Application of advanced technology to space automation

Automated operations in space provide the key to optimized mission design and data acquisition at minimum cost for the future. The results of this study strongly accentuate this statement and should provide further incentive for immediate development of specific automtion technology as defined herein. Essential automation technology requirements were identified for future programs. The study was undertaken to address the future role of automation in the space program, the potential benefits to be derived, and the technology efforts that should be directed toward obtaining these benefits

Design of a portable observatory control system

In this thesis, we synthesize the development of a new concept of operation of small robotic telescopes operated over the Internet. Our design includes a set of improvements in control algorithmic and hardware of several critical points of the list of subsystems necessary to obtain suitable data from a telescope. We can synthesize the principal contributions of this thesis into five independent innovations: - An advanced drive closed-loop control: We designed an innovative hardware and software solution for controlling a telescope position at high precision and high robustness. - A complete Telescope Control System (TCS): We implemented a light and portable software using advanced astronomical algorithms libraries for optimally compute in real-time the telescope positioning. This software also provides a new multiple simultaneous pointing models system using state machines which allows reaching higher pointing precision and longer exposure times with external guiding telescopes. - A distributed software architecture (CoolObs): CoolObs is the implementation of a ZeroC-ICE framework allowing the control, interaction, and communication of all the peripherals present in an astronomical observatory. - A patented system for dynamic collimation of optics: SAPACAN is a mechanical parallel arrangement and its associated software used for active compensation of low-frequency aberration variations in small telescopes. - Collimation estimation algorithms: A sensor-less AO algorithm have been applied by the analysis of images obtained with the field camera. This algorithm can detect effects of lousy collimation. The measured misalignments can later feed corrections to a device like SAPACAN. Due to the constant presence of new technologies in the field of astronomy, it had been one of the first fields to introduce material which was not democratized at this time such as Coupled Charged Devices, internet, adaptive optics, remote and robotic control of devices. However, every time one of these new technologies was included in the field it was necessary to design software protocol according to the epoch’s state of the art software. Then with the democratization of the same devices, years after the definition of their protocols, the same communication rules tend to be used to keep backward compatibility with old - and progressively unused- devices. When using lots of cumulated software knowledge such as with robotic observing, we can dig in several nonsenses in the commonly used architectures due to the previously explained reasons. The described situation is the reason why we will propose as follows a new concept of considering an observatory as an entity and not a separated list of independent peripherals. We will describe the application of this concept in the field or robotic telescopes and implement it in various completely different examples to show its versatility and robustness. First of all, we will give a short introduction of the astronomical concepts which will be used all along the document, in a second part, we will expose a state of the art of the current solutions used in the different subsystems of an observing facility and explain why they fail in being used in small telescopes. The principal section will be dedicated to detail and explain each of the five innovations enumerated previously, and finally, we will present the fabrication and integration of these solutions. We will show here how the joint use of all of them allowed obtaining satisfactory outstanding results in the robotic use of a new prototype and on the adaptation on several existing refurbished telescopes. Finally, we dedicate the last chapter of this thesis to resuming the conclusions of our work.En esta tesis, presentamos el desarrollo de un nuevo concepto de operación de telescopio robótica operados a través de Internet. Nuestro diseño incluye un conjunto de mejoras de los algoritmos de control y hardware de varios puntos críticos de la lista de subsistemas necesarios para obtener datos de calidad científica con un telescopio. Podemos sintetizar las principales contribuciones de esta tesis en cinco innovaciones independientes: - Un control de motor avanzado en bucle cerrado: Diseñamos un hardware y software innovadores para controlar la posición y movimiento fino de un telescopio con alta precisión y alta robustez. - Un software de control de telescopio (TCS) integrado: Implementamos un software ligero y portátil que ocupa bibliotecas de algoritmos astronómicos avanzados para calcular de manera óptima y en tiempo real la posición teórica del telescopio. Este software también proporciona un software innovador de modelo de pointing múltiples simultáneos. Esto permite alcanzar una mayor precisión de seguimiento y así ocupar tiempos de integración más importante ocupando un telescopio de guía mecánicamente apartado al telescopio principal. - Una arquitectura de software distribuido (CoolObs): CoolObs es una implementación de software ocupando la plataforma de desarrollo ZeroC-ICE la cual permite el control, la interacción y la comunicación de todos los periféricos presentes en un observatorio astronómico. - Un sistema patentado para la colimación dinámica de la óptica: SAPACAN es un sistema mecánico de movimiento paralelo y su software asociado. Se puede ocupar para compensar activamente las aberraciones ópticas de bajo orden en pequeños telescopios. - Algoritmos de estimación de colimación: Se desarrolló un algoritmo de óptica adaptiva sin sensor en base al análisis de imágenes obtenidas con una cámara cerca del plano focal del telescopio. Este algoritmo puede detectar efectos de mala colimación de las ópticas. Los desajustes, una vez medidos, pueden posteriormente ser aplicados como correcciones a un dispositivo como SAPACAN. Astronomía es un terreno propicio al desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías y, debido a esto, los protocolos de comunicación entre periféricos pueden ser obsoletos porque se han escritos en etapas tempranas de existencia de estas nuevas tecnologías. Las mejoras se han hecho de a poco para mantener la compatibilidad de los sistemas ya existentes, ocupando un planteamiento general de la problemática de control de telescopios robóticos, proponemos un nuevo concepto de observatorio robótico visto como una entidad y no una lista de periféricos independientes. A lo largo de esta tesis, describiremos la aplicación de este concepto en el campo de telescopios robóticos e implementarlo en varios sistemas independientes y variados para mostrar la versatilidad y robustez de la propuesta.Postprint (published version

Workshop on Advanced Technologies for Planetary Instruments, part 1

This meeting was conceived in response to new challenges facing NASA's robotic solar system exploration program. This volume contains papers presented at the Workshop on Advanced Technologies for Planetary Instruments on 28-30 Apr. 1993. This meeting was conceived in response to new challenges facing NASA's robotic solar system exploration program. Over the past several years, SDIO has sponsored a significant technology development program aimed, in part, at the production of instruments with these characteristics. This workshop provided an opportunity for specialists from the planetary science and DoD communities to establish contacts, to explore common technical ground in an open forum, and more specifically, to discuss the applicability of SDIO's technology base to planetary science instruments

NASA Automated Rendezvous and Capture Review. Executive summary

In support of the Cargo Transfer Vehicle (CTV) Definition Studies in FY-92, the Advanced Program Development division of the Office of Space Flight at NASA Headquarters conducted an evaluation and review of the United States capabilities and state-of-the-art in Automated Rendezvous and Capture (AR&C). This review was held in Williamsburg, Virginia on 19-21 Nov. 1991 and included over 120 attendees from U.S. government organizations, industries, and universities. One hundred abstracts were submitted to the organizing committee for consideration. Forty-two were selected for presentation. The review was structured to include five technical sessions. Forty-two papers addressed topics in the five categories below: (1) hardware systems and components; (2) software systems; (3) integrated systems; (4) operations; and (5) supporting infrastructure

Large Deployable Reflector (LDR) system concept and technology definition study. Volume 2: Technology assessment and technology development plan

A study was conducted to define reasonable and representative LDR system concepts for the purpose of defining a technology development program aimed at providing the requisite technological capability necessary to start LDR development by the end of 1991. This volume presents thirteen technology assessments and technology development plans, as well as an overview and summary of the LDR concepts. Twenty-two proposed augmentation projects are described (selected from more than 30 candidates). The five LDR technology areas most in need of supplementary support are: cryogenic cooling; astronaut assembly of the optically precise LDR in space; active segmented primary mirror; dynamic structural control; and primary mirror contamination control. Three broad, time-phased, five-year programs were synthesized from the 22 projects, scheduled, and funding requirements estimated

Earth imaging with microsatellites: An investigation, design, implementation and in-orbit demonstration of electronic imaging systems for earth observation on-board low-cost microsatellites.

This research programme has studied the possibilities and difficulties of using 50 kg microsatellites to perform remote imaging of the Earth. The design constraints of these missions are quite different to those encountered in larger, conventional spacecraft. While the main attractions of microsatellites are low cost and fast response times, they present the following key limitations: Payload mass under 5 kg, Continuous payload power under 5 Watts, peak power up to 15 Watts, Narrow communications bandwidths (9.6 / 38.4 kbps), Attitude control to within 5°, No moving mechanics. The most significant factor is the limited attitude stability. Without sub-degree attitude control, conventional scanning imaging systems cannot preserve scene geometry, and are therefore poorly suited to current microsatellite capabilities. The foremost conclusion of this thesis is that electronic cameras, which capture entire scenes in a single operation, must be used to overcome the effects of the satellite's motion. The potential applications of electronic cameras, including microsatellite remote sensing, have erupted with the recent availability of high sensitivity field-array CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensors. The research programme has established suitable techniques and architectures necessary for CCD sensors, cameras and entire imaging systems to fulfil scientific/commercial remote sensing despite the difficult conditions on microsatellites. The author has refined these theories by designing, building and exploiting in-orbit five generations of electronic cameras. The major objective of meteorological scale imaging was conclusively demonstrated by the Earth imaging camera flown on the UoSAT-5 spacecraft in 1991. Improved cameras have since been carried by the KITSAT-1 (1992) and PoSAT-1 (1993) microsatellites. PoSAT-1 also flies a medium resolution camera (200 metres) which (despite complete success) has highlighted certain limitations of microsatellites for high resolution remote sensing. A reworked, and extensively modularised, design has been developed for the four camera systems deployed on the FASat-Alfa mission (1995). Based on the success of these missions, this thesis presents many recommendations for the design of microsatellite imaging systems. The novelty of this research programme has been the principle of designing practical camera systems to fit on an existing, highly restrictive, satellite platform, rather than conceiving a fictitious small satellite to support a high performance scanning imager. This pragmatic approach has resulted in the first incontestable demonstrations of the feasibility of remote sensing of the Earth from inexpensive microsatellites