Incorporating a Test Flight into the Standard Development Cycle

Transcription

1 into the Standard Development Cycle Authors: Steve Wichman, Mike Pratt, Spencer Winters

2 The Problem A component does not get into space until it s proven It s not proven until it gets into space 2

3 Outline How and where a test flight can be inserted into the development cycle Detail the costs involved in such a flight and the quick development cycle required How and why customers (including civil, military, and commercial) should change their acquisition strategies to include a test flight The solutions of how to fly a new component 3

4 Analogies Aerospace Massive financial investment Mission-critical components (i.e. all of them) Non-Aerospace Same concerns (i.e. household products, pharmaceutical industry) Much shorter Lower...or risk are they? 4

5 Analogies (cont) Household product development cycle Prototype Focus group Test Test market market Full scale product release 5

6 Analogies (cont) Pharmaceutical development cycle (Perhaps even more risky and longer trials!) R&D Rats or other biological simulators Trial run (on (onhuman humandesperate desperateforfor solutions) Trial run solutions) Market release/fda approved 6

7 Analogies (cont) Aerospace R&D Ground testing Space Space testing testing Mission critical use 7

8 Standard Development Cycle CoDR/PDR/CDR/FRR all to convince customer Where to insert Test Flight? 8

9 Std Development Cycle (cont) High-precision, science instrument Engineering solution for capability Improvements on past product 9

10 TRLs Technology Readiness Levels (DoD and/or NASA) 1) Basic principals observed and reported 2) Technology concept and/or application formulated 3) Analytical and experimental critical function and/or proof of concept 4) Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment 5) Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment 6) System/subsystem prototype demo in a relevant environment 7) System prototype demonstration in an operational environment 8) Actual system completed and 'flight qualified' thru test and demo 9) Actual system 'flight proven' through successful mission operations 10

11 TRLs (cont) Similar conundrum: if a program requires a particular TRL, how will we get that without a test flight? Cross the TRL Valley of Death from TRL 6/7 to 8/9 Create a mini-mission to properly demonstrate technology Important to look at end-user's goals 11

12 Example payloads Component Structural composite panel Mini-Mission Requirements Just launch into space Orbit: any Min length of mission: 1 day, 1 year would show material stability properties (optional) Other requirements: image of panel on spacecraft before launch; company will run structural validation for any given mission; temperature sensor readings of material over 1 year mission (optional) Deploy an 200W array Orbit: any Min length of mission: 1 day of maneuvers in various thermal environments Other requirements: image of panel on spacecraft before and after deployment; vibrational readings of structure after maneuvers in various thermal environs Deploy into a high radiation environment Orbit: MEO, GEO, GTO Min length of mission: 1 year or longer Other requirements: continual data feed into connector and comparison of output against "golden" expected values, downlink discrepancies. Deliver picture of Earth features Orbit: LEO Min length of mission: 6 months Other requirements: narrow temperature ranges of optics; high memory usage; high download requirements Take radiation readings Orbit: any, GTO (optional/preferred) Min length of mission: 1 year or as long as possible Other requirements: low power requirements; multiple missions (desired) Vanguard Composites Composite solar array Composite Technologies Development FPGA technology Xilinx Imaging device Univ of Colorado Dosimeter Space Micro Inc. 12

13 Cost of Test Flight MVPs Mass, Volume, Power and other Special considerations (a.k.a. SWaP) What 50% is the most valuable player/parameter? mass, low volume and low power Then mass is the MVP that will drive the costs (illustrated platform) on next slide for ½ ESPA sized TREADS 13

14 MVPs (cont) TREADS Payloads Small Medium Large Entire Mass 0 10 lbs (0 5 kg) 5 20 lbs ( kg) lbs (5 20 kg) lbs (15 30 kg) Volume PC104 or 3u board 6u board or standalone component Standalone component or multiple boards Entire spacecraft volume (20 x 20 x 16 in) Power 0 5W 0-10 W 0 20 W 0 50 W Data downlink KB / day 0 1 MB / day 0 3 MB / day 0 6 MB / day Medium-duty Heavy-duty Dedicated % % 100 % Payload manager (script Light-duty size, processor capability, special requirements, etc.) Cost of spacecraft, I&T, % launch, and mission ops 14

15 Rapid Response Test Flight Cycles May seem unnerving to add test flight (to the schedule as well as the actual costs) The KEY is rapid test flight capability Streamlined Manage unforeseen problems Models Xtreme Programming build test suite prior to development Inventors get into the hands of the user's quickly Students the excitement to fly something within the school year drives innovation and faster results 15

16 Changes to Make How can the industry change it's approach? An appeal to long-term self interest Although the test flight represents an add'l expense, it actually reduces the overall risk and cost structure Actually achieves higher TRLs Reduces burden to create % reliable (on paper) payloads A company may consider doing it on their own Agencies can write a test flight milestone into a risk-reduction process 16

17 Changes to Make (cont) NRO approach bulk buy of cubesats Note: the actual launch schedule is the real sign Allows platform dedicated to new technologies and not waiting for another mission to accept the risks CONOPS development satellites, not operational SBIR-sat dedicated to testing new (i.e. SBIR-like) technologies Requires predictable/dependable launch schedule Perform component testing as a service (including AI&T, launch and mission ops) 17

18 TREADS Testbed for Responsive Experiments And Demonstrations in Space TREADS is a technology and science demonstration platform. We provide access to space for small payloads Integration, launch, mission operations Commercial/civil/DoD slots Lowering costs for technology demonstration 'Technology slots' available for 1 to 6 instruments 18

19 Configurations Five platforms in the TREADS family BalloonSat RocketSat Cubesat Hosted SmallSat 19

20 Configurations (cont) Five platforms in the TREADS family BalloonSat RocketSat Cubesat Hosted SmallSat (TREADS-B) 20

21 Configurations (cont) Five platforms in the TREADS family BalloonSat RocketSat (TREADS-R) Cubesat Hosted SmallSat 21

22 Configurations (cont) Five platforms in the TREADS family BalloonSat RocketSat Cubesat Hosted SmallSat (TREADS-C) 22

23 Configurations (cont) Five platforms in the TREADS family BalloonSat RocketSat Cubesat Hosted (TREADS-H) SmallSat...or... Images courtesy of MTSB and SAT 23

24 Configurations (cont) Five platforms in the TREADS family BalloonSat RocketSat Cubesat Hosted SmallSat (TREADS-S) 24

25 Conclusion/Summary Other industries perform simulated tests and then real-world tests before becoming critical Several place for industry and sponsors to insert test flights Component testing for new technologies is a service to get flight heritage and higher TRLs Priced on MVP scale Rapid response test flight cycles are essential TREADS has 5 platforms to perform technology, science, and tactical CONOPS building missions 25

26 Questions? into the Standard Development Cycle Point of Contact: Steve Wichman x201 26