Testing autonomous systems for deep space exploration

NASA is moving into an era of Increasing spacecraft autonomy. However, before autonomy can be routinely utilized, we must develop techniques for providing assurance that the system will perform correctly in flight. We describe why autonomous systems require advanced verification techniques, and offer some management and technical techniques for addressing the differences. Autonomous goal-driven spacecraft require advances in verification techniques because optimization (e.g., planning and scheduling) algorithms are at the core of much of autonomy. It Is the nature of such algorithms that over much of the input space an intuitively "small" change in the input results in a correspondingly "small" change in the output: This type of response typically leads one to conclude, quite reasonably, that if the two responses are correct, those responses "between" them will probably also be correct. However, there are certain regions in the input space where a "small" change in the input will result in a radically different output: One is not so inclined to conclude that all responses in these transition zones are likely to be correct. We believe, for two reasons, that these transition zones are one place where autonomous systems are likely to fail. First, boundary conditions, often a rich source of faults, are highly exercised in the transition zones, and so increase the likelihood of faults. Second, within the transition zone the algorithm outputs are likely to appear unusual, and, since the outputs of the algorithm become inputs to the remainder of the system, the whole system is probably pushed outside of its nominal usage profile: historically shown to be another good source of faults. We close with a discussion of risk management. Autonomous systems have many well-known management risk factors. Risk management and quality concerns must be pervasive, throughout all team members and the whole life-cycle of the project.     

Engine-driven generators for deep space probes

Summarizes important developments relating to power for deep space missions. The important alternatives to thermocouples for converting radioisotope heat into electric power are Stirling engines, alkali-metal thermal-to-electric converters (AMTEC), thermionic converters, and thermo-photovoltaic converters. The operating principles and limitations of these converters are described.     

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.     

Creating a space exploration industry

The article provides an overview of funding for space exploration to the Moon and Mars under NASA's direction, and presents an argument for the creation of a commercial space industry.     

New architectures for space power systems

Electric power generation and conditioning have experienced revolutionary development over the past two decades. Furthermore, new materials such as high energy magnets and high temperature superconductors are either available or on the horizon. Our work is based on the premise that new technologies are an important driver of new power system concepts and architectures. This observation is borne out by the historical evolution of power systems both in terrestrial and aerospace applications. This paper introduces new approaches to designing space power systems by using several new technologies. Two new architectures are introduced: the current source current intensive system and the articulate system. Basic characteristics of these systems have been investigated. Some aspects of the articulate system architecture, as discussed in this paper can be implemented in the short term. Flexible AC transmission systems which are now undergoing rapid development and implementation, can be regarded as a subset of the family of control methodologies which constitute the realm of articulate systems     

The role of soil science in space exploration

New frontiers in soil science are currently found in the investigation of soils in harsh, terrestrial and simulated extraterrestrial environments, the development of new methods and probes for soil characterization, and the eventual investigation, characterization, and development of extraterrestrial soil. Current aspects of space science involving soil studies are presented, including a more detailed soil study program involving the microflora of desert soil ecosystems. Basic precepts are given for preparation, investigation, and use of extraterrestrial soil.Contribution from the Bioscience Group of the Chemistry Section, Space Science Division, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California. Presented as an invitational paper before the Synapsis Club, University of California, Riverside, California, December 3, 1962.     

一种用于深空自主无线电的码速率估计算法

针对深空自主无线电的码速率盲估计问题,在码元起始位置未知的情况下,通过对估计误差的理论分析,提出一种改进的基于分离符号矩估计(SSME)的码速率估计算法,设计分区估计信噪比(SNR)并进行比较选大的方法,以保证码速率估计的精度。同时对该算法的计算复杂度进行定量分析,并与传统单次延迟相乘法、改进的多次累加延迟相乘法进行比较。仿真结果表明,本文算法能够有效完成低SNR条件下的码速率估计,其误估计概率明显优于单次延迟相乘法,与多次累加延迟相乘法相当,但计算复杂度不到多次累加延迟相乘法的10%。     

Electric space propulsion systems

Active development of electric thrustors began 10 years ago. Today, several kinds of thrustors have achieved efficiencies above 90 % and lifetimes of several thousand hours. The following article derives the basic theory of electric thrust production at constant exhaust velocity, and at variable exhaust velocity programmed for optimum vehicle performance. Electrothermal or arcjet; electrostatic or ion; and electrodynamic or plasma thrustors are described. At the present time, ion thrustors of the electron bombardment and of the surface ionization types are the most promising systems. Electric power in space may be generated by solar cells or nuclear-electric generators. It is expected that the incore thermionic converter will eventually be the preferred system. A variety of missions with electric propulsion systems appear feasible and highly desirable, among them orbital station keeping, attitude control, planetary probes, solar and out-of-the-ecliptic probes, deep-space probes, and manned Mars and Venus exploration. For each mission, a careful systems-design study must be made, which will provide the optimum selection of thrustor type, thrust level, exhaust velocity, thrust program, power source, trajectory, and flight plan.     

New technology starts new era of space exploration

In this report the author describe the plans of the United States and other governments for developing deep space exploration programs. The latest energy conversion, power generation, and energy storage developments, described in the IECECs 80 engineering presentations, make these plans achievable.     

Weighted adaptive filtering algorithm for carrier tracking of deep space signal

Carrier tracking is laid great emphasis and is the difficulty of signal processing in deep space communication system.For the autonomous radio receiving system in deep space, the tracking of the received signal is automatic when the signal to noise ratio(SNR) is unknown.If the frequency-locked loop(FLL) or the phase-locked loop(PLL) with fixed loop bandwidth, or Kalman filter with fixed noise variance is adopted, the accretion of estimation error and filter divergence may be caused.Therefore, the Kalman filter algorithm with adaptive capability is adopted to suppress filter divergence.Through analyzing the inadequacies of Sage–Husa adaptive filtering algorithm, this paper introduces a weighted adaptive filtering algorithm for autonomous radio.The introduced algorithm may resolve the defect of Sage–Husa adaptive filtering algorithm that the noise covariance matrix is negative definite in filtering process.In addition, the upper diagonal(UD) factorization and innovation adaptive control are used to reduce model estimation errors,suppress filter divergence and improve filtering accuracy.The simulation results indicate that compared with the Sage–Husa adaptive filtering algorithm, this algorithm has better capability to adapt to the loop, convergence performance and tracking accuracy, which contributes to the effective and accurate carrier tracking in low SNR environment, showing a better application prospect.     

POWOW: power without wires: a SEP concept for space exploration

Electric propulsion has emerged as a cost-effective solution to a wide range of satellite applications. Deep Space 1 successfully demonstrated electric propulsion as the primary propulsion source for a satellite. The POWOW concept is a solar-electric propelled spacecraft capable of significant cargo and short trip times for traveling to Mars. It would enter aerosynchronous orbit and from there, beam power to surface installations via lasers. The concept has been developed with industrial partner expertise in high efficiency solar cells, advanced concentrator modules, innovative arrays, and high power electric propulsion systems. The latest version of the spacecraft, the technologies used, and trip times to Mars are presented. The POWOW spacecraft is a general purpose solar electric propulsion system that uses new technologies that are directly applicable to commercial and government spacecraft with power levels ranging from a LEO power level of 4 kW up to GEO spacecraft about 1 MW. The system is modular, expandable, and amenable to learning curve cost projection methods     

Large area solar cells for future space power systems

Space silicon solar cell technology has matured to the extent that large-area planar silicon cells can be fabricated in sizes up to 8 cm×8 cm with efficiencies up to approximately 15%. In order to achieve substantially higher efficiencies, cells based on GaAs are required. It is shown that, subject to certain boundary conditions, the efficiency of GaAs/Ge cells can reach 24% when used in the dual-junction configuration or approximately 19.5% if the Ge substrate is passive. The electrooptical properties of these cells are reviewed, and prospects for achieving these efficiency goals are presented. Experimental performance data are given     

Ground-based investigations on phase-moving phenomenon with space sublimation cooling for lunar exploration missions

The lunar surface is a typical vacuum environment, and its harsh heat rejection conditions bring great challenges to the thermal control technology of the exploration mission. In addition to the radiator, the sublimator is recommended as one of the promising options for heat rejection. The sublimator makes use of water to freeze and sublimate in a porous medium, rejecting heat to the vacuum environment. The complex heat and mass transfer process involves many physical phenomena such as the freezing and sublimation phase change of water in the porous medium and the movement of the phase-change interface. In this paper, the visualized ground-based experimental approaches of space sublimation cooling were presented to reveal the moving law of three-phase point and the growth phenomenon of ice-peak and icicle in microchannels under vacuum conditions. The visualized experiments and results prove that the freezing ice is divided into the porous ice-peak and the transparent icicle. As the sublimation progresses, the phase-change interface moves downward steadily, the length of the ice-peak increases, but the icicle decreases. The visualized experiments of space sublimation cooling in the capillary have guiding significance to reveal the sublimation cooling mechanism of water in the sublimator for lunar exploration missions.     

Haptic based teleoperation with master-slave motion mapping and haptic rendering for space exploration

This paper presents a new solution to haptic based teleoperation to control a large-sized slave robot for space exploration, which includes two specially designed haptic joysticks, a hybrid master-slave motion mapping method, and a haptic feedback model rendering the operating resistance and the interactive feedback on the slave side. Two devices using the 3 R and DELTA mechanisms respectively are developed to be manipulated to control the position and orientation of a large-sized slave robot by using both of a user's two hands respectively. The hybrid motion mapping method combines rate control and variable scaled position mapping to realize accurate and efficient master-slave control. Haptic feedback for these two mapping modes is designed with emphasis on ergonomics to improve the immersion of haptic based teleoperation. A stiffness estimation method is used to calculate the contact stiffness on the slave side and play the contact force rendered by using a traditional spring-damping model to a user on the master side stably. Experiments by using virtual environments to simulate the slave side are conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed solution.     

Parametric cost model for solar space power and DIPS systems

A detailed cost model has been developed to parametrically determine the program development and production cost of photovoltaic, solar dynamic, and dynamic isotope (DIPS) space power systems. The model is applicable in the net electrical power range of 3 to 300 kWe for solar power and 0.5 to 10 kWe for DIPS. Application of the cost model allows spacecraft or space-based power system architecture and design trade studies or budgetary forecasting and cost benefit analyses. The cost model considers all major power subsystems (i.e., power generation, power conversion, energy storage, thermal management, and power management/distribution/control). It also considers system cost effects such as integration, testing, and management. The cost breakdown structure, model assumptions, ground rules, bases, cost estimation relationship format, and rationale are presented, and the application of the cost model to 100-kWe solar space power plants and to a 1.0-kWe DIPS is demonstrated     

Assessment of safety in space power wiring systems

Wiring system failures have resulted from arc propagation in the wiring harnesses of many aircraft and space vehicles. These failures occur when the insulation becomes conductive upon the initiation of an arc. In some cases, the conductive path of the carbon arc track displays a high enough resistance such that the current is limited, and therefore may be difficult to detect using conventional circuit protection. Often, such wiring failures are not simply the result of insulation failure but are due to a combination of wiring system factors. Inadequate circuit protection, unreliable system designs, and careless maintenance procedures can contribute to a wiring system failure. This paper approaches the problem with respect to the overall wiring system, in order to determine what steps can be taken to improve the reliability, maintainability, and safety of space power systems. Power system technologies, system designs, and maintenance procedures which have contributed to past wiring system failures are discussed. New technologies, design processes, and management techniques which may lead to improved wiring system safety are introduced