In this presentation, I’ll discuss the infusion of high operating temperature mid-wave and long-wave BIRD technology in to a myriad Earth and space science applications such as Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI), HyTI-2, Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES), compact – Fire Irradiance Spectral Tracker (c-FIRST), Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI), and non-saturating, simultaneous multiband, infrared imager for Io and Venus applications.
The Active Cooling for Multispectral Earth Sensors (ACMES) is a 16U CubeSat technology demonstration mission funded by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office through the In-space Validation of Earth Science Technologies program. ACMES has two technology payloads for Earth IR imaging. The LWIR scientific instrument is the next generation Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI 2.0). HyTI-2.0 has 25 spectral bands between 8 μm to12.5 μm, and a ground sampling distance of 45 meters. The SWIR instrument is the Filter Incidence Narrow-band Infrared Spectrometer (FINIS) which is a compact and a lightweight instrument for measuring methane with a moderate spatial resolution (approximately 140 m) and wide field of view (approximately 10°). FINIS can both measure the methane concentration dispersed over large regions and detect point source emissions by observing individual plumes. Key to the ACMES mission is a miniature pumped fluid loop technology developed for CubeSats, the Active Thermal Architecture for removing the waste heat from this approximate 120W spacecraft. ACMES is planned to launch in late 2024 to an approximate 550 km SSO orbit with a one-year technology demonstration followed by an extended mission to collect scientific data with HyTI 2.0 and FINIS. ACMES is a joint development effort between Utah State University, Orion Space Solutions, and the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory.
Integrated active thermal control is a critical enabling technology for high-powered modern CubeSats and Small Satellites. We will discuss the design and development of the Active Thermal Architecture (ATA), a sub 1U integrated, active thermal control system based on a single-phase mechanically pumped fluid loop heat exchanger. The ATA leverages advanced Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) to directly incorporate the cooling channels into the spacecraft structure, creating multi-functional assemblies that help miniaturize and simplify the ATA system. The ATA also optimizes thermal rejection through a two-axis rotary fluid joint connected to an external deployable tracking radiator. The ATA is capable of bulk thermal rejection and zonal temperature control of payloads and CubeSat structures. The ATA will be featured on the upcoming Active Cooling for Multispectral Earth Sensors (ACMES) mission and will serve as payload support to the next-generation Hyperspectral Longwave IR (HyTI 2.0) instrument. HyTI is an advanced next-generation hyperspectral long-wave IR ground imager capable of producing LandSat equivalent science from a CubeSat platform. HyTI produces 25 spectral bands between 8 μm to12 μm with a ground sampling distance better than 45 meters. ACMES will also feature two student lead projects: The Filter Incidence Narrow-band Infrared Spectrometer (FINIS), a daytime Methane detector, and the Planar Langmuir Impedance Diagnostic (PLAID) instrument, a planar style RF impedance probe. ACMES is scheduled to launch to an approximate 550 km SSO orbit in late 2024. ACMES is funded by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) through an In-Space Validation (InVEST) grant.
The Active Thermal Architecture (ATA) is an advanced sub-1U Active Thermal Control technology (ATC) for high power payload support in 6U CubeSat form factors and above. The design utilizes a two-stage, single-phase mechanically pumped fluid loop coupled through a two-axis flexible rotary fluid hinge, to reject thermal power to a deployable tracking radiator. A COTS Ricor K508N cryocooler forms the second stage and provides cryogenic cooling to a custom Kevlar detector mount through a TMT pyrolytic graphene thermal strap. Passive vibration isolation and damping technologies prevent the transfer of jitter to the satellite systems. The ATA design utilizes state-of-the-art 3D fabrication techniques such as Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) to directly embed the working fluid channels into the HX, radiator, and CubeSat chassis allowing for the miniaturization and simplification of the ATA system into an integrated thermal control solution. This paper will focus on the design and ground-based characterization and qualification of the ATA system and provide performance metrics for its use as a thermal support subsystem for advanced infrared electro-optical CubeSat payloads. The ATA project is funded through a NASA Small Satellite Technology Program (SSTP) and is a partnership between the Center for Space Engineering at Utah State University and the Jet Propulsions Laboratory. The ATA active thermal control system has been raised to a TRL of 6 and hopes to provide payload support to advanced missions such as the SABER-Lite and JPL CIRAS projects.
The need for advanced cooled electro-optical instrumentation in remote observations of the atmosphere is well known and demonstrated by SABER on the TIMED mission. The relatively new use of small satellites in remote earth observing missions as, well as the challenges, are epitomized by the upcoming NOAA EON-IR 12U CubeSat missions. These advanced CubeSat missions, which hope to accomplish scientific objectives on the same scale as larger more traditional satellites, require advanced miniaturized cryocoolers and active methods for thermal management and power control. The active CryoCubeSat project (ACCS) is a demonstration of such a technology. Utilizing Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) techniques, a Mechanical Pumped Fluid Loop (MPFL), and miniature pumps and cryocoolers to create a closed loop fluid-based heat interchange system. The ACCS project creates a two-stage thermal control system targeting 6U CubeSat platforms. The first stage is composed of a miniature Ricor K508N cryocooler while the second is formed by a UAM fabricated heat exchanger MPFL system powered by a micro TCS M510 pump. The working fluid is exchanged between a built-in chassis heat exchanger and a deployable tracking radiator. This work details the theory design and testing of a relevant ground-based prototype and the analysis and modeling of the results as well as the development of a design tool to help in customized active thermal control designs for small satellites. Ultimately, the ACCS project hopes to enable a new generation of advanced CubeSat atmospheric observing missions.
On September 15, 1996, researchers from Utah State University/Space Dynamics Lab in conjunction with Phillips Lab/Starfire Optical Range and Kjome Research successfully flew and tested a retromodulator laser communication package on a high altitude balloon. This paper addresses the layout and hardware used for the communication link, as well as presenting some preliminary data collected during the 6 hour flight of the balloon. The package was a proof of concept demonstration system for a low-power laser communications systems for small, low Earth orbiting satellites. The ferroelectric liquid crystal based retromodulator design of Utah State provided test patterns for modulation rates up to 20 kilo bits per second. Data was successfully downlinked using a 1200 bps RS232 format and a simplistic receiver. The Starfire Optical Range 1.5-meter telescope located on Kirtland AFB, tracked the balloon, which reached a float altitude of 31 km and collected the modulated light reflected from the payload.
Satellite laser communication concepts have been under development for many years. The conventioanl approaches require sophisticated hardware and considerable spacecraft resources introducing concerns about cost, added weight, power consumption, and reliability. An optical tranceiver based on a modulating retroreflector is a relatively new concept which has not been explored for space communications. The majority of the hardware and complexity for such a communications link is located on the ground and only minimal spacecraft hardware is required. This technique can provide a modest telemetry link for spacecraft in low earth orbits while consuming negligible spacecraft resources when compared to a traditional RF system. A prototype for such a low power optical tranceiver has been constructed and tested over a 4 km ground path in preparation for a high altitude balloon demonstration. Presented here is an overview of the retromodulator communications concept, a link design, and results from prototype testing.
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