Tracking, Timing, Communications and Navigation are critical to all NASA missions. Accurate weather prediction is critical to KSC launch activities. KSC is involved with and in several cases leading research and development in many exciting areas and with partners. We welcome new partners in all of these areas

Seibert, Marc A.

NASA Technical Reports Server

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20120004270 2019-08-30T19:43:16+00:00Z
• Tracking, Timing, Communications and Navigation
are critical to all NASA missions
• Accurate weather prediction is critical to KSC launch
activities
• KSC is involved with and in several cases leading
research and development in many exciting areas
and with partners
• We welcome new partners in all of these areas!
2
Optical/Laser Comm
Existing partnership
3
Description:
The Wave Propagation Research Group, WPRG, is
an informal consortium of KSC engineers, UCF
faculty and graduate students and industry engineers
who meet weekly to discuss and study atmospheric
propagation, laser Free Space Optical (FSO)
communications and laser radar applications. The
group has been in existence for over 8 years.
The WPRG regularly publishes in scientific journals,
submits proposals, and receives funding, primarily
from DoD/DARPA, for laser propagation research and
FSO communication.
KSC role: Collaborates with NASA Engineering,
and other directorates. Performs testing at ISTEF
laser facility and optical ranges including the
Shuttle Landing Facility
Team
• UCF: Emeritus Professors Dr. Ron Phillips and
Dr. Larry Andrews, Robert Crabbs
• Govt. Partners: NASA KSC, UCF, U.S. Navy
(SPAWAR)
• Industry Partners: Computer Sciences Corporation,
Harris, Northrop Grumman, NASA engineering
support contractors
The ISTEF Site is located at the Kennedy Space Center,
Florida. It is a Navy SSC PAC facility operated by CSC.
Instrumentation van (left), scintillometer receiver
(middle) and visibility meter (right) taking measurements at
the Shuttle Landing Facility.
4
Robotic Precursor Activities
Uplink radar activities
5
Description:
Develop innovative approaches to characterize
potential destinations for human exploration. Utilize
high-resolution Goldstone Solar System Radar (GSSR)
imaging of near-Earth objects (NEOs). KSC
participation includes analysis activities, and exposure
to uplink radar methodologies to prepare for future KSC
projects.
Relevance to Human Spaceflig..b..!:
The US Space Policy directs NASA to send a human to
an Asteroid to conduct scientific investigations by 2025.
Characteristics of most of the 600,000 NEO's/NEA's are
minimally understood. Human missions will most likely
be preceded by robotic missions. Identifying the most
promising NEO's/NEA's to explore requires Earth-
based radar investigation and down-selection prior to
mission definition.
Current partnershiQ
• Lead Center: JPL
• Project Lead: Lance Benner
• KSC POC: Marc Seibert/Tom Ford
• Supporting Centers: JPL, JSC, GSFC,
KSC
6
Description:
Uplink array radar is performed today at X and C
bands. It is useful for a variety of applications,
including imaging of orbital debris, and Near-Earth
Asteroids. KSC is standing-up an Uplink Array Testbed
this year, with the goal of performing Ka-band uplink
arraying with a larger array down the road.
The project is funded by multiple government Agencies,
and partners are welcome to help solve the many
technical challenges of imaging at Ka-band.
Relevance to Human Spacefligh!:
Improved means to image orbital debris are needed.
Characteristics of most of the 600,000 NEO's/NEA's are
minimally understood. Human missions will most likely
be preceded by robotic missions. Identifying the most
promising NEO's/NEA's to explore requires Earth-
based radar investigation and down-selection prior to
mission definition.
Team
• Lead Center: KSC
• Project Leads: Marc Seibert/Mike Miller
• Partners: Several other gov't Agencies
and commercial partners
7
NASA Analog Missions
The "proving grounds" for low to mid TRL
capabilities for future human spaceflight
8
Description:
KSC personnel are responsible for designing,
developing, deploying, and operating a
communications, networking, timing and
navigation infrastructure for NASA/HEO Analog
missions that resembles concept future Human
Spaceflight mission architectures.
KSC personnel maintain a "common analogs
communication capability" for all AES analogs
and year-round home center testing.
Relevance to HSF:
Analogs provide the venue for HEO to validate
a variety of future architecture concepts,
systems and technologies with partners and
produce measurable results. The results of
these missions directly influence Agency
architecture planning.
Team
• Lead Center: JSC
• Project Lead: Barbara Janoiko
• KSC POC (Comm): Marc Seibert
• Supporting Centers: KSC, ARC,
GSFC 9
Crew Mobility Systems
Developing the comm and nav for next-
generation spacecraft
10
Description:
KSC personnel are designing, developing, prototyping,
and testing sequential generations of critical
communication and networking avionics for the Multi-
Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV).
The team validates future avionics concepts in relevant
terrestrial environments in preparation for flight test
demos. The goal is to advance the capabilities of
future avionics, and enable avionics commonality
across other spacecraft (SLS, Deep Space Habitat,
MPCV, etc)
Relevance to HSF:
The MMSEV plays a prominent role in design reference
missions (DRM) for crew exploration at a near earth
asteroid (NEA) and on surfaces. Lean development
approaches and common components will be utilized
to perform early spacecraft design and development at
a low cost.
Team
• Lead Center: JSC
• Project Lead: Mike Gernhardt
• KSC POCs: Marc Seibert/Mike Miller
• Supporting Centers: JPL, LaRC, KSC
• Partnerships: General Motors, Caterpillar,
et. AI.
KSC-DESIGNED GEN 1 (ABOVE)
AND GEN 2 (BELOW) MODULAR
COMM AVIONICS
CURRENTLY INSTALLED IN DSH
AND SEV
LEFT: HAT GEN 1
PORTABLE
COMMUNICATIONS
TERMINAL (PCT)
PROTOTYPE,
RIGHT: FLIGHT
CONCEPTPCT
11
Advanced Weather
Technology
12
Description:
Prototype solid state static electric field sensors
and integrate with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
for measurement of atmospheric electric fields.
Calibrate, test and fly demonstration missions.
KSC role: Requirements development, test
procedures, flight program planning, data
analysis.
Relevance to NASA's mission:
Capability will reduce cost of measurements
necessary to improve lightning launch commit
criteria (LLCC) by an order of magnitude. Improved
LLCC will reduce launch scrubs and risk.
Team
• Lead Center: KSC
• Project Lead: Dr. Francis Merceret
• Existing partners: Physical Optics
Corporation, ERAU
• Supporting Centers: MSFC
Crewed airborne field mill aircraft shown
above can be replaced by much less costly
UAV if current field mills can be replaced by
miniaturized solid state units.
13



KSC Technology Area 8

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