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Precision Formation Flying
The goal of precision formation flying research at JPL is to develop critical technologies (architectures, methodologies, hardware and software components) for precision control of collaborative distributed spacecraft systems, enabling a new class of mission architecture with the potential of achieving unprecedented science performance.
Future missions, such as those for Earth observation and extrasolar planet hunting will require effective telescope apertures far larger than are practical to build. Instead, a suite of spacecraft, flying in formation and connected by high-speed communications can create a very large “virtual” science instrument. The advantage is that the virtual structure can be made to any size. For baselines more than about a dozen meters, precision formation flying becomes the only feasible option.
Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) Interferometer concept
Many future concept missions such as Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF), the Micro Arcsecond X-Ray Imaging Mission (MAXIM), Stellar Imager (SI), and the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structures (SPECS) call for instruments with apertures or baselines beyond the scope of deployable structures.
Spacecraft formation flying has been identified as a critical technology for 21st century NASA astrophysical and Earth science missions. Specifically, formation flying refers to a set of distributed spacecraft with the ability to interact and cooperate with each other. In deep space, formation flying enables variable-baseline, interferometers that can probe the origin and structure of stars and galaxies with high precision. In addition, such interferometers will serve as essential instruments for discovering and imaging Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. Future Earth science missions will require Precision Formation Flying. A joint project with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and JPL, the Geospace Electrodynamic Connections (GEC) mission, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity Observing mission, the Cold Land Processes Research mission, and the Topography and Surface Change mission are all considering the Precision Formation Flying mission architecture. These missions would use Precision Formation Flying to simultaneously sample a volume of near-Earth space or create interferometric synthetic aperture radars (InSAR).
JPL’s Distributed Spacecraft Technology Program for Precision Formation Flying has developed architectures, methodologies, hardware and software components for precision control of collaborative distributed spacecraft systems, in order to enable these new mission architectures and their unprecedented science performance. These technologies ensure that JPL is uniquely poised to lead and collaborate on future missions.
Other applications of Precision Formation Flying include synthesized communication satellites for high-gain service to specific geographical regions (such as a theater of operations) and high-resolution ground moving target indicator (GMTI) synthetic aperture radars.
Selected Research Areas
Range and Bearing Precision
For astrophysical interferometry, the range and bearing knowledge between spacecraft must be calculated with great precision. In particular, distances must be known to the nanometer. Space-qualified, high-precision metrology systems with large, dynamic range and the ability to track neighboring spacecraft are required.
Micropropulsion
Precision control for drag-free, repeat orbit, and formation flying require micropropulsion systems that can quickly deliver very small thrust without vibrating the spacecraft. Technologies being developed, such as the miniature Xenon Ion thruster, provide .5 to 3 mili-netwons of thrust at a high specific impulse, thereby minimizing fuel. A laboratory version of this thruster has already been tested at JPL.
Real Time Simulation Software
Advanced formation guidance, estimation and control architectures and algorithms are necessary for robust, fuel-optimal formation operation, including reconfiguration and collision avoidance. JPL is developing a high-fidelity real-time simulation environment for formation flying missions called FAST. FAST is a generalization of a typical single-spacecraft real time testbed to precision formation. It allows high-fidelity development, testing, and characterization of formation control algorithms, flight software and mission concepts.
JPL Miniature Xenon Thruster
Autonomous Formation Command and Control
The Stellar Imager and Micro Arcsecond X-Ray Imaging Mission (MAXIM) teams are each planning 20-plus spacecraft formations, requiring distributed command and sensing architectures to coordinate these complex precision formations, and high-bandwidth, low-latency, robust communication systems between spacecraft.. Even smaller missions with only 2 or 3 spacecraft need to develop simpler versions to distribute command systems to avoid large, expensive mission operation teams. Methods, architectures, algorithms, and software for the autonomous control of precision formations is a significant technical challenge. While several feasible approaches have been eveloped, work continues to find ever more cost effective and robust methods.
Autonomous multi-spacecraft Command and Control
Formation Metrology
Formations of spacecraft must perform open intricate, synchronized maneuvers, where each spacecraft is required to precisely know the position and orientation of its partners. JPL has invested in this effort and has developed an integrated formation optical communication and estimation system. This technology integrates submillimeter absolute laser metrology, multi-channel laser communication at <10 Mbps, and generalized formation estimation metrologies.
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