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At least 253 records · Page 14

Space environmental effects on the SKYNET 2B spacecraft

References are made to environmentally induced electrical anomalies which are known to occur on geosynchronous spacecraft, and in particular to those which have occurred on the SKYNET 2B communications spacecraft. Details are given of the investigation made into anomalous telemetry data received from SKYNET 2B during its first 23 months of operation. The frequency and timing of these anomalous events appear to differ from those described in earlier reports of such phenomena. Attempts are made to correlate the anomalous telemetry data with data describing the spacecraft environment. Some details are given of the spacecraft configuration and comments made on its susceptibility to anomalies of this type.

Robbins, A.↗

The Next Generation of Space Telemetry and Telecommand Standards

New standards for space/ground communications protocols are suggested for the following areas: a) file transfer based on the Internet, b) transport based on the Internet TCP/UDP, c) security derived from the ISO NLSP, a new space network, and a new space data link.

spacecraft communications telemetry standards tele↗

The feasibility study and evaluation of applying expert system techniques to the mission operations for the AXAF-I spacecraft

Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility - Imaging (AXAF-I) is a spacecraft for X-ray emitting sources observation and has been tentatively scheduled for a space shuttle launch in late 1998 at the Kennedy Space Center. Its main objectives are 'to determine the nature of astronomical objects ranging from normal stars to quasars, to understand the nature of the physical processes which take place in and between astronomical objects, and to add to our understanding of the history and evolution of the universe.' The AXAF-I will have an expected five year life time for the science mission phase. During the science mission phase, the monitoring and management operation of the flight and ground systems is personnel intensive, requiring system experts on duty around the clock. The purpose of the expert system presented in this report is intended to reduce the level of expertise, training, and personnel requirement for the mission operation. The telemetry data from the spacecraft can be divided into two categories: the science observation data and the engineering status data. The science data contains the outputs from the X-ray sensing devices and will be forwarded to the AXAF-I Science Center for interpretation; while the engineering status data will be monitored by the Operation Control Center (OCC) for the operation diagnosis of the spacecraft. The expert system is designed to assist the operation controllers at the OCC to perform the daily mission operations. Since there are hundreds of engineering telemetry data points and the interpretation of the telemetry depends on many factors, e.g., sun or eclipse, the monitoring of the AXAF-I is not a trivial task. In this phase of expert system development, the focus has been limited to the engineering data interpretation, i.e., warnings will be provided to the operation controllers to signal any anomaly. The system is hosted in a Silicon Graphics Indigo-2 workstation running the IRIX operating system. The expert system tool used is the G2 system from Gensym (Gensy).

Chang, Kai H.↗

Applied Multi-Mission Telemetry Processing and Display for Operations, Integration, Training, Playback and Event Reconstruction

Conveying spacecraft health and status information to mission engineering personnel during various mission phases, including mission operations, is a requirement to achieve a successful mission. For NASA/JPL spacecraft, that often means displaying hundreds of telemetry channels from a variety of sensors and components emitting data at rates varying from 1hz-100hz (and faster) in a way that allows the operations team to quickly evaluate the health of the vehicle, identify any off-nominal states and resolve any issues. In this paper we will discuss the system design, requirements and use cases of three telemetry processing and visualization systems recently developed and deployed by our team for NASA's Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) test vehicle, NASA's Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) orbiter, and JPL's Sampling Lab Universal Robotic Manipulator (SLURM) test bed.

simulation↗

Re-Engineering the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Satellite Utilizing Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Mission Services Center (GMSEC) Middleware Based Technology to Enable Lights Out Operations and Autonomous Re-Dump of Lost Telemetry Data

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft was launched in November of 1996 in order to obtain unique three dimensional radar cross sectional observations of cloud structures with particular interest in hurricanes. The TRMM mission life was recently extended with current estimates that operations will continue through the 2012-2013 timeframe. Faced with this extended mission profile, the project has embarked on a technology refresh and re-engineering effort. TRMM has recently implemented a re-engineering effort to expand a middleware based messaging architecture to enable fully redundant lights-out of flight operations activities. The middleware approach is based on the Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) architecture, tools and associated open-source Applications Programming Interface (API). Middleware based messaging systems are useful in spacecraft operations and automation systems because private node based knowledge (such as that within a telemetry and command system) can be broadcast on the middleware messaging bus and hence enable collaborative decisions to be made by multiple subsystems. In this fashion, private data is made public and distributed within the local area network and multiple nodes can remain synchronized with other nodes. This concept is useful in a fully redundant architecture whereby one node is monitoring the processing of the 'prime' node so that in the event of a failure the backup node can assume operations of the prime, without loss of state knowledge. This paper will review and present the experiences, architecture, approach and lessons learned of the TRMM re-engineering effort centered on the GMSEC middleware architecture and tool suite. Relevant information will be presented that relates to the dual redundant parallel nature of the Telemetry and Command (T and C) and Front-End systems and how these systems can interact over a middleware bus to achieve autonomous operations including autonomous commanding to recover missing science data during the same spacecraft contact.

Marius, Julio L.↗

OSO spacecraft manual

Spacecraft manual for OSO - telemetry system, command system, power supply and distribution, antenna system, experiment complement, temperature monitoring, and launch program

OSO↗

Lunar surface mechanical properties

Lunar surface mechanical properties determined by landing impacts, telemetry data from Surveyor III, and comparison of data collected by Surveyor I and Surveyor III

LUNAR SURFACE↗

An approach to attitude determination for a spin-stabilized spacecraft (IMP 1)

The analysis and the FORTRAN program are presented for the determination of attitude of a spin-stabilized spacecraft. The use of telemetry data that provide information about two reference vectors and their relation to the spin is outlined. A technique for the determination of the spin-axis orientation that employs only simple calculations is described.

Fang, A. C.↗

Two early missions to the comets.

Early missions to the comets Grigg-Skjellerup in 1977 and Encke in 1980 are suggested as precursors to more ambitious missions to Encke rendezvous in 1984 and Halley intercept in 1986. The spacecraft structures, power systems, telemetry, configurations, and launch vehicles considered appropriate for these two missions are actual equipments ready for applications. The mission objectives would be exploration of the nature of the solar wind interaction with comets, the composition of the gaseous cometary atmosphere, and possibly the details of the trailing portion of a comet (ion and dust tails).

Farquhar, R. W.↗

Computer simulation of the Pioneer 10 microwave occultation experiment

As Pioneer 10 approaches the planet Jupiter, its trajectory will carry it behind the planet, as seen from the earth. The microwave telemetry signal from the spacecraft will then pass through the Jovian atmosphere on its way to the earth, and analysis of the effects of the atmosphere on the signal should yield information on the atmospheric structure. To help define the capabilities of this experiment and to aid the analysis of the real data, we have simulated the occultation experiment on a computer by using model Jovian atmospheres and a predicted trajectory. The results indicate that the useful depth of penetration of the microwave signal will be governed by ammonia absorption rather than superrefractivity. The experiment is apparently far more sensitive to variations in cloud-top temperature than to variations in the hydrogen-helium ratio. Characteristic 'flashes' in the attenuation record of the signal may yield information on the location of the top of the Jovian convective zone.

Ungar, S. G.↗

Applications Technology Satellite ATS-6 experiment checkout and continuing spacecraft evaluation report

The activities of the ATS-6 spacecraft are reviewed. The following subsystems and experiments are summarized: (1) radio beacon experiments; (2) spacecraft attitude precision pointing and slewing adaptive control experiment; (3) satellite instruction television experiment; (4) thermal control subsystem; (5) spacecraft propulsion subsystem; (6) telemetry and control subsystem; (7) millimeter wave experiment; and (8) communications subsystem. The results of performance evaluation of its subsystems and experiments are presented.

Moore, W.↗

Design study of a HEAO-C spread spectrum transponder telemetry system for use with the TDRSS subnet

The results of a design study of a spread spectrum transponder for use on the HEAO-C satellite were given. The transponder performs the functions of code turn-around for ground range and range-rate determination, ground command receiver, and telemetry data transmitter. The spacecraft transponder and associated communication system components will allow the HEAO-C satellite to utilize the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) subnet of the post 1978 STDN. The following areas were discussed in the report: TDRSS Subnet Description, TDRSS-HEAO-C System Configuration, Gold Code Generator, Convolutional Encoder Design and Decoder Algorithm, High Speed Sequence Generators, Statistical Evaluation of Candidate Code Sequences using Amplitude and Phase Moments, Code and Carrier Phase Lock Loops, Total Spread Spectrum Transponder System, and Reference Literature Search.

Weathers, G.↗

Arrayed receivers for low-rate telemetry

RF carrier array includes one master and slave receiving system to improve overall signal-to-noise ratio. Greater number of slave systems creates additional improvement. Scheme reduces detection threshold of low-rate telemetry signals transmitted from spacecraft, enhancing communications efficiency.

Brockman, M. H.↗

Reaction torque minimization techniques for articulated payloads

Articulated payloads on spacecraft, such as antenna telemetry systems and robotic elements, impart reaction torques back into the vehicle which can significantly affect the performance of other payloads. This paper discusses ways to minimize the reaction torques of articulated payloads through command-shaping algorithms and unique control implementations. The effects of reaction torques encountered on Landsat are presented and compared with simulated and measured data of prototype systems employing these improvements.

Kral, Kevin↗

Hubble Space Telescope communications and data handling

The communications and data handling system of the HST are described in detail. Consideration is given to observation scheduling, commanding, telemetry, scientific data collection, spacecraft data handling systems, and the use of the TDRSS and NASCOM data network. The science instruments control and data handling subsystem is presented in schematic form.

Lesko, John↗