Emerald: An Experimental Mission in Robust Distributed Space Systems

Distributed space systems are often cited as a means of enabling vast performance increases ranging from enhanced mission capabilities to radical reductions in operations cost. To explore this concept, Stanford University and Santa Clara University have initiated development of a simple, low cost, two-satellite mission known as Emerald. The Emerald mission has several on-orbit goals. First, it will verify an array of component-level technologies necessary for enabling highly capable and robust distributed space systems. Second, it will combine these technologies to experiment with simple closed loop relative positioning, distributed control, and autonomous operation. Third, it will validate the distributed space system concept by assessing how these capabilities improve a baseline scientific investigation involving lightning-induced atmospheric phenomena. The Emerald bus design is based on a heritage Stanford University design, a 15-kilogram, modular hexagonal vehicle relying heavily on commercial off-the-shelf components. Emerald is being funded through the AFOSR/DARPA University Nanosatellite Program, and a Space Shuttle launch in 2001 is being planned. This paper will discuss the Emerald team’s programmatic and on-orbit objectives, the conceptual design of the Emerald spacecraft, and the development approach adopted by the university team.

[1]  Christopher A. Kitts.  A global spacecraft control network for spacecraft autonomy research , 1996 .

[2]  R. Foster,et al.  Flight Software Implementation of the Beacon Monitor Expreiment On the NASA New Millennium Deep Space 1 (DS-1) Mission , 1997 .

[3]  Lauri Kraft Newman,et al.  Foundations of formation flying for Mission to Planet Earth and New Millennium , 1996 .

[4]  Patrick W. Binning.  Absolute and Relative Satellite to Satellite Navigation using GPS , 1997 .

[5]  Jeffrey M. Ota,et al.  THE PARASAT SPACE FLIGHT PROGRAM , 1999 .

[6]  C. Kitts,et al.  EXPERIMENTS IN AUTOMATED HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND NOTIFICATION FOR THE SAPPHIRE MICROSATELLITE , 1998 .

[7]  Christopher Kitts,et al.  The Artemis project: Picosatellites and the feasibility of the smaller, faster, cheaper approach , 1999, 1999 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Proceedings (Cat. No.99TH8403).

[8]  Frank H. Bauer,et al.  SATELLITE FORMATION FLYING USING AN INNOVATIVE AUTONOMOUS CONTROL SYSTEM (AUTOCON) ENVIRONMENT , 1997 .

[9]  K. Lau,et al.  AN INNOVATIVE DEEP SPACE APPLICATION OF GPS TECHNOLOGY FOR FORMATION FLYING SPACECRAFT , 1996 .

[10]  Christopher Kitts,et al.  The Satellite Quick Research Testbed (SQUIRT) Program , 1994 .

[11]  Nicola Muscettola,et al.  Design of the Remote Agent experiment for spacecraft autonomy , 1998, 1998 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings (Cat. No.98TH8339).

[12]  Jonathan P. How,et al.  GPS Sensing for Spacecraft Formation Flying , 1997 .

[13]  Brian Engberg,et al.  The OPAL Satellite Project: Continuing the Next Generation of Small Satellite Development , 1995 .

[14]  Kurt Zimmerman,et al.  Technologies for Spacecraft Formation Flying , 1999 .

[15]  Kurt Zimmerman,et al.  Experimental Demonstration of GPS for Rendezvous Between Two Prototype Space Vehicles , 1995 .

[16]  Joseph Guinn,et al.  Spacecraft autonomous navigation for formation flying Earth orbiters using GPS , 1996 .

[17]  Robert Twiggs,et al.  Emerald: A low-cost spacecraft mission for validating formation flying technologies , 1999, 1999 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Proceedings (Cat. No.99TH8403).

[18]  John O'Boyle,et al.  Smaller than Small, Faster than Fast, Cheaper than Cheap: The BARNACLE Satellite Project , 1998 .

[19]  K. Lau,et al.  The New Millennium separated spacecraft interferometer , 1997 .

[20]  Jonathan P. How,et al.  Orion - A low-cost demonstration of formation flying in space using GPS , 1998 .

[21]  Christopher Kitts.  A Small/Micro-/Pico- Satellite Program for Investigating Thunderstorm-related Atmospheric Phenomena , 1998 .