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Space Technology Mission Directorate Briefing National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Technology Mission Directorate Briefing AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites Presented by: Dr. Michael Gazarik Associate Administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate August 12, 2013 www.nasa.gov/spacetech Why Invest in Space Technology? • Enables a new class of NASA missions Addresses National Needs beyond low Earth Orbit. A generation of studies and reports • Delivers innovative solutions that (40+ since 1980) document the need dramatically improve technological for regular investment in new, capabilities for NASA and the Nation. transformative space • Develops technologies and capabilities that technologies. make NASA’s missions more affordable and more reliable. • Invests in the economy by creating markets and spurring innovation for traditional and emerging aerospace business. • Engages the brightest minds from academia in solving NASA’s tough technological challenges. Who: Value to NASA Value to the Nation The NASA Workforce Academia Industry & Small Businesses Other Government Agencies The Broader Aerospace Enterprise 2 Challenges for Deep Space Exploration Trends in Space Technology Space Technology Portfolio Early Stage Innovation Technology Technology Technology Crosscutting Game Changing Small Spacecraft Breakthroughs Demonstration Transformative & Transformative Development (ETD/CSTD) Missions (ETD/CSTD) Technologies (CSTD) Concepts/ Concepts/ Pioneering Pioneering Innovation Innovation Developing Developing Community NASA Innovative Space Technology Center Innovation Advanced Concepts Research Grant (CSTD) Fund (CSTD) (NIAC) (CSTD) Economy Creating Markets & Markets Creating Growing Innovation Innovation Growing Small Business Innovation Centennial Challenges Flight Opportunities Research & Small Business (CSTD) Program (CSTD) Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) 5 FY2014 Big Nine 6 Space Technology Major Events & Milestones 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Solar Sail CPOD HIAD IRVE 3 Cryogenic Telerobotics Propellant Atomic Clock Laser Telerobotics PhoneSat Communications Telerobotics SEP Demo Mission Future Planning ISARA Edison Demo Green SmallSat Propellant OCSD MEDLI Supersonic Inflatable Supersonic Aerodynamic Inflatable Decelerator Aerodynamic Decelerator 7 STMD Involvement in Small Spacecraft Small Spacecraft Technology (Combination of former Franklin and Edison Programs) - 2 directed flight projects: PhoneSat and EDSN (FY12-14) - 3 flight projects from FY12 BAA (FY13-15) - FY13 NRA in partnership with Flight Opportunities - Propulsion Systems & Small Earth Return Vehicles (~$1M) - Smallsat Technology Partnerships – FY13 pilot ($1.5M + 10 FTE) Game Changing Development - General cross-cutting technology development - FY13 NRA for Miniaturized Electrospray Propulsion (~$5M) SBIR/STTR - Existing subtopics for small spacecraft technology Flight Opportunities - Technology payload development and test opportunities (FY13 NRA, etc.) Centennial Challenges - Several relevant prize competitions in formulation NIAC General cross-cutting concept & technology development Space Technology Research Grants and some small spacecraft projects Center Innovation Fund STMD also supports the CubeSat Launch Initiative in HEOMD and the HOPE Program with SMD and OCE 8 Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) Program Objectives Advance the capabilities of small spacecraft to support NASA missions in science, exploration and space operations • to accelerate the introduction of new technologies and capabilities • to perform missions or examine phenomena not possible otherwise • to unleash NASA’s unique capabilities and assets into the already vibrant small spacecraft community SST Flight Projects 2013 2014 2015 ISARA EDSN CPOD PhoneSat 1/2b OCSD ISARA (Integrated OCSD (Optical PhoneSat EDSN (Edison Solar Array & CPOD (Cubesat Communication & Demonstration of Reflectarray Antenna) Proximity Sensor Smartphone-based SmallSat Networks Operations Demonstration) avionics Increased bandwidth for Demonstration) 8 cubesat swarm operating Ka-band using the back Space-to-ground laser Led by NASA Ames as a network for distributed of the solar array as a Proximity operations communications, low- Research Center sensing & communication radio antenna reflector and docking with two cost navigation 3U cubesats Lifecycle Cost: $850K Led by NASA Ames Led by JPL with sensors with two 1.5U cubesats Research Center with NASA Pumpkin, Inc. and NRL Led by Tyvak, LLC Mission Completed: MSFC, Montana State U. & Led by Aerospace April 21-27, 2013 Santa Clara U. Lifecycle Cost: $5.5M Lifecycle Cost: $13.5M Corp. Lifecycle Cost: $11.9M Launch: 2014 Launch: 2015 Lifecycle Cost: $3.6M Launch: 2014 Launch: 2014 10 Successful PhoneSat Mission – April 21 – 26, 2013 PhoneSat Team – NASA Ames Research Center “Graham” “Bell”PhoneSat 1.0 “Alexander” PhoneSat 1.0 with Iridium experiment PhoneSat 2.0b Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) Team Eight low-cost 1.5U cubesats to demonstrate the NASA Ames Research Center operation of intra-swarm communications and coordinated multi-point science observations. Partners: Montana State University – Payload Launch planned for 2014 from Hawaii on Super Santa Clara University – Ground Station Strypi launch vehicle NASA Marshall Space Flight Center SmallSat Technology University Partnerships – 2013 Awards Proposal Title Universities NASA Partners Space Optical Communications Using Laser Beam University Of Rochester ARC Amplification Printing the Complete CubeSat University Of New Mexico GRC University of Texas-El Paso, Drake State Technical College SmallSat Low Mass, Extreme Low Temperature Energy California State University- JPL Storage Northridge High Rate Cubesat X-band/S-band Communication University Of Colorado GSFC System Propulsion System and Orbit Maneuver Integration in Western Michigan University, JPL CubeSats University of Michigan CubeSat Autonomous Rendezvous & Docking Software University Of Texas JSC (CARDS) Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array for PicoSat Purdue University GSFC Propulsion and Thermal Control Radiation Tolerant, FPGA-based SmallSat Computer Montana State University GSFC System An Integrated Precision Attitude Determination and University Of Florida LARC Control System Development of Novel Integrated Antennas for University Of Houston JSC CubeSats Mini Fourier-Transform Spectrometer for Cubesat- Appalachian State University, GSFC Based Remote Sensing University of Maryland- Baltimore County COmpressive Sensing for Advanced Imaging and Texas A&M University LARC Navigation SmallSat Precision Navigation With Low-Cost MEMS West Virginia University, JSC IMU Swarms Marquette University Why Miniaturized Electrospray Propulsion ? The obvious, …. Small Sats Current micro-propulsion systems are heavy and inefficient 8 MEP 100mN thrusters on a cube sat will provide: • 1000 m/s of ΔV at 5000 s Isp with 60 grams of propellant - for 7 degree inclination change - for 2000 km orbit transfer (raise + de-orbit or many orbit changes) The not so obvious, …. Large structures requiring fine or low noise pointing Current propulsion options cannot be distributed along deployable structures Limits control system performance and can induce vibrations MEP modules enable highly distributed thrust for precision pointing of large deployable structures MEP thruster development leverages the SMD LISA project investment in electro- spray thrusters for fine pointing The logical extension, ….Attitude Control and Reaction Wheel Alternatives S/C are routinely plagued with reaction wheel failures; vibrations limit performance and/or require isolation MEP Modules have the potential to remove need for reaction wheels which can result in > 14% reduction in system mass Miniaturized Electrospray Propulsion (MEP) The Basic Concept Applied electric field extracts and accelerates charged ions or droplets – Creates ~0.1-10 micro-newtons/emitter – Propellant reservoir and feed system are based on capillary forces (no moving parts) – Capillary feed system elements are integrated into the micro- fabricated components to feed array of emitters System is inherently scalable – Each emitter runs in parallel; scaling up thrust equates to adding more emitters – Thrust can be manipulated via regulation of voltage and current like standard EP system 1 mm 19 mm Micro-fabricated Emitter Array STMD MEP Project Pushing the State of the Art Electrospray thrusters have been flight qualified by NASA for Space Technology 7 Recent STMD MEP Project Selectees Mission 1 cm Conventional Emitter Array Thruster Head Busek Thruster Busek Electrospray Thruster JPL Thruster Size: ~25 x 25 x 38 cm Emitters: 9 STMD MEP System Goals: Thrust: 4-30 µN Mass: > 2 kg (head, reservoir, Specific Impulse (Isp) >1500 valve, PPU) Thrust >100uN Power <10W System Efficiency >70% System Mass <100g System Volume <100cm3 MIT Thruster Microfabricated components, microfluidic flow control and microelectronics enable >10X improvement in thrust range, mass, volume and cost over SOA. Virgin Galactic 2014 XCOR Aerospace Spaceport 2014 America Midland, TX SS1 2004 3 Flights UP Aerospace Spaceport America Operational 2006 11 Launches to-date Armadillo Whittinghill Masten Space Aerospace Aerospace Systems Spaceport TBD Xaero 2014 America 2014 Mojave, CA 2014 Xombie 2009 Lunar Lander Ch. 5 Flights for FO Near Space Corp Tillamook, OR Operational 1996 Zero-G Corp 160+ Flights Ellington to-date Field, TX Operational 2008 Who Wants to Fly? By Lead Principal Investigator’s Organization 18 Launch Portal • To help Cubesat Rideshare community,
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