Thermal Conductance Measurement and Flexibility Enhancement of Flexible Thermal Links

Introduction • Flexible thermal links provide a thermally conductive path with low mechanical stiffness • Scope of this work is to characterize – Uncertainty in thermal conductance measurements – Compliance improvements gained by slitting foil

ORS Responsive Manufacturing 6U Spacecraft

The Operationally Responsive Space Office is developing a small satellite capability and small satellite design specifically for advanced manufacturing and assembly methods for a semi-automated assembly and test facility. Designing a small satellite to be assembled and tested with this novel and innovative approach enables reduced costs, schedule, and risk. This presentation will discuss the implementation, unique design features, lessons learned, and challenges associated with developing for this new rapid-assembly capability as well as the unique benefits and challenges of assembly and test using automated, robotic systems. The presentation will also include discussions of the role that design-for-manufacturing, modular open system architecture, componentized subsystems, and standardized interfaces each play in developing the spacecraft. Assembly processes, ground support interfaces, and other assembly, integration and test needs will also be discussed

Opening up the participation laboratory: the co-creation of publics and futures in upstream participation.

How to embed reflexivity in public participation in techno-science and to open it up to the agency of publics are key concerns in current debates. There is a risk that engagements become limited to “laboratory experiments,” highly controlled and foreclosed by participation experts, particularly in upstream techno-sciences. In this paper, we propose a way to open up the “participation laboratory” by engaging localized, self-assembling publics in ways that respect and mobilize their ecologies of participation. Our innovative reflexive methodology introduced participatory methods to public engagement with upstream techno-science, with the public contributing to both the content and format of the project. Reflecting on the project, we draw attention to the largely overlooked issue of temporalities of participation, and the co-production of futures and publics in participation methodologies. We argue that many public participation methodologies are underpinned by the open futures model, which imagines the future as a space of unrestrained creativity. We contrast that model with the lived futures model typical of localized publics, which respects latency of materials and processes but imposes limits on creativity. We argue that to continue being societally relevant and scientifically important, public participation methods should reconcile the open future of research with the lived futures of localized publics

Lessons Learned During the Implementation of a Cold Gas Propulsion System for the SunRISE Mission

The SunRISE mission utilizes a two-phase cold gas propulsion system, which provides several advantages over other cold gas systems but experienced challenges during assembly and testing. Since 2020, Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FPL) have implemented several improvements to the SunRISE propulsion system. The SunRISE propulsion system leverages an additively manufactured monolithic structure, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) valves and transducers, and the benign working fluid R-236fa to provide a suitable propulsion system for the SunRise mission. While the GTRC propulsion system had been developed for other missions, the multi-organizational team found and corrected several previously undetected design issues, including filters with highly variable flow performance, solenoid valve drive circuit issues, and inconsistencies in the tank additive manufacturing process that impacted manufacturing yield, thrust consistency, and quality of seals. Leaks in metallic fittings were also identified, and process improvements were put in place to mitigate them. Solenoid valve stiction was the last issue which was mitigated through valve screening and drive circuit adjustments. In this paper, we present lessons learned from the SunRISE propulsion system effort to aid future teams in identifying and addressing similar issues

Small Satellite Design for Responsive Manufacturing

The Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office is developing a small satellite capability designed specifically for advanced manufacturing and assembly methods for a semi-automated assembly and test facility. Designing a small satellite to be assembled and tested with this novel and innovative approach enables reduced costs, schedule, and risk. In partnership with Millennium Engineering and Integration Company, Raytheon Missile Systems, Applied Minds Inc, and Space Dynamics Laboratory, ORS is developing a 6U modular cubesat as the proof-of-concept article to demonstrate Responsive Manufacturing objectives through three primary thrusts: Open Manufacturing, Digital Assurance, and Responsive Space Parts. This paper will discuss the implementation, design features, lessons learned, and challenges associated with developing for this new rapid-assembly capability as well as the unique benefits and challenges of assembly and test using automated and robotic systems. It will also include discussions of the role that design-for-manufacturing, modular open system architecture, componentized subsystems, and standardized interfaces each played in the development of the spacecraft