June 25, 2002 1 Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure Earth Science Vision Session IGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA Needs for an Needs for an Intelligent Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure Infrastructure Carol A. Raymond Carol A. Raymond NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory John O. Bristow and Mark R. Schoeberl John O. Bristow and Mark R. Schoeberl NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Transcript
June 25, 2002 1
Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Needs for an Intelligent Needs for an Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Distributed Spacecraft
InfrastructureInfrastructure
Carol A. RaymondCarol A. RaymondNASA/Jet Propulsion LaboratoryNASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
John O. Bristow and Mark R. SchoeberlJohn O. Bristow and Mark R. SchoeberlNASA/Goddard Space Flight CenterNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
June 25, 2002 2
Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
What is it?What is it?Why is it needed?Why is it needed?
Is it feasible?Is it feasible?What benefits will result?What benefits will result?
June 25, 2002 3
Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
What is it?What is it?Multiple spacecraft working collaboratively
ConfederationConstellation
Virtual InstrumentSensorweb
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Landsat-7
SAC-CTerra
15 min
15 min
EO-1
Confederation: heterogeneous, non-interacting satellites observing similar phenomena in near real-time
Morning Constellation
Multiple spacecraft working collaboratively
June 25, 2002 5
Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Constellation: homogeneous, non-interacting satellites in different orbits to improve coverage
Multiple spacecraft working collaboratively
GPS LEO Constellation for atmospheric T & H2O
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
June 25, 2002 6
Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Multiple spacecraft working collaboratively
Virtual Instrument: coordinated observations by interacting satellites
Co-boresighting, collective pointing
Interaction and cooperation
Formation flying
Leonardo
GRACE
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
• Information Synthesis
• Access to Knowledge
Value Added Providers
User Community
•Advanced Sensors
InformationInformation Public
Sensorweb: networked spacecraft and sensors operating
autonomously and collectively
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Why is it Needed?Why is it Needed?Distributed sensors suites:• Improve spatial and temporal resolution• Avoid conflicting observing requirements• Allow operational flexibility and evolution
Spacecraft Autonomy:• Allows response to emerging phenomena• Simplifies multi-spacecraft operations• Enables direct-to-user data products
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Distributed Sensor SuitesDistributed Sensor SuitesHigh spatial and temporal
resolution:• Surface hydrology &
precipitation• Surface deformation• Land imaging &
• Add and upgrade sensors efficiently and cost-effectively
• All observations optimized
June 25, 2002 10
Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Spacecraft AutonomySpacecraft Autonomy
• Streamlines and reduces cost of managing fleets of spacecraft
• Allows rapid response to events and evolving systems
• Achieves onboard data processing to deliver information direct to the users from space
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
The ChallengeThe Challenge• Launch many spacecraft instead of large buses• Must reduce size, weight and cost per bus • Small, low-power multi-spacecraft systems
must be capable and return large-bus science to be cost-effective
• Need modularity and reuseability to minimize recurring costs, but also need highly integrated sensorcraft to minimize resource use.
• Must optimize meeting the science requirements and building cheap buses
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Technology DriversTechnology Drivers
• Communications
• Autonomy
• Microspacecraft
• Minaturized, low power sensors
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
CommunicationsCommunications
• Standards and protocolsExample is Mars UHF comms network
• Low-power, variable bandwidth interspacecraft links• Data compression• Discussed in next talk
“Operating Mission as Nodes on the Internet”
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
MicrospacecraftMicrospacecraft• Modularity and reuseability
Must serve multiple science users with flexible spacecraft structures and systems
Example is GPS flight receiver with embedded star camera heads, running closed-loop autonomous control software commanding microthrusters, and providing command and data handling and storage for plug-in sensors, as well as a communications scheduler/interface
• Quality-controlled mass production• Low-power microelectronics• Low-impulse-bit propulsion systems
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
AutonomyAutonomy• Closed-loop formation control
• High level planning and scheduling
• Fault diagnosis and recovery
• Collective pointing and data acquisition
• Event detection and response
• Data processing, direct-to-user products and onboard storage of useful bits
• High bandwidth comms link s/c to ground
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
BenefitsBenefits• Provide requisite spatial and temporal
resolution to tackle the future vision
• Seamless integration of space systems and end-users
• Operational flexibility and evolvability
• Risks can be better managed
• Higher science value
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Intelligent Distributed Spacecraft Infrastructure
Earth Science Vision SessionIGARSS 2002 Toronto, CA
ConclusionsConclusions• Specific science requirements of future distributed
spacecraft architectures need better developmentSensor/instrument accommodation rules!
• Need focused development of modular and scaleable systems: Core spacecraft systems (microelectronics)Communications standards and protocolsAutonomous operations and event detection
• Migrating today’s technologies to space will revolutionize the observing power of future space based systems
