PROX-1:

AUTOMATED PROXIMITY OPERATIONS

ON AN ESPA CLASS PLATFORM

SSC15-IX-4

AIAA Conference on Small Satellites

12 August 2015

Logan, UT

Kevin J. Okseniuk, Sean B. Chait,

Peter Z. Schulte, and Dr. David A. Spencer

Georgia Institute of Technology

Space Systems Design Laboratory

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

• 66.5 kg wet mass

• 22” x 24” x 12” envelope (ESPA-class)

• Launching on 2016 on STP-2 launch

• Orbit: 720km circular, 24° inclination

• University Nanosatellite Program 7th

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AUTOMATED PROXIMITY OPERATIONS

• Passive Thermal Imaging

• Image-Based Relative Navigation

• Automated On-board Guidance & Control

• Low-Thrust Propulsion

• Advanced Small Sat Hardware Demonstration

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MISSION GOALS

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Mission Objective 1:Successful health checkout of spacecraft and characterization of new hardware technologies

Mission Objective 2:Successful deployment and relative orbit determination of LightSail

Mission Objective 3:Rendezvous with LightSail

Mission Objective 4:Automated trajectory control for formation flight and natural motion circumnavigation

The Planetary Society

LV Separation & Detumble

CubeSat Deployment & Orbit Determination

Rendezvous Proximity OperationsSail Deployment & Inspection

Initial Acquisition & System Checkout

PASSIVE IMAGE BASED NAVIGATION

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• THESIS-IR

– 640 x 512 thermal imager

• THESIS-VIS

– 1384 x 1032 visible imager

• Imaging Processing algorithms

– Developed by GT for relative state

estimation

– Hosted on imaging payload computer

Michael Veto, ASU

Michael Veto, ASU

COLD GAS PROPULSION UNIT

• Designed and manufactured by UT

Austin’s Texas Spacecraft Lab

• Cold gas thruster

– R-236fa

• Non-toxic

– 50 mN thrust

– Max pressure of 100 psi at 56°C

– 15 m/s

• 3D printed

– Accura Bluestone material

– Tank and plumbing printed as one

contiguous piece

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Texas Spacecraft Laboratory

Georgia Tech High Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory

MICRO-SAT CMG’S

• Developed and manufactured

by Honeybee Robotics

• Funded through AFRL SBIR

• Provide on-orbit qualification

for small satellite CMGs

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Honeybee Robotics

Honeybee Robotics

ADVANCED GN&C

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SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

• 2011: Selected for UNP-7

• 2012: Systems Design

• 2013: Winner of UNP-7

• 2014: Subsystem Development

• 2015: Integration & Testing

• 2016: Launch & Operations

• 2017: Extended Operations

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SpaceX

SmallSat

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

• Student-led, faculty-advised

• ~60 students per semester

• 150+ students since 2011

• Collaboration across teams,

disciplines, and universities

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QUESTIONS?