Attitude control system for a high altitude balloon.
High altitude balloon attitude control using solar pointing system
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2024 NASA's Balloon Program Overview
Overview of NASA's balloon program as explaining capabilities and mission types supported by the program
balloon attitude control system↗
Attitude Control System for a Balloon Based Telescope
The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is an 8-meter interferometer which operates on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII had its first successful engineering flight in June 2017. In this paper we discuss the design of the control system for BETTII, which includes the coarse pointing loop and the estimator controls algorithm (Extended Kalman Filter) implemented in FPGA. We will also discuss the different system modes that we defined in the controls system loop, which are used in different phases of the flight and are activated in order to acquire a target star in the science detector. The pointing loop uses different sensors and actuators in each phase to keep pointing at the desired target. The main sensors aregyroscopes, star cameras, and auxiliary sensors such as high-altitude GPS and magnetometers. The azimuth control is achieved with Compensated Controlled Moment Gyros (CCMG) and a Momentum Dump motor. For the elevation control, high-precision motors are used, which change the elevation of the siderostat mirrors. The combination of these instruments keep the baseline oriented within few arcseconds from the target star.In this paper, we will also present the software architecture relevant to the control system. This includes the description of the two flight computers present on the payload and the different control loops that are executed on them. Similarly, we will explain the importance of synchronization between all the sensors and actuators, which have to be referenced to a single master clock in order to obtain science data.
Vila Hernandez De Lorenzo, Jordi↗
Wallops Arc-Second Pointing (Wasp) System
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
balloon attitude control system↗
Wallops ArcSecond Pointing (WASP) System
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
balloon attitude control system↗
Balloon infrared astronomy platform (BIRAP)
The development of a balloon-borne attitude control system for infrared astronomy studies is discussed. The Balloon Infrared Astronomy Platform (BIRAP) is the result of the development effort. The BIRAP uses electronic gimballing for the offset pointing which eliminates a set of mechanical gimbals. Guide stars with visual magnitudes as low as plus 6 are used for fine tracking assuring that all areas of the sky can be covered. The BIRAP control concept uses a closed loop system in the airborne equipment with automatic update through a command link that can be operated either manually or automatically by a ground based computer.
Greeb, M. E.↗
Up, Up and Away: Arc Minute Pointing at 130,000 Feet
The InFOC-S X-ray telescope was launched September 16, 2004 aboard a 40 million cubic foot zero pressure high altitude balloon. Its primary objective was to demonstrate advances in hard X-ray focusing optics technology by flying an incident grazing mirror developed in cooperation between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Nagoya University, Japan. Launched from Ft. Sumner, NM and recovered near Wickenburg, AZ, the payload successfully collected photons from several X-ray sources during its 27 hour flight at a float altitude of 130,000 feet. To accommodate the instrument's narrow field of view, a precision arc-minute attitude determination and control systems was flown. This paper describes the application of a traditional spacecraft star tracker gyro based attitude determination and control system to the balloon problem. The control system architecture is presented, hardware identified, and software outlined. Simulated results are compared against actual flight data, with recommendations for enhanced performance identified.
Freesland, Doug↗
Pointing System Simulation Toolbox with Application to a Balloon Mission Simulator
The development of attitude estimation and pointing-control algorithms is necessary in order to achieve high-fidelity modeling for a Balloon Mission Simulator (BMS). A pointing system simulation toolbox was developed to enable this. The toolbox consists of a star-tracker (ST) and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) signal generator, a UDP (User Datagram Protocol) communication le (bridge), and an indirect-multiplicative extended Kalman filter (imEKF). This document describes the Python toolbox developed and the results of its implementation in the imEKF.
Maringolo Baldraco, Rosana M.↗
Precision Attitude Control for the BETTII Balloon-Borne Interferometer
The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII) is an 8-meter baseline far-infrared interferometer to fly on a high altitude balloon. Operating at wavelengths of 30-90 microns, BETTII will obtain spatial and spectral information on science targets at angular resolutions down to less than half an arcsecond, a capability unmatched by other far-infrared facilities. This requires attitude control at a level ofless than a tenth of an arcsecond, a great challenge for a lightweight balloon-borne system. We have designed a precision attitude determination system to provide gondola attitude knowledge at a level of 2 milliarcseconds at rates up to 100Hz, with accurate absolute attitude determination at the half arcsecond level at rates of up to 10Hz. A mUlti-stage control system involving rigid body motion and tip-tilt-piston correction provides precision pointing stability to the level required for the far-infrared instrument to perform its spatial/spectral interferometry in an open-loop control. We present key aspects of the design of the attitude determination and control and its development status.
Benford, Dominic J.↗
SuperHERO (Super - High Energy Replicated Optics) Balloon Mission Concept
The SuperHERO hard-x-ray telescope is a proposed high-angular resolution successor to Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) successful High Energy Replicated Optic (HERO) and the HERO to Explore the Sun (HEROES) balloon missions. By utilizing recent advancements in MSFC’s replicated full shell, NiCo x-ray optic technology, SuperHERO will achieve its technical goal of demonstrating better than 10 arcseconds (arcsecs) angular resolution in half-power diameter (HPD) on a balloon platform. This represents a 6-fold improvement to the current state-of-the-art resolution for hard-x-ray, astrophysical telescopes and will allow for the observation of the high-energy-universe in unprecedented spatial detail. The SuperHERO balloon observatory will consist of seven coaligned, identical telescopes with a total focal length of 12-meters. Each telescope will pair a Mirror Module Assembly (MMA) comprised of NiCo shell optics matched to a CdTe Double-sided Strip Detector (CdTe-DSD) plane provided by iMAGINE-X Inc. and Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli-IPMU). Iridium coating applied directly to each shell will boost reflectivity into the hard-x-ray regime. Employing additional high-heritage technology, SuperHERO will have an open-truss carbon-composite gondola similarly used on the XL-Calibur balloon mission and will use the Wallops Arc-Second Pointer (WASP) system for attitude control
NickThomas↗
Stabilization, pointing and command control of a balloon-borne 1-meter telescope
A 1-meter balloon-borne telescope has been constructed and flown to observe far-infrared radiation from celestial sources. The attitude control systems must perform to the diffraction limit of the telescope for stabilization and have positioning capability for source acquisition. These and associated systems are discussed in detail, as is the command control of the payload as a whole.
Hazen, N. L.↗
A 102 cm balloon-borne telescope for far-infrared astronomical observations
In early 1971, a program was initiated to develop a balloon-borne 102-cm telescope, capable of carrying out far-infrared observations of astronomical interest above the earth's atmosphere in the wavelength range from 40 to 250 micrometers. Since 1972 the telescope has been flown and successfully recovered a total of sixteen times. Ten of the flights have produced high quality astronomical data, resulting in more than 80 hours of photometric and spectroscopic observations of numerous objects, such as H II regions, dark clouds, molecular clouds, X-ray sources, galaxies, the galactic center, planets, the Moon, and an asteroid. Attention is given to the telescope optics, the gondola, altitude control, the auxiliary attitude control system, the determination of telescope pointing position, telemetry, power requirements, the flight record, and the four instruments which are available for use on the balloon-borne telescope.
Fazio, G. G.↗
Summary of system state-of-health measurements STRATCOM 8: A balloon experiment
Various measurements were made to determine the temperature and attitude of the gondola and the status of primary power and control equipment. Bead thermistors were used to measure temperatures at selected points throughout the gondola. A two-axis magnetometer and a two-axis pendulum were used to measure gondola attitude. Voltage and current measurements indicated the status of the primary power sources and associated power converters.
Herrington, P. B.↗
Balloon platform for extended-life astronomy research
A configuration has been developed for a long-life balloon platform to carry pointing telescopes weighing as much as 80 pounds (36 kg) to point at selected celestial targets. A platform of this configuration weighs about 375 pounds (170 kg) gross and can be suspended from a high altitude super pressure balloon for a lifetime of several months. The balloon platform contains a solar array and storage batteries for electrical power, up and down link communications equipment, and navigational and attitude control systems for orienting the scientific instrument. A biaxial controller maintains the telescope attitude in response to look-angle data stored in an on-board computer memory which is updated periodically by ground command. Gimbal angles are computed by using location data derived by an on-board navigational receiver.
Ostwald, L. T.↗
Balloon-borne Infrared Telescope (BIRT) for far-infrared spectroscopy
The Japanese-made Balloon-borne Infrared Telescope (BIRT) designed for FIR astronomy is described. The BIRT system includes a 50-cm-diam telescope; an attitude-control system consisting of an attitude stabilization and a pointing and tracking subsystems; the ground support system consisting of four personal-computer systems; and electronics consisting of three small computer systems, servo circuits, power amplifiers, and other small circuits. Between 1985 and 1988, the BIRT has flown eight times, demonstrating that it is able to provide a suitable telescope observations on a stable platform with a long integration time. Structural diagrams of the BIRT overall system, the optical system, and the wobbling mechanism are presented along with a block diagram of the on-board electronics.
Shibai, Hiroshi↗
Shuttle communication and tracking systems signal design and interface compatibility analysis
Various options for the Dedicated Payload Communication Link (DPCL) were evaluated. Specific subjects addressed include: payload to DPCL power transfer in the proximity of the payload, DPCL antenna pointing considerations, and DPCL transceiver implementations which can be mounted on the deployed antenna boom. Additional analysis of the Space Telescope performance was conducted. The feasibility of using the Global Positioning System (GPS) for attitude determination and control for large spacecraft was examined. The objective of the Shuttle Orbiter Radar Test and Evaluation (SORTE) program was to quantify the Ku-band radar tracking accuracy using White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) radar and optical tracking equipment, with helicopter and balloon targets.
Source record↗
Balloon-Borne System Would Aim Instrument Toward Sun
Proposed system including digital control computer, control sensors, and control actuators aims telescope or other balloon-borne instrument toward Sun. Pointing system and instrument flown on gondola, suspended from balloon. System includes reaction wheel, which applies azimuthal control torques to gondola, and torque motor to apply low-frequency azimuthal torques between gondola and cable. Three single-axis rate gyroscopes measure yaw, pitch, and roll. Inclinometer measures roll angle. Two-axis Sun sensor measures deviation, in yaw and pitch, of attitude of instrument from line to apparent center of Sun. System provides initial coarse pointing, then maintains fine pointing.
Polites, M. E.↗
Pre-Flight Testing of Spaceborne GPS Receivers Using a GPS Constellation Simulator
The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Global Positioning System (GPS) test facility has been established within the GSFC Guidance Navigation and Control Center. The GPS test facility is currently housing the STR2760 GPS satellite 40-channel attitude simulator and an STR4760 12-channel navigation simulator. The facility also contains a few other Goddard resources such as an atomic time standard test bed, a rooftop antenna platform and a radome. It provides a new capability of high dynamics GPS simulations for space flight that is unique within the aerospace community. The GPS facility gives a significant advantage in the development and support of GPS based technologies for position, attitude and precise time determination on-board a spacecraft, sounding rocket or balloon. The GPS simulator system is configured in a transportable rack and is available for GPS applications' component development as well as for spacecraft subsystem and system level testing at spacecraft integration and test sites. The GPS facility has been operational since early 1996 and has been already utilized by a few successful flight projects carrying GPS experiments, such as USA Seastar satellite and the first Argentine satellite SAC-A. The experience in the SAC-A pre-flight testing using the STR2760 simulator is summarized as well as the comparison with preliminary analysis of the GPS data from SAC-A telemetry.
Kizhner, Semion↗