SBIR-STTR Award

Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSMs) such as constellations, formation-flying missions, and fractionated missions provide unique scientific and programmatic benefits. Distributed mission architectures allow for multipoint in-situ measurements, multi-angle viewpoints, and considerably improved understanding of the connections between separately measured phenomena and their time variations. DSMs are particularly important for NASA's efforts to better understand Sun-Earth interactions, space weather, and heliophysics, and they deliver operational and scientific benefits for missions to small bodies and planetary satellites as well. In all cases these missions impose unique operational requirements that can stress ground tracking stations and mission operators by increasing the number of vehicles or create challenges when establishing sufficient communications contacts. These DSM challenges can be addressed by employing automation both on board and on the ground. Moving autonomous operations on board the spacecraft mitigates both the operational burden of such missions as well as the ground segment congestion faced in these scenarios. Advanced Space proposes developing a real-time (RT), open source, embedded software (ESW) application for on-board maneuver planning and relative orbit determination that is compatible with NASA's Core Flight System (cFS) and that enables DSMs to operate with increased autonomy in their spacecraft operations. In combination with cFS, an on-board software engine capable of employing a linearized solution of Lambert's problem will yield a powerful and enabling application for a wide variety of missions using distributed spacecraft arrangements.

Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSM) architectures provide unique scientific and programmatic benefits including multipoint in-situ measurements, multi-angle viewpoints, and improved understanding of the connections between separately measured phenomena and their time variations. However, these missions impose significant operational demands on ground tracking resources and mission operators alike, by adding to the population of space vehicles tracked and by increasing the volume and frequency of space communication contacts. Moving certain functions from the ground to the spacecraft can provide significant benefits for DSM operations, particularly for missions in Low Earth Orbit which can navigate using the Global Positioning System. The proposed innovation represents a breakthrough in this concept.The PI of this proposal has developed and provided a proof-of-concept demonstration of a linearized solution to Lambert’s problem, enabling determination of a satellite’s orbit based on two observations of its location or constructing transfer orbits to change a satellite’s position. This linearized function may be transferred to the spacecraft itself, which could be used to automate DSM configuration updates and maintenance via a single spacecraft communication with the ground and further inter-satellite communication.NASA has been advancing its Core Flight System to further the rapid development and integration of new applications to a common flight software system. In combination with cFS, an onboard software engine capable of employing a linearized solution of Lambert’s problem will yield a powerful and enabling application for a wide variety of missions using distributed spacecraft arrangements. Advanced Space is developing an open source, embedded software application for onboard maneuver planning and relative orbit determination that is compatible with Core Flight System and that enables DSMs to operate with increased autonomy.