Space Technology Mission Directorate Briefing

Transcription

1 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,

2 Why Invest in Space Technology? Enables a new class of NASA missions beyond low Earth Orbit. Delivers innovative solutions that dramatically improve technological capabilities for NASA and the Nation. Develops technologies and capabilities that 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. Value to NASA Value to the Nation Addresses National Needs A generation of studies and reports (40+ since 1980) document the need for regular investment in new, transformative space technologies. Who: The NASA Workforce Academia Industry & Small Businesses Other Government Agencies The Broader Aerospace Enterprise 2

3 Challenges for Deep Space Exploration

4 Trends in Space Technology

5 Creating Markets & Growing Innovation Economy Pioneering Concepts/ Developing Innovation Community Transformative & Crosscutting Technology Breakthroughs Space Technology Portfolio Early Stage Innovation Game Changing Development (ETD/CSTD) Technology Demonstration Missions (ETD/CSTD) Small Spacecraft Technologies (CSTD) Space Technology Research Grant (CSTD) NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) (CSTD) Center Innovation Fund (CSTD) Centennial Challenges (CSTD) Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Flight Opportunities Program (CSTD) 5

6 FY2014 Big Nine 6

7 Space Technology Major Events & Milestones Solar Sail HIAD IRVE 3 Telerobotics CPOD Cryogenic Propellant Telerobotics PhoneSat Telerobotics Atomic Clock SEP Demo Mission Laser Communications Future Planning ISARA Edison Demo SmallSat Green Propellant MEDLI OCSD Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator 7

8 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 Space Technology Research Grants Center Innovation Fund General cross-cutting concept & technology development and some small spacecraft projects STMD also supports the CubeSat Launch Initiative in HEOMD and the HOPE Program with SMD and OCE 8

9 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

10 SST Flight Projects ISARA PhoneSat 1/2b EDSN OCSD CPOD PhoneSat Smartphone-based avionics Led by NASA Ames Research Center Lifecycle Cost: $850K Mission Completed: April 21-27, 2013 EDSN (Edison Demonstration of SmallSat Networks 8 cubesat swarm operating as a network for distributed sensing & communication Led by NASA Ames Research Center with NASA MSFC, Montana State U. & Santa Clara U. Lifecycle Cost: $11.9M Launch: 2014 ISARA (Integrated Solar Array & Reflectarray Antenna) Increased bandwidth for Ka-band using the back of the solar array as a radio antenna reflector Led by JPL with Pumpkin, Inc. and NRL Lifecycle Cost: $5.5M Launch: 2014 OCSD (Optical Communication & Sensor Demonstration) Space-to-ground laser communications, lowcost navigation sensors with two 1.5U cubesats Led by Aerospace Corp. Lifecycle Cost: $3.6M Launch: 2014 CPOD (Cubesat Proximity Operations Demonstration) Proximity operations and docking with two 3U cubesats Led by Tyvak, LLC Lifecycle Cost: $13.5M Launch:

11 Successful PhoneSat Mission April 21 26, 2013 PhoneSat Team NASA Ames Research Center Graham PhoneSat 1.0 Bell PhoneSat 1.0 with Iridium experiment Alexander PhoneSat 2.0b

12 Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) Eight low-cost 1.5U cubesats to demonstrate the operation of intra-swarm communications and coordinated multi-point science observations. Launch planned for 2014 from Hawaii on Super Strypi launch vehicle Team NASA Ames Research Center Partners: Montana State University Payload Santa Clara University Ground Station NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

13 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 CubeSats Western Michigan University, University of Michigan JPL CubeSat Autonomous Rendezvous & Docking Software University Of Texas JSC (CARDS) Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array for PicoSat Propulsion and Thermal Control Purdue University GSFC Radiation Tolerant, FPGA-based SmallSat Computer System An Integrated Precision Attitude Determination and Control System Development of Novel Integrated Antennas for CubeSats Mini Fourier-Transform Spectrometer for Cubesat- Based Remote Sensing COmpressive Sensing for Advanced Imaging and Navigation SmallSat Precision Navigation With Low-Cost MEMS IMU Swarms Montana State University University Of Florida University Of Houston Appalachian State University, University of Maryland- Baltimore County Texas A&M University West Virginia University, Marquette University GSFC LARC JSC GSFC LARC JSC

14 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 I sp 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 electrospray 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

15 Miniaturized Electrospray Propulsion (MEP) The Basic Concept Applied electric field extracts and accelerates charged ions or droplets Creates ~ micro-newtons/emitter Propellant reservoir and feed system are based on capillary forces (no moving parts) Capillary feed system elements are integrated into the microfabricated 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

16 STMD MEP Project Pushing the State of the Art Electrospray thrusters have been flight qualified by NASA for Space Technology 7 Mission Recent STMD MEP Project Selectees Thruster Head 1 cm Conventional Emitter Array Busek Electrospray Thruster Size: ~25 x 25 x 38 cm Emitters: 9 Thrust: 4-30 µn Mass: > 2 kg (head, reservoir, valve, PPU) STMD MEP System Goals: JPL Thruster Specific Impulse (Isp) >1500 Thrust >100uN Power <10W System Efficiency >70% System Mass <100g System Volume <100cm 3 Busek Thruster MIT Thruster Microfabricated components, microfluidic flow control and microelectronics enable >10X improvement in thrust range, mass, volume and cost over SOA.

17 Virgin Galactic 2014 Spaceport America SS Flights XCOR Aerospace 2014 Midland, TX UP Aerospace Spaceport America Operational Launches to-date Masten Space Systems Xaero 2014 Mojave, CA Xombie 2009 Lunar Lander Ch. 5 Flights for FO Armadillo Aerospace Spaceport America 2014 Whittinghill Aerospace TBD 2014 Zero-G Corp Ellington Field, TX Operational 2008 Near Space Corp Tillamook, OR Operational Flights to-date

18 Who Wants to Fly? By Lead Principal Investigator s Organization 18

19 Launch Portal To help Cubesat Rideshare community, STMD in collaboration with The Aerospace Corp and SMC s Space Test Program has established a launch portal website to bring developers and providers together What it is: a searchable web-based database to allow Cubesat developers to search for a list of candidate launch providers and vice-versa; provides POC for launch opportunity. What it isn t: It is NOT an endorsement of launch providers or Cubesat missions It is NOT an online marketplace It is NOT a source of technical data URL - (expected go live August 31, 2013)

20 Launch Portal (cont d) Benefits of use: For a Cubesat developer, more likely to find a launch or a backup launch if first opportunity does not materialize For a launch provider, more likely to fill up opportunity slots Expectation is for more Cubesat missions in the next two years than in the last ten years. The community needs to embrace standard processes to avoid confusion and potential backlash. Capability will evolve to include ALL rideshares (Cubesat, ESPA-class, duel manifest, etc.) in near future See a beta version demonstration (visit STMD/Aerospace Corporation booths)

21 New Hardware in Advancing Space Technology Deep Space Atomic Clock BIRD focal plane arrays Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Proof Test MSL heat shield with instrumentation Cryogenic tank PhoneSat Additive Manufacturing Green Propellant 22N thruster Telerobotic Systems Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment Solar Sail and Boom Fab Exoskeleton

22 Technology Demonstration and Testing Laser Communication Relay Demonstration Mike Fossum with Smart SPHERES checkout Reduced Liquid Hydrogen boil off test Deep Space Atomic Clock ARC Jet Testing Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Sled Test K10 rover deploying polyimide film LCAT Stagnation Test (50 W/cm2) MSL Launch and MEDLI measurements successfully completed 22

23 Space Tech Role in Agency Asteroid Strategy Early Stage programs will foster innovation regarding: Asteroid detection, characterization and mitigation for planetary defense and asteroid retrieval mission target selection Asteroid proximity operations and resource utilization techniques Game Changing will complete high power SEP tech development: Advanced solar array systems Advanced magnetic shielded Hall thrusters Power processing units (PPUs) Technology Demonstration Missions will develop, test and demonstrate the SEP system as part of the retrieval mission: 30kW 50 kw advanced solar arrays Magnetically shielded Hall thrusters & Power Processing Xenon propellant tanks Additional Asteroid Retrieval funding in FY2014 will cover: Flight hardware solar array procurements Hall thruster engineering development units Design of Xenon propellant tanks 23

24 First Steps Towards Mars Sequence ISRU & Surface Power Surface Habitat EDL, Human Lander Mission Asteroid Redirect Mission Long Stay In Deep Space Humans to Mars Orbit Humans to Mars Surface Aero-capture X X Adv. Upper Stage w Cryo- Prop storage & Transfer Deep Space Habitat (DSH) X X X High Reliability ECLSS X X X Autonomous Assembly X X X SEP for Cargo / Logistics X X X X Deep Space GNC X X X X Crew Operations beyond LEO (Orion) Crew Return from Beyond LEO HS Entry (Orion) Heavy Lift to Beyond LEO (SLS) X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X STMD/ETD Investments HEOMD/ESD/AES Investments HEOMD/ESD/AES + STMD/ETD Investments 24

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27 Collaborations with Other Government Agencies Currently, significant engagements include: Green Propellant Infusion Mission partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory propellant and rideshare with DoD s Space Test Program (STP) Solar Sail Demonstration partnership with NOAA and rideshare with Air Force Soldier-Warfighter Operationally Responsive Deployer for Space (SWORDS) low-cost nano-launch system with Army UAS Airspace Operations Prize Challenge coordinated with FAA Working with the USAF Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS) for launch accommodations for the Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission. Partnership for Ohio s first hydrogen generating fueling station with Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority to power city bus Partnership with DARPA on Next Generation Humanoid for Disaster Response In discussion with Department of Veteran Affairs for a collaborative project with Exoskeleton from our Human Robotics Systems Program

28 Working Together to Innovate

29 National Aeronautics and Space Administration More Information at: