David H. Lehman

Results from the Deep Space 1 technology validation mission

Abstract Launched on October 24, 1998, Deep Space 1 (DS1) is the first mission of NASAs New Millennium program, chartered to validate in space high-risk, new technologies important for future space and Earth science programs. The advanced technology payload that was tested on DS1 comprises solar electric propulsion, solar concentrator arrays, autonomous on-board navigation and other autonomous systems, several telecommunications and microelectronics devices, and two low-mass integrated science instrument packages. The technologies were rigorously exercised so that subsequent flight projects would not have to incur the cost and risk of being the first users of these new capabilities. The performances of the technologies are described as are the general execution of the mission and plans for future operations, including a possible extended mission that would be devoted to science.

Deep space one: NASA's first Deep-Space technology validation mission

Abstract Under development for launch in July 1998, Deep Space One (DS1) is the first flight of NASAs New Millennium Program, chartered to validate selected technologies required for future low-cost space science programs. Advanced technologies chosen for validation on DS1 include solar electric propulsion, high-power solar concentrator arrays, autonomous on-board optical navigation, two low-mass science instrument packages, and several telecommunications and microelectronics devices. Throughout the two year primary mission, the technology payload will be exercised extensively to assess performance so that subsequent flight projects will not have to incur the cost and risk of being the first users of these new capabilities. An important component of the DS 1 mission is diagnosing any in-flight anomalies or failures. Although DS1 is driven by the requirements of the technology validation, it also presents an important opportunity to conduct solar system science. During the primary mission, the spacecraft will fly by asteroid 3352 McAuliffe, Mars, and comet P/West-Kohoutek-Ikemura. The two science instruments that are being validated, an integrated infrared/visible/ultraviolet package and a plasma physics package, will be used to collect science data during the cruise and encounters. In addition, a suite of fields and particles sensors included to aid in the quantification of the effects of the solar electric propulsion on the spacecraft and near-space environment will be used for science measurements complementary to those of the plasma instrument. The return of science data will demonstrate that the technologies are compatible with the demands of future scientific missions and will ensure that this rare opportunity to encounter such a variety of solar system targets during a short mission will be fully exploited.

Precision pointing control for an orbital Earth observing system

The design concept developed for the pointing system of the High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS) which will be flown on one of NASAs Earth observing system platforms is presented. The instrument is an F 5.4-aperture spectrometer with a focal length of 1222 mm, and it uses a precision two-axis gimballed mirror pointing system to image and track targets. Pointing accuracy of better than 585 arcsec (peak-to-peak), and pointing jitter of less than 2.65 arcsec in 33 ms are ensured through the use of gimbal position and basebody rate sensors. A state-space controller implemented with a digital computer is used to provide a position loop bandwidth of 1 Hz and a rate loop bandwidth of 7 Hz. An overview of the system design and flight hardware is given, the development of the controller architecture is addressed, and a simulation assessment of the pointing system that takes into consideration issues such as nonlinear effects, sensor noise, and noncollocated sensors and actuators in a flexible structure is discussed.<<ETX>>

Managing GRAIL: Getting to launch on cost, on schedule, and on spec

The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission launched September 2011. GRAIL is a Discovery Program mission with a project cost cap. Led by Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Maria T. Zuber of MIT and managed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, GRAIL will precisely map the gravitational field of the Moon to reveal its internal structure “from crust to core,” determine its thermal evolution, and extend this knowledge to other planets. Dr. Sally Ride leads education and public outreach. This paper summarizes development challenges and accomplishments. Critical success factors are discussed, including key personnel, technical margins, and schedule/cost management practices.

GRAIL project management: Launching on cost, schedule, and spec and achieving full mission success

The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) project, a NASA Discovery Program mission with a cost cap, was launched September 10, 2011, on spec, on time and under budget. Led by Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Maria T. Zuber of MIT and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with Lockheed Martin as spacecraft contractor and the late Sally Ride as Education and Public Outreach Lead, GRAIL completed its Prime Mission in May 2012, successfully meeting its objectives-to precisely map the gravitational field of the Moon to reveal its internal structure “from crust to core,” determine its thermal evolution, and extend this knowledge to other planets. This paper updates last years IEEE Aerospace Conference paper [1], summarizing key development challenges and accomplishments through completion of the Primary Mission, and reporting progress in the Extended Mission.

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, launched in September 2011, successfully completed its Primary Science Mission in June 2012 and Extended Mission in December 2012. Competitively selected under a NASA Announcement of Opportunity in December 2007, GRAIL is a Discovery Program mission subject to a mandatory project cost cap. The purpose of the mission is to precisely map the gravitational field of the Moon to reveal its internal structure from crust to core, determine its thermal evolution, and extend this knowledge to other planets. The mission used twin spacecraft flying in tandem to provide the gravity map. The GRAIL Flight System, consisting of the spacecraft and payload, was developed based on significant heritage from previous missions such as an experimental U.S. Air Force satellite, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission, and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. The Mission Operations System (MOS) was based on high-heritage multimission operations developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin. Both the Flight System and MOS were adapted to meet the unique challenges posed by the GRAIL mission design. This paper summarizes the implementation challenges and accomplishments of getting GRAIL ready for launch. It also discusses the in-flight challenges and experiences of operating two spacecraft, and mission results.

Deep Space I: Robotic Exploration in the New Millennium

Deep Space 1 (DS1), launched on October 24, 1998, was the first mission of NASAs New Millennium program. DS1 was chartered to flight validate twelve high-risk, advanced technologies important for future space and Earth science programs. Advanced technologies tested during its primary mission included solar electric propulsion, high-power solar concentrator arrays, three on-board autonomy technologies, two low-mass science instrument packages, and several telecommunications and microelectronics devices. During the primary mission, which was completed in September 1999, the technology payload for the mission was exercised extensively to assess performance so subsequent missions will not have to incur the cost and risk of being the first users of these new capabilities. DS1 was the first deep space mission to use solar electric propulsion as its main source of propulsion. In addition, DS1 was the first mission to demonstrate the ability to perform autonomous on-board navigation for a deep space probe. Although DS1 was driven by the requirements of technology validation, it also presented an important opportunity to conduct solar system science, though as a secondary objective to its main technology validation mission goals. As such, the spacecraft flew by asteroid Braille in July of 1999; later encounters during its recently approved extended mission with comets Wilson-Harrington and Borrelly are planned in the year 2001. This paper will describe the technology and mission aspects of Deep Space 1.