A%20New%20Spacecraft%20Construction%20Technique

1
A New Spacecraft Construction Technique

• James Lyke
• Technical Advisor, Space Electronics Branch
• Space Vehicles Directorate
• Air Force Research Laboratory

2
The Problem

• Multi-year schedule slips, multi-billion dollar
  overruns has become typical.

Whether or not cost overruns are inherent in
U.S. military satellites under development, we
cannot say for sure. We can say that these
overruns seem to be endemic. There are about 10
major satellite systems under development by the
DOD, including the Advanced Extremely
High Frequency (AEHF) satellites, the Future
Imagery Architecture (FIA) satellites, the GPS
IIR-M/IIF, the GPS III, the Mobile User Objective
System (MUOS), the National Polar-orbiting
Operational Environmental Satellite System
(N-POESS), the Space Based Infrared
System-High (SBIRS-High), the Space Radar (SR),
the Space Tracking and Surveillance System
(STSS), and the Wideband Gapfiller Satellites
(WGS). All of these programs are over budget (way
over, in some cases) and behind schedule or
delayed. 1
What are the things that these programs share in
common that make it seem as though cost overruns
are part of their nature?

• Marco Cáceres , Cost overruns plague military
  satellite programs, Aerospace America
  (publication of AIAA), January 2006, pp 18-20,
  23. Specific URL (working as of 2 Jan 08)
  http//www.aiaa.org/aerospace/images/articleimages
  /pdf/AA_Jan06_II.pdf .

3
Outline of this talk

• Describe the development of a plug-and-play
  technology that will dramatically short circuit
  the time necessary to build a complex spacecraft
• Describe an outreach concept based on mapping
  these concepts into tiny spacecraft

4
Problem Formulation

• Create a spacecraft in less than one week

5
Days Instead of Years.
Complex Systems

• Cannot be achieved by tweaking existing
  processes
• Requires fundamentally new approaches
• Standards are not enough

6
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A technology basis for responsiveness

• Satellite Design Automation (SDA)
• The metaphor of the push-button toolflow
• Plug-and-play components / technologies
• Modular, open systems architecture (MOSA)
• Self-describing components / self-integrating
  networks
• Software engineering for re-use
• Improved testability
• The notion of help-desk for these (and other)
  things

8
Satellite Design AutomationMetaphor of a
push-button toolflow
Mission Goals and Requirements
Component Capabilities
Drag Drop Design
Automatic Verification
Iterate

CATEGORY RULES


predCategory(
catidReferenceFrame ). predElementOf(
catidReferenceFrame, catidReferenceFrame
). predCategory( catidCoordinateSystem
). predElementOf( catidCoordinateSystem,
catidCoordinateSystem ).

INTERFACE RULES

p
redInterface( iidIEnvironmentObject
). predElementOf( iidIEnvironmentObject,
catidEnvironment ). predInterface(
iidIMomentumStorage ). predElementOf(
iidIMomentumStorage, catidActuator
).
COMPONENT RULES


predComponent(
clsidCEarth ). predElementOf( clsidCEarth,
catidReferenceFrame ). predElementOf(
clsidCEarth, catidEnvironment ). fncIn(
iidIEnvironmentObject, clsidCEarth ).
Performance Modeling
Design Verification Rules Engine
9
Intelligent Modularity By Design
plug-and-play components/technologies
platform
plug-and-play component
electronic datasheet
interface module
10
eXtended Transducer Electronic Datasheet
XTEDS

• Primary mechanism for self-description
• Embedded in hardware and software applications
• Describes knobs and measurands
• Conveys semantic precision through a common
  data dictionary (CDD)
• Enforces order in the LEGO universe of SPA
  (features only exist if known through XTEDS)

(facet)
(facet)
Interface
Interface
Message
Message
Variable
Variable
CDD
11
SPA Networking with SPA devices / hubs
Hub
RXN X
CDH
RXN Y
RXN Z
Hub
Simple Camera
Hub
Therm
Therm
Software Radio
12
The Satellite Data Model (SDM) Building
Awareness into Plug-and-play
13
Test Bypass Concept
To simplify the testing of complex systems, a
test bypass feature is integrated in the SPA
plug-and-play interfaces. Test bypass allows an
external control (simulation) to provide
substituted values during test, similar to the
test/debug methods used in developing software.
Test bypass is particular useful in cases where
an actual test involving a devices native
sensors and actuators is impractical.
14
Flight Projects

• Current
• RESE (sounding rocket)
• SAE (part of TacSat 3)
• PnPSat
• Prospective
• TacSat V
• Falconsat IV and/or V
• PnP Nanosatellite

15
Responsive Space Testbed
Plug-and-play space components
Approved SPA Interface Standards
Hardware in-the-loop
Automated Mission S/c Design
Adaptive Wiring Manifold
Flt Demos RESE-1 TS-3 SAE PnPSat
Appliqué Sensor
Interface Module (ASIM)
SPA-U Hub
Technology Cell
Flat-Sat Cell
Rapid Satellite Cell

• Objectives
• Drive toward 6-day spacecraft
• Dissect and examine every process
• Develop modular systems automated tools
• Validate plug-and-play architectures
• Integrate analysis tools hardware-in-loop
• Demonstrate fast IT, initialization, and ops
• Explore prospective satellite configurations and
  operational concepts prior to build

XML-based Electronic Data Sheet (xTEDS)
Plug-and-play Technology
RIMS Ground Station
16
Modular Concept Bus

• Like the Detroit concept car
• Logically extends ideas of plug-and-play to the
  rest of the satellite

17
Early Flight Projects

• RESE-1 Suborbital Flight Experiment
• Sounding Rocket Single stage Terrier
• Launch Site White Sands
• Launched Late 2007
• Max Altitude 200,000 to 250,000 ft
• Duration above 90,000 ft 100s

SPA-U x 4
TacSat 3 (spacecraft av exp)
SPA-U x 4
18
Plug-and-play Satellite (PnPSat)

• First spacecraft ever built entirely on PnP
  principles
• Decentralized, scalable computation
• Use of satellite data model
• All components (even panels) are SPA devices
• up to 48 mounting sites
• Ambitious development schedule
• Targeting flight in 2009

19
PnPSat Structural Panel w/Electronics
Circuit Breakers
SpaceWire Router

• Electronics infrastructure internal to panel
• Power and data services to eight payload
  endpoints per panel
• Panels networked through inter-panel harnessing
  across specific joints
• Thermal, EMI vibe testing successful

Power Bus
PnPSat in integration and test
Top Face Encapsulates Internal Complexity and
Capability
Power Hub
Test ByPass
Network infrastructure in panels enables easy
component placement and eliminates array of
custom harnesses
19
20
Encapsulation (complexity hiding)
21
PnPSat Component Locations
Long Range Imager
Z Panel
AIS Receiver
Z-axis Reaction Wheel
IDS 1
Wide Angle Imager
Y-axis Torque Rod
WSSP
Solar Array Controller
X-axis Torque Rod
S-band Antenna Assembly 2
X-axis Reaction Wheel
-X Panel
-Y Panel
Spacecraft Clock
IMU1
GPS Receiver 1
Solar Array
Y-axis Reaction Wheel
IDS 3
Coarse Sun Sensor Module 1
ESM
Z-axis Torque Rod
Beam Steering Mirror Experiment
Magnetometer
Launch Vehicle Adapter
-Z Panel
GPS Receiver 2
Motorized Lightband
Y Panel
X Panel
IDS 2
Battery
MCU-110
IMU2
Coarse Sun Sensor Module 2
MBT Assembly (under antenna)
S-band Radio
SmartMESA
Tactical Antenna
S-band Antenna Assembly 1
Star Tracker
22
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Outreach Dilemma

• While research in plug-and-play is on-going,
  basic technology is established and ready for
  work in the real world
• How do we scale the technology?
• Maybe (like Feynman said) theres plenty of room
  at the bottom

25
What is a CubeSat?

• Cubesat is simply a container specification
• Most compelling aspects of CubeSat standard are
• size (a x b x c)10cm, a,b,c integer (1000cm3
  1U)
• simplified launcher (PPOD)
• Most users fill their own cubes, with mostly
  custom content, optimized for a mission
  application
• 42 cubesats launched, 24 orbited, only 1
  launched from US (!) (NASA GeneSat)

Shell, part of pumpkin sat kit (1U)
PPOD launcher, holds Cubesat (3U)
26
Merging CubeSats with Plug-and-play NanoSPA

• Goal of this AFRL work is to break Swiss watch
  effect and promote interchangeability of
  components between different development groups
• More than that, we want plug-and-play components
• The advent of a table-top satellite that could
  be as

easily integrated as a personal computer. If Eli
Whitney or Dell were building satellites, we
think theyd be this way
27
Summary of Initial Work

• Timeframe Summer 2008 (June-Sept)
• Team AFRL staff, students, industry
• Emphases
• Study of agile manufacturing approaches
• Examining push-button toolflow concepts
• Plug-and-play (PnP) avionics and modular
  structures
• Unified PnP radio architecture
• Software engineering
• Developed three demonstration busses

28
Migration of PnP to Nano/Cubesats

• Summer project to study a nanosatellite factory
• Modularization of CubeSat standard CubeFlow
• Benefits
• Miniaturization of SPA components
• Commoditization of CubeSat-compatible components
• Potential for outreach / beta-testing of SPA

29
Nanosat Modular Format (NMF)

• Promoting interchangeability requires breaking
  down the cube into modular partitions. This 1U
  cube has seven spaces, six being NMF panels
  (70x70x12mm) with an interior compartment.

30
Electronics Bay Sizes
Module Size (mm) Structural Side (mm)
70 x 70 x 12.5 100 x 100 x 10
70 x 160 x 12.5 100 x 200 x 10
160 x 160 x 12.5 200 x 200 x 10
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Flexible Sizes and Shapes
1x1x1
1x1x1 Card Cage
1x1x2 Card Cage
1x1x1 with 1x1x2 Card Cage
2x2x2
1x2x2
1x1x2
1x1x2 with 1x1x1 Card Cage
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CubeFlow devices / systems

• Using Space PnP avionics (SPA) approach, cubes
  can be decomposed into self-describing
  components, just as in PnPSat

1x1 NanoSPA computer
1x1 NanoSPA radio
1x1 NanoSPA power module
1x1 NanoSPA GNC module
1x1 NanoSPA payload module
1x2 NanoSPA payload module
33
A Web-based tool flow!?Drupal CMS distributed
CubeFlow
Configurator/ package generator
Electronic Data sheet creator
ASIM code wrapper / generator
SDM application builder
34
Replace Design by Committee by Design with
Community
Spacecraft Design
Spacecraft Bus Wizard
Spacecraft Payload Wizard
Interaction
a on shelf b add to shopping cart c use
instant RFI to acquire
a
b
c
35
Automated Spacecraft Design
Mission Capture
Orbit Design / Launch Selection
Design Verification
Spacecraft Design
Spacecraft Bus Wizard
Interaction
GNC Subsystem Design Wizards
Power Subsystem Design Wizards
Thermal Subsystem Design Wizards
Mech Subsystem Design Wizards
a
z
b
c
Component Libraries
36
Web-based Design Flow

• Supports user-defined modules (like add-ins for
  web browser) to assist component purchase and
  subsystem design
• Core and contributed modules are drag-and-drop
• Design flow engines can be distributed (along
  with component inventories)
• Supports contemporary trust concepts
  (five-star)
• Exploits extremely powerful electronic design
  automation technologies (e.g. electrical rule
  check, design rule check engines)
• Based on Linux/Apache/SQL/MySQL (LAMP)
  technology (same as Mediawiki/Intellipedia),
  hostable at different classified levels

37
RecommendationsCubeFlow ShortCourse

• Create 12 CubeFlow bus kits to be furnished to
  selected groups in a special short course (slated
  for March 2009) timeframe. In the 2-day course,
  each participant will assemble and develop simple
  SPA devices and SDM applications under guidance
  of subject matter experts. The kits will contain
  all the pieces necessary to assemble the shells
  of two (1U and 2U) CubeFlow busses, complete with
  at least four ASIMs, a SDM-enabled host, cables,
  panels, and supporting software infrastructure.
  Attendees will make a "soft MOU" with AFRL/ORS to
  develop at least one non-trivial CubeFlow bus
  component over the next 12 months. If the first
  course is successful, we will seek to repeat for
  two more cycles of 12 kits each on 4-6 month
  intervals.

38
Outreach a bold (?) idea

• 1 class 12 groups
• 10 classes 120 groups (within one year if we
  can get the support, by running multiple
  workshops in Albuquerque and other sites)
• Establish the CubeFlow network to create a ready
  supply / coordination network (a Web-based system
  for design satellites and sharing the components)
• Even if only ¼ of the participants do something,
  we should have at least 30 SPA components that
  can be freely procured
• If we can find launch for even 10 of the teams
  (by reserving dispenser slots on ORS missions),
  well probably quadruple the number of components

39
Summary

• Our future success in space hinges on our ability
  to cope with complexity
• Responsiveness unleashes creativity and
  flexibility
• Modular open system architectures level the
  playing field and make possible the same kind of
  revolution in aerospace we achieved in (for
  example) the PC
• Nanosats differ only in degree from bigger
  systems
• Swiss watch vs LEGO-like
• Plug-and-play approaches can be applied to cubes
  as easily as to larger systems

The best way of dealing with technological
surprise is to be the one that does the
surprising
40
Acknowledgments

• Senior management support of the Air Force
  Reseach Laboratory
• Gifted in-house / distributed team of government,
  industry, and academic participants
• Support from the Office of Operationally
  Responsive Space
• New Mexico Space Grant Consortium