external experiments from partners in industry, academia, and government. The experiments will investigate key challenges in communications, networking, and global positioning system navigation both on the ground and on orbit. This presentation will discuss some of the key opportunities and challenges for the testbed experiments program.

Chelmins, David↗
NASA NTRS2013

GD SDR Automatic Gain Control Characterization Testing

The General Dynamics (GD) S-Band software defined radio (SDR) in the Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed on the International Space Station (ISS) will provide experimenters an opportunity to develop and demonstrate experimental waveforms in space. The GD SDR platform and initial waveform were characterized on the ground before launch and the data will be compared to the data that will be collected during on-orbit operations. A desired function of the SDR is to estimate the received signal to noise ratio (SNR), which would enable experimenters to better determine on-orbit link conditions. The GD SDR does not have an SNR estimator, but it does have an analog and a digital automatic gain control (AGC). The AGCs can be used to estimate the SDR input power which can be converted into a SNR. Tests were conducted to characterize the AGC response to changes in SDR input power and temperature. This purpose of this paper is to describe the tests that were conducted, discuss the results showi ng how the AGCs relate to the SDR input power, and provide recommendations for AGC testing and characterization.

Nappier, Jennifer M.↗
NASA NTRS2013

GD SDR Automatic Gain Control Characterization Testing

The General Dynamics (GD) S-Band software defined radio (SDR) in the Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed on the International Space Station (ISS) will provide experimenters an opportunity to develop and demonstrate experimental waveforms in space. The GD SDR platform and initial waveform were characterized on the ground before launch and the data will be compared to the data that will be collected during on-orbit operations. A desired function of the SDR is to estimate the received signal to noise ratio (SNR), which would enable experimenters to better determine on-orbit link conditions. The GD SDR does not have an SNR estimator, but it does have an analog and a digital automatic gain control (AGC). The AGCs can be used to estimate the SDR input power which can be converted into a SNR. Tests were conducted to characterize the AGC response to changes in SDR input power and temperature. This purpose of this paper is to describe the tests that were conducted, discuss the results showing how the AGCs relate to the SDR input power, and provide recommendations for AGC testing and characterization.

Nappier, Jennifer M.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Long Term Performance Metrics of the GD SDR on the SCaN Testbed: The First Year on the ISS

The General Dynamics (GD) S-Band software defined radio (SDR) in the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed on the International Space Station (ISS) provides experimenters an opportunity to develop and demonstrate experimental waveforms in space. The SCaN Testbed was installed on the ISS in August of 2012. After installation, the initial checkout and commissioning phases were completed and experimental operations commenced. One goal of the SCaN Testbed is to collect long term performance metrics for SDRs operating in space in order to demonstrate long term reliability. These metrics include the time the SDR powered on, the time the power amplifier (PA) is powered on, temperature trends, error detection and correction (EDAC) behavior, and waveform operational usage time. This paper describes the performance of the GD SDR over the first year of operations on the ISS.

radio telemetry↗
NASA NTRS2014

Glenn Goddard TDRSS Waveform 1.1.3 On-Orbit Performance Report

The objective of the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed is to study the development, testing, and operation of software defined radios (SDRs) and their associated appliations in the operational space environment to reduce cost and risk for future space missions. This report covers the results of on-orbit performance testing completed using the Glenn Goddard Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) waveform version 1.1.3 in the ground and space environments. The Glenn Goddard TDRSS (GGT) waveform, operating on the SCaN Testbed Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) SDR, is capable of a variety of data rates and frequencies, operating using Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK).

space communications↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Arctic Regional Communications Small SATellite (ARCSAT)

Traditional satellite missions are extremely complex and expensive to design, build, test, launch and operate. Consequently many complementary operational, exploration and research satellite missions are being formulated as a growing part of the future space community capabilities using formations of small, distributed, simple to launch and inexpensive highly capable small scale satellites. The Arctic Regional Communications small SATellite (ARCSAT) initiative would launch a Mini-Satellite "Mothership" into Polar or Sun Sync low-earth-orbit (LEO). Once on orbit, the Mothership would perform orbital insertion of four internally stored independently maneuverable nanosatellites, each containing electronically steerable antennas and reconfigurable software-defined radios. Unlike the traditional geostationary larger complex satellite communication systems, this LEO communications system will be comprised of initially a five small satellite formation that can be later incrementally increased in the total number of satellites for additional data coverage. ARCSAT will provide significant enabling capabilities in the Arctic for autonomous voice and data communications relay, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), data-extraction from unattended sensors, and terrestrial Search & Rescue (SAR) beacon detection missions throughout the "data starved desert" of the Arctic Region.

Casas, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS2014

Studying NASA's Transition to Ka-Band Communications for Low Earth Orbit

As the S-band spectrum becomes crowded, future space missions will need to consider moving command and telemetry services to Ka-band. NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed provides a software-defined radio (SDR) platform that is capable of supporting investigation of this service transition. The testbed contains two S-band SDRs and one Ka-band SDR. Over the past year, SCaN Testbed has demonstrated Ka-band communications capabilities with NASAs Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) using both open- and closed-loop antenna tracking profiles. A number of technical areas need to be addressed for successful transition to Ka-band. The smaller antenna beamwidth at Ka-band increases the criticality of antenna pointing, necessitating closed loop tracking algorithms and new techniques for received power estimation. Additionally, the antenna pointing routines require enhanced knowledge of spacecraft position and attitude for initial acquisition, versus an S-band antenna. Ka-band provides a number of technical advantages for bulk data transfer. Unlike at S-band, a larger bandwidth may be available for space missions, allowing increased data rates. The potential for high rate data transfer can also be extended for direct-to-ground links through use of variable or adaptive coding and modulation. Specific examples of Ka-band research from SCaN Testbeds first year of operation will be cited, such as communications link performance with TDRSS, and the effects of truss flexure on antenna pointing.

space communications↗
NASA NTRS2014

Studying NASA's Transition to Ka-Band Communications for Low Earth Orbit

As the S-band spectrum becomes crowded, future space missions will need to consider moving command and telemetry services to Ka-band. NASAs Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed provides a software-defined radio (SDR) platform that is capable of supporting investigation of this service transition. The testbed contains two S-band SDRs and one Ka-band SDR. Over the past year, SCaN Testbed has demonstrated Ka-band communications capabilities with NASAs Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) using both open- and closed-loop antenna tracking profiles. A number of technical areas need to be addressed for successful transition to Ka-band. The smaller antenna beamwidth at Ka-band increases the criticality of antenna pointing, necessitating closed loop tracking algorithms and new techniques for received power estimation. Additionally, the antenna pointing routines require enhanced knowledge of spacecraft position and attitude for initial acquisition, versus an S-band antenna. Ka-band provides a number of technical advantages for bulk data transfer. Unlike at S-band, a larger bandwidth may be available for space missions, allowing increased data rates. The potential for high rate data transfer can also be extended for direct-to-ground links through use of variable or adaptive coding and modulation. Specific examples of Ka-band research from SCaN Testbeds first year of operation will be cited, such as communications link performance with TDRSS, and the effects of truss flexure on antenna pointing.

International Space Station↗
NASA NTRS2013

Relay Support for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission landed the Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars on August 6, 2012, beginning a one-Martian-year primary science mission. An international network of Mars relay orbiters, including NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter (ODY) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), and ESA's Mars Express Orbiter (MEX), were positioned to provide critical event coverage of MSL's Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL). The EDL communication plan took advantage of unique and complementary capabilities of each orbiter to provide robust information capture during this critical event while also providing low-latency information during the landing. Once on the surface, ODY and MRO have provided effectively all of Curiosity's data return from the Martian surface. The link from Curiosity to MRO incorporates a number of new features enabled by the Electra and Electra-Lite software-defined radios on MRO and Curiosity, respectively. Specifically, the Curiosity-MRO link has for the first time on Mars relay links utilized frequency-agile operations, data rates up to 2.048 Mb/s, suppressed carrier modulation, and a new Adaptive Data Rate algorithm in which the return link data rate is optimally varied throughout the relay pass based on the actual observed link channel characteristics. In addition to the baseline surface relay support by ODY and MRO, the MEX relay service has been verified in several successful surface relay passes, and MEX now stands ready to provide backup relay support should NASA's orbiters become unavailable for some period of time.

Telecommunications↗