{"title":"The Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Program displays and controls capabilities as tools for situational awareness","authors":"Z. Milenkovic","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187281","url":null,"abstract":"The idea for the Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Program (RPOP) was conceived by a small group of engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). RPOP was part of the tools and technologies implemented for the first Shuttle-Mir rendezvous and docking. Since that time RPOP was used on over 60 missions and became an essential tool for Shuttle rendezvous operations. RPOP serves three main functions: as guidance and navigation software, displays-and-controls mechanism, and situational-awareness tool. This document visits many of the on-orbit firsts for manned spaceflight that were demonstrated in RPOP, with particular focus on the displays and controls and situational awareness aspects. The underlying guidance and navigation algorithms are not exposed. Simultaneous comparison of sensor data from multiple sources, differentiation between multiple three-dimensional trajectories, at-a-glance determination of attitude and location via RPOP's 3D orbiter model, and near-real time updates of guided and unguided trajectory prediction constitute a subset of the RPOP functionality that is detailed. A discussion of the way that RPOP has influenced pilot-in-the-loop behavior for proximity operations, exemplified by the repeatability of mission-to-mission proximity operations trajectories, is presented. Furthermore, many of the concepts that have proven to work well in RPOP have become de facto standards for displays and controls for new manned programs. Astronauts have come to expect the same familiar and effective situational awareness displays to be made available in the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV); this expectation has driven the design of the next-generation of displays. For example, formal on-orbit handling-qualities assessments of MPCV have all included a RPOP-type display providing key information to the pilots. The lessons learned during the RPOP development and flight experience are not to be taken lightly, but rather ought to be fastidiously applied to future programs since they allow for reuse of proven guidance and navigation display concepts and flight techniques for on-orbit operations.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"76 1","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76944014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Pang, V. Kennedy, B. Armand, L. Mauch, J. D. Fleming
{"title":"CHIRP program lessons learned from the contractor program management team perspective","authors":"R. Pang, V. Kennedy, B. Armand, L. Mauch, J. D. Fleming","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187278","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187278","url":null,"abstract":"With shrinking budgets and expanding program costs, government program offices are seeking innovative ways to accomplish their goals with better efficiency and less cost. In 2008, the U.S. Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center's Development Planning Directorate (SMC/XRF) took a bold step in this direction and funded a new program that started as an unsolicited proposal from SES Government Solutions, and its industry teammates, Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital) and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The program called for hosting of an Air Force furnished infrared sensor, developed by SAIC, on an SES commercial communications satellite, built by Orbital, and was appropriately referred to as CHIRP (Commercially Hosted Infra-Red Payload). This bold new effort has been a resounding success and has stimulated a whole new market area for hosted payloads that is now germinating throughout the aerospace industry. The concept of a staring sensor using large format focal plane arrays began as a risk reduction program by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Under that program (the Alternate InfraRed Satellite System (AIRSS) or Third Generation Infrared Surveillance (3GIRS) program), SAIC developed a laboratory model of a full-earth, four-telescope staring Overhead Persistent InfraRed (OPIR) sensor for ground validation. For the CHIRP contract, but under the 3GIRS umbrella, SAIC designed and developed a space-qualified, one-quarter earth, single OPIR staring telescope for a technical demonstration in space. The satellite was built by Orbital Sciences as part of an existing commercial contract with SES. The sensor and satellite efforts were leveraged by the CHIRP program, integrating the government furnished equipment (GFE) sensor with the commercial SES-2 telecommunications satellite. The CHIRP program uses contractor ground system facilities and mission operations teams to operate and evaluate the CHIRP system, including sensor commanding, state-of-health monitoring, sensor calibration and characterization, and tracking algorithm assessment on the ground using on-orbit data. The satellite is operated by SES through its commercial satellite operations center (SOC). By design, CHIRP operations are completely independent of spacecraft operations except for initial deployments and CHIRP power on/off activities. Sensor commands are generated at SAIC's CHIRP Mission Analysis Center (CMAC) in Seal Beach, California, transmitted through Orbital's CHIRP Mission Operations Center (CMOC) in Dulles, Virginia, and uplinked to the spacecraft by the SES-operated teleport in Woodbine, Maryland. The CHIRP mission data is transmitted from the CHIRP payload through an Orbital-developed Secondary Payload Interface (SPI) on the spacecraft, where it is encrypted and transmitted to the ground through one of the commercial transponders. The ground entry point for the CHIRP data is a SES teleport, which transmits the data to the CMOC for dissemi","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"28 1","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78189894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Super fast and efficient channel equalizer architecture based on neural network","authors":"R. Kumar, S. Jalali","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187139","url":null,"abstract":"Broadband wireless communication systems are currently in a rapid evolutionary phase in terms of development of various technologies, development of various applications, deployment of various services and generation of many important standards in the field. Ever increasing demand on various services justifies the need for the transmission of data at the highest possible data rates. The multipath and fading characteristics of the wireless channels result in various impairments and distortions, the most important of those being the Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) especially at relatively high data rates. Among the various possible solutions to mitigate ISI, the adaptive equalizer remains one of the most attractive solutions, particularly the algorithms requiring minimal or no training sequence and at the same time are computationally efficient. This paper presents a novel neural networks based architecture for channel equalizers that require only order of 20-40 training symbols to converge to the optimum solution and at the same time is computationally efficient.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"29 1","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78206569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Estimation of precision formation flying using position of the spacecraft","authors":"T. Sanjeeviraja, P. K. Dash","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187072","url":null,"abstract":"Orbit determination is a perspective of the current and next generation observational technique. As a part of the precision formation flying need's High Accuracy Orbit Determination System (HAODS), it is required to find the position and velocity of spacecraft on the orbit. Three geocentric position vectors of a space object at a three successive times are considered. The angular positions of the observed body and their time derivatives at a given epoch are used for analysis. The improved angular observation is aided in the determination of perigee altitude and the time. It improved angular observations with traditional high accuracy in orbit determination. The results presented the initial and final position and velocity vector of the spacecraft on specified orbital elements and provide a mode for more detailed analysis of the orbital period.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"167 1","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75063612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"DoD Space Test Program multi-payload launch mission management","authors":"S. Herrin, L. Berenberg, R. Musani","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187429","url":null,"abstract":"The DoD Space Test Program (STP) objective is to provide access to space for the experiments listed on the annual Space Experiments Review Board (SERB) list. In order to maximize the number of SERB experiments manifested and flown each year, STP has learned to efficiently optimize the capability of any launch to include as many space vehicles, or “payloads,” as possible. As a result, STP has documented a substantial number of management and technical lessons learned directly related to the execution of multi-payload missions. The management lessons stem from the fact that STP multi-payload missions always include a number of different government and contractor organizations that need to be managed from manifest to launch by a very limited number of STP personnel. The technical lessons span multiple launch vehicles including the STP-1 multi-payload mission on an Atlas V in 2007 and the STP-S26 multi-payload mission on a Minotaur IV in 2010. STP found that single-payload mission processes were stressed when applied to multi-payload missions, and established STP processes had to evolve to encompass the multi-payload case. Based on the experiences encountered in the execution of STP-1 and mission partner feedback, STP developed a set of tools, processes, and guidelines to manage multi-payload launch missions that were effectively demonstrated and further refined during the execution of the STP-S26 mission. This paper describes these tools, processes, and guidelines and provides discussion on the experiences behind each. Specifically addressed are: the mission toolkit, meeting and review processes, risk management methods, and the lessons learned process.1 2","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"125 1","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77976674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Technology development for space based Vortex Coronagraphy","authors":"E. Serabyn, D. Mawet","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187180","url":null,"abstract":"As demonstrated recently at the Palomar Observatory, the Optical Vortex Coronagraph (OVC) can enable high-contrast imaging observations very near bright stars. A small-angle observational capability is especially important because it can reduce the telescope diameter needed for close companion observations. However, as the OVC is a fairly new technique, the vortex phase masks needed to enable the very high contrast imaging required to detect terrestrial exoplanets (~ 10-10 relative to the host star) are not yet in hand. This paper thus first briefly describes the basic operation of the vortex coronagraph, and then turns to a discussion of a promising method of manufacturing the needed vortex masks. In particular, vortex phase masks based on circularly-symmetric half-wave plates made of liquid-crystal polymers have already achieved very good performance. The practical limitations of such masks, and the means of overcoming these limitations are also addressed. Successful development of the requisite vortex masks could potentially enable a range of high-contrast coronagraphic space missions, from an initial explorer class mission to a large flagship class exoplanet imaging mission.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"54 1","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75953449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of performance modeling on nano-satellite mission design","authors":"J. Abbott","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187432","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes the purpose, methodology, and conclusions of a performance analysis characterization for a nano-satellite mission. The mission concept includes two key requirements which are critical for mission success, collection capacity and data latency. An analytical toolset was developed to evaluate mission performance against these key requirements. Models of the spacecraft data storage system, power system, and primary payload were developed in addition to the communications architecture. A simple collection and downlink scheduler was implemented to evaluate collection capacity and latency. Initial results indicated that the mission design was flawed as the communications architecture was vastly undersized for the amount of mission data capable of being collected. Trade studies were conducted to determine a communications architecture that supported the spacecraft collecting at peak operation levels. Identification of a modified architecture along with the supporting analysis was critical in properly focusing efforts to maximize mission utility.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"199 1","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75965387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Designing and implementing OFDM communications for Advanced Multifunction UAV payloads using FPGAs","authors":"J. C. Porcello","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187132","url":null,"abstract":"Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles (UAVs) have become a ubiquitous platform for a wide variety of aerospace missions. Such missions cover a broad range from Search and Rescue to providing real-time Situational Awareness (SA) of a local area. Ultimately UAV missions that require real-time mission information are limited by the amount of on-board signal processing for the sensors, onboard sensor processing algorithm size, type and complexity as well as the capability to move mission information in real-time to Users via on-board communication links. Advanced Multifunction UAV payloads support not only sensor processing, but additional on-board Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and high bandwidth air-to-air and air-to-ground communications. Such a design approach pushes both the signal processing load and the communications bandwidth challenges into the UAV payload. This results in real-time capabilities that increase the performance envelope of UAVs allowing functionality beyond low bandwidth sensor processing at the cost of increased payload complexity. This paper discusses the design and implementation of such Advanced Multifunction UAV payloads using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Specifically, this article discusses FPGA based UAV payload design to support sensor processing, maximizing on-board DSP algorithm processing, and high bandwidth Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based communications. Furthermore, this paper focuses on the use of Cascaded Frequency-Domain (CFD) filtering techniques and dedicated subcarrier tones to solve the challenging task of OFDM frequency acquisition and tracking in high Doppler and Doppler rate environments such as UAV communications. Design data for frequency acquisition and tracking using CFD filtering is provided in the paper, as well as reference circuits for synchronization of OFDM communications. Finally, an example OFDM payload design based on Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGAs is provided to illustrate the concepts discussed in the paper.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"35 1","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74799370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Eldering, S. Boland, B. Solish, D. Crisp, P. Kahn, M. Gunson
{"title":"High precision atmospheric CO2 measurements from space: The design and implementation of OCO-2","authors":"A. Eldering, S. Boland, B. Solish, D. Crisp, P. Kahn, M. Gunson","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187176","url":null,"abstract":"The OCO-2 mission is designed to make high-precision, high-spatial resolution measurements of carbon dioxide, globally. OCO-2 will carry a single instrument that incorporates 3 high resolution grating spectrometers that will make co-boresighted measurements of reflected sunlight in near-infrared CO2 and molecular oxygen (O2) absorption bands. These measurements will be used to retrieve spatially-resolved estimates of the column-averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction, XCO2. The OCO-2 mission is a `carbon copy' of the OCO mission that was constructed and launched in February 2009. Unfortunately, because of a failure of the launch vehicle, the OCO observatory never reached orbit. In March 2010, JPL was given direction to build a replacement for the OCO instrument mission, to be called OCO-2. In order to minimize risk, and reduce cost, the mission was directed to duplicate the design of the OCO observatory. In this paper, we discuss some of the unique features of the OCO design, as well as the challenges presented by trying to implement a design that is more than a decade old.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"138 1","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73222330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the benefits of commercial robotic lander testbeds","authors":"C. Ake, J. Scotkin, D. Masten","doi":"10.1109/AERO.2012.6187305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AERO.2012.6187305","url":null,"abstract":"This paper investigates the history and current state of commercial robotic launch vehicle testbeds available to demonstrate landing technologies required for extraterrestrial vertical landing.","PeriodicalId":6421,"journal":{"name":"2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference","volume":"36 1","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74455762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}