ID, GPS Tracking, 24/7 Tag Link for CubeSats and Constellations: Flight Results

The tiny 40-gram EyeStar-Tag processor, GPS, and radio link will ID its satellite with GPS and critical status data within a minute after turn-on. The autonomous low power EyeStar Tag GPS (20mW for 3D lock) is now at TRL-9 based on the successful release and operation of the Spaceflight Inc. ring on the 1/24/2021 rideshare launch. The orbit (530 km polar) was projected using GPS seven element arrays to generate, on the fly, the future ephemeris predictions while monitoring critical fight systems. The Tag continues to transmit over the Globalstar network of satellites and ground stations the GPS elements and status with low latency of seconds, even if the primary satellite fails or stops. Whether dead or alive, orbital elements and TLEs for debris tracking, attitude, and ID are available to the 18th Squadron. AFWERX’s SBIR investment helped fast track the Black Box and Tag systems. Key enablers and new architecture are flight referenced for 30 ThinSat constellation launched in February 2021 NG-15. With the Globalstar constellation NSL can monitor a satellite 24/7 anywhere in LEO orbits with data available anytime, without the need for expensive ground stations. With a 100% success in orbit using the NSL EyeStar processor and Globalstar comm systems (110+ radios in space with several tumbling) can contribute to the commercial, educational, and research small satellite market that is rapidly growing. The EyeStar radio is ideal for the next step to advance many NASA, DOD, commercial, and STEM satellites now that appropriate FCC, NTIA, and ITU licenses have all been approved. The aircraft Black Box is well known and is essential for crash diagnostics after the fact, but in addition, the satellite Black Box and processor will operate in Telemetry Tracking and Command (TT&C) mode during the whole mission and will continue TT&C in orbit after a completed or failed mission. The Black Box transmits vital data, health and safety information, GPS, and summary data while in orbit for 24/7 coverage. With its included solar arrays, the Black Box would operate for many years after the primary satellite fails so that essential data and tracking is continuous, and altitude known. If the satellite reawakens after some long failure, the Black Box reports the new status, and the satellite may be reactivated. NSL customers have experienced this wake-up mode after a year on one of our Black Box/EyeStar communication processors after an unexpected two-month “dead” phase and wake. The “dead” satellite was reactivated

Building and Flying Satellites

This talk will describe Taylor\u27s heritage in satellite-building, give some details from our current satellite projects, and talk about various satellite communications projects Taylor Computer Science faculty and students have participated in

Understanding Human Communication Acknowledgment Protocols by Studying Artificial Communication Protocols

Abstract: Human communication is powerful and overall successful, not entirely because of the immediate accuracy in understanding utterances, but in part due to the communicating parties ability to dynamically detect and correct problems as they arise. Acknowledgements are key to this process of monitoring communication to determine whether the quality of the communication is a acceptably high. In studying natural language and human communications protocols, a problem we face is that by the time we are old enough to become interested in the underlying mechanisms, those mechanisms have become so automatic that we have difficulty observing them. As I study natural language, I supplement the direct study of acknowledgements in our corpus of human communication transcripts, by studying artificial communication protocols, and then apply that knowledge back to the study of human protocols. 1

Black Box Beacon for Mission Success, Insurance, and Debris Mitigation

The recent demonstration of the Globalstar network for robust satellite links (Anywhere & Anytime with 24/7 global coverage) permits new ways for improving mission success, improving failure analysis, and accurately tracking orbital debris of inactive satellites 1,2. To date, the Globalstar link has a 100% success rate in orbit with 14 of 14 orbital flights since 2014 verified. The proposed “Black Box” solution for satellites allows for a small and autonomous low-data rate link with key diagnostic information. Even if the subject satellite is partially or completely dead with the small Black Box the attitude, voltages, currents, GPS, temperatures, and camera data can be downloaded in near real time for critical corrective action and for understanding a failure path. The proposed Back Box comes in three sizes with respective capabilities and options: A miniature “Patch” for side wall mounting (10 x 8.5 X 1.5 cm), a PC104 board for internal “Stack” mount, and a larger “Barnacle” Box for larger satellites. The Black Box can be qualified for short, medium and long lifetimes. Most of the Black Box subsystems are at TRL=9 with orbit performance

Advancing towards functional environmental flows for temperate floodplain rivers

Abstraction, diversion, and storage of flow alter rivers worldwide. In this context,minimumflow regulations are applied to mitigate adverse impacts and to protect affected river reaches from environmental deterioration. Mostly, however, only selected instreamcriteria are considered, neglecting the floodplain as an indispensable part of the fluvial ecosystem. Based on essential functions and processes of unimpaired temperate floodplain rivers, we identify fundamental principles towhich we must adhere to determine truly ecologically-relevant environmental flows. Literature reveals that the natural flow regime and its seasonal components are primary drivers for functions and processes of abiotic and biotic elements such as morphology, water quality, floodplain, groundwater, riparian vegetation, fish, macroinvertebrates, and amphibians, thus preserving the integrity of floodplain river ecosystems. Based on the relationship between key flow regime elements and associated environmental components within as well as adjacent to the river, we formulate a process-oriented functional floodplain flow (ff-flow) approach which offers a holistic conceptual framework for environmental flow assessment in temperate floodplain river systems. The ff-flow approach underlines the importance of emulating the natural flow regime with its seasonal variability, flow magnitude, frequency, event duration, and rise and fall of the hydrograph. We conclude that the ecological principles presented in the ff-flow approach ensure the protection of floodplain rivers impacted by flow regulation by establishing ecologically relevant environmental flows and guiding flow restoration measuresinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Globalstar Link: From Reentry Altitude and Beyond

Three CubeSats flown in the past two years have successfully mapped Globalstar performance over the altitude range 100 km to 700 km. The Globalstar constellation provides “Anywhere and Anytime” visibility to satellites and is ideal for CubeSats, constellations, and formation flying missions. Globalstar capacity is designed for 2500 channels per Globalstar satellite, potentially enabling hundreds to thousands of simultaneous communication to satellites. Capacity would then extend from the ground to potentially above the Globalstar LEO constellation at 1400km. TSAT (2U) made real-time plasma density and diagnostic measurements in the Extremely Low-Earth Orbit (ELEO) ionospheric region 350 to 110 km for new in-situ Space Weather mapping. TSAT heated at a rate of 20 degrees/min. on reentry at 110 km (reentry physics), yet it maintained a good real-time link with ground stations in Canada and Venezuela where it is believed to have re-entered. The NSL Globalstar flight products now permit new experiments to ELEO orbits in addition to releasing drop radiosondes to explore the Upper Atmosphere (Mesosphere) coupling with the lower atmosphere. Preliminary results are presented from the Globalstar Experiment and Risk Reduction Satellites (GEARRS1 and GEARRS2). GEARRS1 (3U) was launched from the ISS and verified the Globalstar CDMA protocol and Duplex SMS messaging. GEARRS2 (3U) was launched with an Atlas rocket on May 20, 2015 into a 350 by 700 km orbit and the Simplex communication and instrumentation operated well for 9 months beyond the mission expected lifetime (high TRL and radiation tolerant). Improved global coverage maps of the Simplex and Duplex performance are presented. Global maps of Duplex RF pulse data indicate that the Duplex may have good global coverage when on a 3 axis stabilized satellite to permit necessary connect time. Using a small permanent magnet for attitude control, the two patch antennas (1.616 GHz) and loss-cone energetic particle detector point up and down the earth’s magnetic field lines. The three SSD detectors mapped the precipitating and trapped particle flux in the aurora zone, the SAMA, the trapping boundary, and the internal penetrating radiation dose. Several new Globalstar flight radios are manifested for launch with three axis stabilization, so that Duplex large file transfer can be characterized. TSAT and GEARRS data indicate a strong side lobe link that may reach to high MEO altitude