Spacecraft formation flying is a proposed technology with vast performance implications ranging from enhanced mission capabilities to radical reductions in operations cost. To explore this concept and to enable its realization, Stanford University and Santa Clara University have initiated development of a simple, low cost, two-satellite mission known as Emerald. The Emerald mission has four primary goals. First, it will verify component-level technologies necessary for advanced formation flying missions. This will include the test of low-power Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers for position sensing, simple radio modems for inter-satellite communication, and experimental microthrusters for position control. Second, it will integrate the operation of these payloads in order to experiment with simple closed loop relative position control. Third, it will validate the formation flying concept by using coarse on-orbit relative position sensing and control to improve a scientific investigation of lightning-induced atmospheric phenomena. Fourth, it will extend low-cost satellite development techniques critical to fielding multi-spacecraft fleets. The bus design for the Emerald spacecraft will be based on Stanford's Satellite Quick Research Testbed (SQUIRT) microsatellite design. This consists of a 15 kilogram structure, a modular 12 inch tall by 18 inch diameter hexagonal configuration, a 68332-based flight processor, a single battery, solar panels, and simple attitude and thermal control. A Space Shuttle launch in 2001 has been tentatively selected for the launch of this mission. Emerald will be developed as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) University Nanosatellite Program, an element of AFOSR's TechSat 21 Program. This paper discusses the Emerald mission objectives and approach, the conceptual design of the Emerald spacecraft, and the programmatic structure of this joint Stanford University-Santa Clara University project.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Emerald: A low-cost spacecraft mission for validating formation flying technologies


    Contributors:
    Kitts, C. (author) / Twiggs, R. (author) / Pranajaya, F. (author) / Palmintier, B. (author) / How, J. (author)


    Publication date :

    1999-01-01


    Size :

    1238603 byte




    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Emerald: A Low-Cost Spacecraft Mission for Validating Formation Flying Technologies

    IEEE; Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1999



    Formation flying experiments on the Orion-Emerald mission

    Engberg, Brian / Ferguson, Philip / Richards, Arthur et al. | AIAA | 2001


    AIAA-2001-4688 Formation Flying Experiments on the Orion-Emerald Mission

    Ferguson, P. / Busse, F. / Richards, A. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2001


    Technologies for Spacecraft Formation Flying

    Adams, J. / Robertson, A. / Zimmerman, K. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings