Micromission spacecraft: a low-cost, high-capability platform for space science missions

The Ball Micromission Spacecraft (MSC) is a multi-purpose platform capable of supporting science missions at distances from the Sun ranging from 0.7 to 1.7 AU. In the baseline scenario, MSC is launched as a secondary payload on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, to GTO using the Ariane 5 structure for auxiliary payloads (ASAP5). The maximum launch wet mass is 242 Kg and can include up to 45 Kg of payload depending on AV needs. The on-board propulsion system is used for maneuvering in the Earth-Moon system and injecting the spacecraft into its final orbit or trajectory. For Mars missions, MSC enables orbiting Mars for science payloads and/or communications and navigation assets, or for precision Mars fly-bys to drop up to six probes. The micromissions spacecraft bus can be used for science targets other than Mars, including the Moon, Earth, Venus, Earth-Sun Lagrange points, or other small bodies. This paper summarizes the current spacecraft concept and describes the multimission spacecraft bus implementation in more detail.     

ACE Spacecraft

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) was responsible for the design and fabrication of the ACE spacecraft to accommodate the ACE Mission requirements and for the integration, test, and launch support for the entire ACE Observatory. The primary ACE Mission includes a significant number of science instruments - nine - whose diverse requirements had to be factored into the overall spacecraft bus design. Secondary missions for monitoring space weather and measuring launch vibration environments were also accommodated within the spacecraft design. Substantial coordination and cooperation were required between the spacecraft and instrument engineers, and all requirements were met. Overall, the spacecraft was kept as simple as possible in meeting requirements to achieve a highly reliable and low-cost design. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于FC-1394的空间载荷试验信息系统设计

IEEEl394是一种具有支持等时传输和异步传输的特点的高速串行数据总线,目前已在航天器载荷试验数据传输中得到良好应用,但在未来大型空间飞行器载荷试验信息传输的应用中仍存在重量功耗开销大、传输距离和速率有限等问题.光纤通道作为一种具有良好兼容性、可靠性高、低时延、传输距离远和传输速率高等优点的先进总线技术,可为上层协议提供通用的高速率数据传输通道.基于IEEEl394和光纤通道的基本特性,给出了一种适用于空间载荷试验信息系统的FC-1394桥接方案,并为基于IEEE1394和光纤通道协议映射的空间信息系统数据网络互连提供了一种解决方案.     

基于CPCI架构航天器测试设备的故障诊断设计与实现

基于CPCI总线架构的航天器测试设备可以实现模块化、集成化和通用化设计,有利于测试系统的再次开发、直接沿用以及后续维护.某型号的综合电子和控制分系统地面测试设备采用基于CPCI总线的架构,使用VxWorks操作系统作为核心调度,采取模块化FPGA开发接口和特定功能.提出以监听任务、功能模块、板卡运行时间为检测手段,实现了对系统测试设备故障的诊断,尤其是反作用轮转速模块,软件能自主进行故障处理.在分系统及整星测试的使用过程中,此方法有效提高了设备的可靠度,提高了对星上产品的安全保护,保证整星大型试验的连续可靠运行.此方法对于其他地面测试设备的故障诊断具有一定的借鉴作用.     

Solar power system options for the Radiation and TechnologyDemonstration spacecraft

The Radiation and Technology Demonstration (RTD) Mission has the primary objective of demonstrating high-power (10 kilowatts) electric thruster technologies in Earth orbit. This paper discusses the conceptual design of the RTD spacecraft photovoltaic (PV) power system and mission performance analyses. These power system studies assessed multiple options for PV arrays, battery technologies and bus voltage levels. To quantify performance attributes of these power system options, a dedicated Fortran code was developed to predict power system performance and estimate system mass. The low-thrust mission trajectory was analyzed and important Earth orbital environments were modeled. Baseline power system design options are recommended on the basis of performance, mass and risk/complexity. Important findings from parametric studies are discussed and the resulting impacts to the spacecraft design and cost     

The IMAGE Observatory

The Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) mission will be the first of the new Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX) missions to fly. IMAGE will utilize a combination of ultraviolet and neutral atom imaging instruments plus an RF sounder to map and image the temporal and spatial features of the magnetosphere. The eight science sensors are mounted to a single deckplate. The deckplate is enveloped in an eight-sided spacecraft bus, 225 cm across the flats, developed by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Corporation. Constructed of laminated aluminum honeycomb panels, covered extensively by Gallium Arsenide solar cells, the spacecraft structure is designed to withstand the launch loads of a Delta 7326-9.5 ELV. Attitude control is via a single magnetic torque rod and passive nutation damper with aspect information provided by a star camera, sun sensor, and three-axis magnetometer. A single S-band transponder provides telemetry and command functionality. Interfaces between the self-contained payload and the spacecraft are limited to MIL-STD-1553 and power. This paper lists the requirements that drove the design of the IMAGE Observatory and the implementation that met the requirements.     

Multi-Spectral Imager on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission

A multispectral imager has been developed for a rendezvous mission with the near-Earth asteroid, 433 Eros. The Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) on the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft uses a five-element refractive optical telescope, has a field of view of 2.93 × 2.25°, a focal length of 167.35 mm, and has a spatial resolution of 16.1 × 9.5 m at a range of 100 km. The spectral sensitivity of the instrument spans visible to near infrared wavelengths, and was designed to provide insight into the nature and fundamental properties of asteroids and comets. Seven narrow band spectral filters were chosen to provide multicolor imaging and to make comparative studies with previous observations of S asteroids and measurements of the characteristic absorption in Fe minerals near 1 µm. An eighth filter with a much wider spectral passband will be used for optical navigation and for imaging faint objects, down to visual magnitude of +10.5. The camera has a fixed 1 Hz frame rate and the signal intensities are digitized to 12 bits. The detector, a Thomson-CSF TH7866A Charge-Coupled Device, permits electronic shuttering which effectively varies the dynamic range over an additional three orders of magnitude. Communication with the NEAR spacecraft occurs via a MIL-STD-1553 bus interface, and a high speed serial interface permits rapid transmission of images to the spacecraft solid state recorder. Onboard image processing consists of a multi-tiered data compression scheme. The instrument was extensively tested and calibrated prior to launch; some inflight calibrations have already been completed. This paper presents a detailed overview of the Multi-Spectral Imager and its objectives, design, construction, testing and calibration.     

Minus 35kV Space-Borne Instrument Power Supply

A -35kV power supply has been developed for a plasma experiment on the out-of-ecliptic mission. In addition, an isolation transformer has been developed to provide low voltage power at the -35kV potential. The design features incorporated to produce a spaceflight power supply housed within a 4 × 4 × 2.5 in package are discussed. The supply is powered from an unregulated spacecraft bus and provides a regulated output of -35kV ± 5 percent with less than 0.5 percent ripple over a temperature range -20°C + 60°C. The unit serves as a bias supply with an output current less than 0.5 , ?A. With the supply essentially operating unloaded, 5 percent regulation is achieved by sensing and regulating the first stage of a 12-stage Cockcroft/Walton multiplier. Control of the ac voltage input to the multiplier stack provides the regulation. The isolation transformer utilizes a ferrite u-core with the primary and secondary windings placed on opposite legs for separation. The transformer is encapsulated with the power supply.     

货运飞船智能温湿度测量系统构建和实验

根据货运飞船热平衡实验中对温湿度测量的需求,设计并搭建了一种以控制器局域网络(CAN)总线通信技术和智能温湿度传感器SHT15为核心的分布式测量系统,温湿度测量模块将采集到的温湿度数据通过CAN总线经分线器传递给下位机,进一步传输给上位机,实现了对数据的补偿、显示和保存等功能,给出了系统中软件的设计思路和流程图.并对该系统进行了真空贮存实验和标定实验,实验结果表明:该系统具有高可靠性和高测量精度,相对湿度的测量误差在2%以内,且使用方便,易于扩展节点,现已成功运用于实际的测量工作中.      

The IBEX Flight Segment

IBEX provides the observations needed for detailed modeling and in-depth understanding of the interstellar interaction (McComas et al. in Physics of the Outer Heliosphere, Third Annual IGPP Conference, pp. 162–181, 2004; Space Sci. Rev., 2009a, this issue). From mission design to launch and acquisition, this goal drove all flight system development. This paper describes the management, design, testing and integration of IBEX’s flight system, which successfully launched from Kwajalein Atoll on October 19, 2008. The payload is supported by a simple, Sun-pointing, spin-stabilized spacecraft with no deployables. The spacecraft bus consists of the following subsystems: attitude control, command and data handling, electrical power, hydrazine propulsion, RF, thermal, and structures. A novel 3-step orbit approach was employed to put IBEX in its highly elliptical, 8-day final orbit using a Solid Rocket Motor, which provided large delta-V after IBEX separated from the Pegasus launch vehicle; an adapter cone, which interfaced between the SRM and Pegasus; Motorized Lightbands, which performed separation from the Pegasus, ejection of the adapter cone, and separation of the spent SRM from the spacecraft; a ShockRing isolation system to lower expected launch loads; and the onboard Hydrazine Propulsion System. After orbit raising, IBEX transitioned from commissioning to nominal operations and science acquisition. At every phase of development, the Systems Engineering and Mission Assurance teams supervised the design, testing and integration of all IBEX flight elements.     

深空干涉测量天线G/T值指标设计

G/T是天线的一项重要技术指标,在综合考虑测地VLBI(Very Long Baseline Interferometry,甚长基线干涉测量)和航天器VLBI观测两者需求的基础上,提出了深空干涉测量天线的G/T指标设计方法.首先根据射电源的空间分布以及流量密度特性,确定了测地VLBI和航天器VLBI观测模式下射电源流量密度的要求.在此基础上建立了2种观测模式下时延误差与深空干涉测量天线G/T之间的关系模型.最后参考目前国际国内测地VLBI观测中的通用参数设置以及月球探测任务中航天器VLBI观测的参数设置,对不同观测任务、不同观测模式下的G/T要求进行仿真分析.综合测地VLBI和航天器VLBI观测仿真分析的结果,S频段G/T建议不小于32 dB/K,X频段G/T建议不小于43 dB/K.仿真分析结果可以作为后续深空干涉测量天线G/T设计的参考.     

OSIRIS-REx Flight Dynamics and Navigation Design

OSIRIS-REx is the first NASA mission to return a sample of an asteroid to Earth. Navigation and flight dynamics for the mission to acquire and return a sample of asteroid 101955 Bennu establish many firsts for space exploration. These include relatively small orbital maneuvers that are precise to ～1 mm/s, close-up operations in a captured orbit about an asteroid that is small in size and mass, and planning and orbit phasing to revisit the same spot on Bennu in similar lighting conditions. After preliminary surveys and close approach flyovers of Bennu, the sample site will be scientifically characterized and selected. A robotic shock-absorbing arm with an attached sample collection head mounted on the main spacecraft bus acquires the sample, requiring navigation to Bennu’s surface. A touch-and-go sample acquisition maneuver will result in the retrieval of at least 60 grams of regolith, and up to several kilograms. The flight activity concludes with a return cruise to Earth and delivery of the sample return capsule (SRC) for landing and sample recovery at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR).     

Tracking and data acquisition for space exploration

The tracking and data acquisition systems provide the key link between the remote spacecraft and the scientific experimenter on the ground. The operation of the space experiment takes place through the links of command, telemetry and tracking. The evolution from the early very simple spacecraft missions toward more complex and sophisticated missions has been paralleled by a similar evolution in the tracking and data acquisition systems. The early Minitrack interferometer tracking system still carries the major tracking workload for space missions; however greater tracking accuracy requirements for more recent missions, such as the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory and the Apollo mission, have brought about the development of unified tracking and data acquisition systems which utilize hybrid pseudo-random code/sidetone ranging techniques. The data acquisition has evolved from analog telemetry systems to the present day heavy use of PCM digital telemetry. Likewise the command systems have evolved from early simple on/off command systems into PCM digital command data systems. The trend is toward greater real time control of more complex functions on board the spacecraft. Newer spacecraft are incorporating computer-type systems in the spacecraft which require programming and memory load through the ground command link. The most attractive concept for the next generation network for tracking and data acquisition is a network consisting of synchronous-orbit Tracking and Data Relay Satellites for covering launches and low-orbit earth satellites plus a few selected ground stations for supporting spacecraft in high earth orbit and lunar orbit.     

Direct drive options for electric propulsion systems

Power processing units (PPUs) in an electric propulsion system provide many challenging integration issues. The PPU must provide power to the electric thruster while maintaining compatibility with all of the spacecraft power and data systems. Inefficiencies in the power processor produce heat, which must be radiated to the environment in order to ensure reliable operation. Although PPU efficiencies are generally greater than 0.9, heat loads are often substantial. This heat must be rejected by thermal control systems which generally have specific masses of 15-30 kg/kW. PPUs also represent a large fraction of the electric propulsion system dry mass. Simplification or elimination of power processing in a propulsion system would reduce the electric propulsion system specific mass and improve the overall reliability and performance. A direct drive system would eliminate all or some of the power supplies required to operate a thruster by directly connecting the various thruster loads to the solar array. The development of concentrator solar arrays has enabled power bus voltages in excess of 300 V which is high enough for direct drive applications for Hall thrusters such as the Stationary Plasma Thruster (SPT). The option of solar array direct drive for SPTs is explored to provide a comparison between conventional and direct drive system mass     

An Overview of the Instrument Suite for the Deep Impact Mission

A suite of three optical instruments has been developed to observe Comet 9P/Tempel 1, the impact of a dedicated impactor spacecraft, and the resulting crater formation for the Deep Impact mission. The high-resolution instrument (HRI) consists of an f/35 telescope with 10.5 m focal length, and a combined filtered CCD camera and IR spectrometer. The medium-resolution instrument (MRI) consists of an f/17.5 telescope with a 2.1 m focal length feeding a filtered CCD camera. The HRI and MRI are mounted on an instrument platform on the flyby spacecraft, along with the spacecraft star trackers and inertial reference unit. The third instrument is a simple unfiltered CCD camera with the same telescope as MRI, mounted within the impactor spacecraft. All three instruments use a Fairchild split-frame-transfer CCD with 1,024× 1,024 active pixels. The IR spectrometer is a two-prism (CaF₂ and ZnSe) imaging spectrometer imaged on a Rockwell HAWAII-1R HgCdTe MWIR array. The CCDs and IR FPA are read out and digitized to 14 bits by a set of dedicated instrument electronics, one set per instrument. Each electronics box is controlled by a radiation-hard TSC695F microprocessor. Software running on the microprocessor executes imaging commands from a sequence engine on the spacecraft. Commands and telemetry are transmitted via a MIL-STD-1553 interface, while image data are transmitted to the spacecraft via a low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface standard. The instruments are used as the science instruments and are used for the optical navigation of both spacecraft. This paper presents an overview of the instrument suite designs, functionality, calibration and operational considerations.     

Attitude coordination for spacecraft formation with multiple communication delays

Communication delays are inherently present in information exchange between spacecraft and have an effect on the control performance of spacecraft formation. In this work, attitude coordination control of spacecraft formation is addressed, which is in the presence of multiple communication delays between spacecraft. Virtual system-based approach is utilized in case that a constant reference attitude is available to only a part of the spacecraft. The feedback from the virtual systems to the spacecraft formation is introduced to maintain the formation. Using backstepping control method, input torque of each spacecraft is designed such that the attitude of each spacecraft converges asymptotically to the states of its corresponding virtual system. Furthermore, the backstepping technique and the Lyapunov–Krasovskii method contribute to the control law design when the reference attitude is time-varying and can be obtained by each spacecraft. Finally, effectiveness of the proposed methodology is illustrated by the numerical simulations of a spacecraft formation.     

单推力航天器交会对接轨迹规划及跟踪控制

针对单推力航天器交会对接问题，提出一种轨迹规划及跟踪算法。首先，考虑到追踪航天器只沿本体X轴安装推力器，且推力方向固定，为了实现从起始位置转移至期望位置并满足姿态要求，基于三维螺旋线设计两阶段转移轨迹，根据初末位置以及末端速度方向要求，求解螺旋线参数。该螺旋线可以保证在初末速度方向固定情况下，曲率积分最小。其次，为了降低轨迹跟踪难度并减小初始时刻的位置跟踪控制力，需要将转移轨迹初始速度与追踪星X轴重合。传统螺旋线无法满足该约束条件。本文对传统螺旋线进行改进，提出一种旋转螺旋线轨迹设计方法。通过引入姿态旋转矩阵，将螺旋线在三维空间旋转，在不改变曲线形状的前提下满足初末位置及速度方向要求。然后，为了跟踪转移轨迹以及跟踪期望推力方向，提出基于CLF（Control Lyapunov Function）的滑模控制策略，当追踪星X轴与期望推力方向夹角较大时，采用CLF，保证最优性；当姿态误差收敛至滑模面附近时，切换为滑模控制，以提升系统鲁棒性。最后，通过仿真验证旋转螺旋线相比于传统螺旋线的优势。     

空间对接地面半物理仿真台系统仿真研究

 飞行器空间对接地面半物理(HIL)仿真台是进行空间对接技术研究、对接机构地面检测以及对接过程的故障复现等多种用途的关键设备。论文阐述了飞行器空间对接地面半物理仿真台系统建构思想。在此基础上推导出空间对接地面半物理仿真台的空间对接动力学模型。基于物理建模的思想，用SimMechanics工具箱建立了空间对接地面半物理仿真台的机械系统，用Matlab/Simulink建立了控制系统模型，建构了虚拟空间对接地面半物理仿真台。采用滞后补偿等使系统的闭环动态性能达到要求。在空间对接地面半物理仿真台虚拟样机上，采用无阻尼振荡模型对空间对接动力学模型等进行了验证，对空间对接的缓冲过程进行了仿真。仿真结果表明空间对接动力学模型是正确的，空间对接地面半物理仿真台系统的建构思想是可行的。