SCaN

Badri YounesDeputy Associate Administrator

NASA Space Communications and Navigation October 2017

NASA Official Use Onlywww.nasa.gov

NASA Aeronautics and Space Administration

Enabling Human Space Exploration and Science Missions

Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)

Serves as the Program Office for all of

NASA’s space communications activities

100+ Missions currently

Supported by SCaN

24/7 Global Near Earth

and Deep Space

Communications

and Navigation Services

Develop space

communication

standards as well

as positioning,

navigation, and

timing policies

Represent and

negotiate on behalf

of NASA on all

matters related to

space

communications

Manage NASA

spectrum; represent

NASA

on national and

international

spectrum

management forums

Develop, operate

and manage all

NASA space

communications

capabilities

Develop

technologies to

enable and

enhance future

mission

SCaN Assets Spanning the Globe and Future Ka-band Upgrades

• NEN

Wallops Island, Virgina

• NEN Stations

- North Pole, Alaska

- ASF, Alaska

- NOAA, Alaska • NEN KSAT Station

Norway

• NEN Station

Hartebeesthoek, Africa

• NEN Station

Santiago, Chile

• NEN Station

Weilheim, Germany

• NEN KSAT Station

Singapore

• NEN Station

USN,

Dongara Australia

• NEN Station

McMurdo, Antarctica

• NEN KSAT Station

TrolSat, Antarctica

• NEN Station

USN, Hawaii

• NEN PDL/KUS

Launch Range, Florida

• SN

Guam Remote

Ground Terminal

• SN

White Sands

Complex,

New Mexico

• NEN Station

White Sands, NM

• NEN SSC Station

Kiruna, Sweden

• SN

Tracking Data Relay

Satellites (TDRS)

•F6, F12 •F9•F10, F11 •F7, F8•F13

• MDSCC

Madrid, Spain

• CDSCC

Canberra, Australia

• GDSCC

Goldstone,

California

• DAEP Ka-band

Upgrade

• NEN Ka-band Upgrade• Punta Arenas, Chile

• MDSCC

Madrid, Spain

• DAEP Ka-band

Upgrade

• NEN Ka-band UpgradeSvalbard, Norway

• CDSCC

Canberra, Australia

• DAEP Ka-band

Upgrade

• NEN Upgrade2 NASA Ka-band

• Alaska Satellite

Facility

• GDSCC

Goldstone,

California

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite Evolution

First Generation Tracking Data Relay Satellites (TDRS)

Second Generation TDRS

Third Generation TDRS

Launched

Jan 2013

Launched

Jan 2014

Launched

Aug 2017

Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V

STS-70

Launched

Apr 1983

STS-26RSTS-51LSTS - 6 STS-29R STS-54

Failed

Jan 1986

Launched

Sep 1988

Launched

Mar 1989

Launched

Aug 1991

Launched

Jan 1993

Launched

Jul 1995

STS-43

TDRS-C (3)

▪ Disposal 2010 ▪ Failed to

achieve

orbit

▪ Disposal 2012

▪ Super-Sync

▪ Storage

TDRS-E (5) TDRS-F (6) TDRS-G (7)

▪ Storage ▪ Active ▪ Active

TDRS-B TDRS-D (4)TDRS-A (1)

▪ Indian

Ocean

Region

▪ Pacific

Ocean

Region

▪ Atlantic

Ocean

Region

▪ Atlantic

Ocean

Region

▪ Atlantic

Ocean

Region

TDRS-H (8)Ka-band

TDRS-I (9)

Ka-bandTDRS-J (10)

Ka-band

▪ Active

▪ Indian

Ocean

Region

▪ Active

▪ Atlantic

Ocean

Region

▪ Pacific

Ocean

Region

▪ Active

Launched

Jun 2000

Launched

Mar 2002

Launched

Dec 2002

Atlas IIA Atlas IIA Atlas IIA

TDRS-1

TDRS-4

TDRS-9

TDRS-12

TDRS-6

TDRS-3

TDRS-5

TDRS-10

TDRS-8TDRS-7

GEO

Super Sync

TDRS-11

WSCTDRS-13

TDRS-K (11)

Ka-band

TDRS-L (12)

Ka-band

▪ Pacific

Ocean

Region

▪ Active ▪ Active

▪ Atlantic

Ocean

Region

TDRS-M (13)

Ka-band

▪ Active

▪ Pacific

Ocean

Region

Router Optical

LinksATM Switch

LEO

MEO

GEO

L2 & Lunar

Our Vision Fully Connected Interoperable Space Assets

Other US

Government

Agencies (OGAs) US Commercial

Industry

US CommercialGateways

US - OGAGateways

NASA/SCaN

NASA/SCaNGateways

DevelopmentOn-going

Wideband Ka-band

Next Generation

High-throughput

Ka-band hardware

Technology DevelopmentWide bandwidth Ka-band systems

that spans 20 GHz to 40 GHz

Mission FlexibilityMissions would be able to connect to

government and commercial networks

that best fit their missions needs

Breaking Ka-band Interoperability Barriers

⨁ NASA Ka-band Ground Stations

⨁ Other Government/Commercial Ka-band

Ground Stations

⨁ NASA Ka-band Ground Stations

⨁ NASA TDRS⨁ Other Government/

Ka-band Relay

Satellite

⨁ NASA Mission

⨁ NASA Exploration

Mission⨁ NASA TDRS

⨁ CommercialCommunication

Satellite

⨁ Other Government/Commercial Ka-band

Ground Stations

Combined Ka-band RF and 1550 nanometer optical

capability

• Integrate 3 meter Ka-band reflector with 12.2

centimeter telescope operating at 1550

nanometers – “Teletenna” concept

• Reconfigurable software defined radio with

PSK (RF) and PPM (optical)

• Beaconless pointing system based on

fusion of data sensors • Artist rendition

Technology Under Development

• Teletenna Concept

User Spacecraft 3 meter Teletenna

• Mesh Ka-band antenna

• Mechanically isolated optical system

• Telescope contributes to RF aperture

gain

Integrated Radio and Optical Communications (iROC)

Hybrid Antenna – Under DevelopmentRF/Optical

Development Status

• Completed early optical studies

with pair of 35cm panels

• Fielded second generation

focal plane assembly

• Low temperature cryo

demonstrated (0.5K at detector)

Technology Concept

• Integrate 8-m optical apertures

into a DSN 34m Beam

Waveguide antenna

• Replace inner RF panels with

primary spherical mirrors

(small loss to RF performance)

• Mount spherical aberration

correction optics and receiver

package behind RF

subreflector

• Artist rendition

Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD)

Missions Status

SHIM EDU

Electrical Integration

to Surrogate Plate

Optical Module #1

Thermal Vacuum Testing

Modem #1

Vibration Testing

Optical Module #2

Vibration Testing

• Launch date: 2019

• Ka-band and Optical

payloads onboard

Geostationary satellite

• Technology demonstration to

test Optical Relay capabilities

with Ka-band

• New Optical Ground Stations

under development

CognitiveNetwork

Network

Awareness

▪ Integrated ground-based

weather sensors

▪ Dynamic links switched

based on predicted

performance

▪ Automatic routing and

fusing of ground data

Other Cognitive

Technologies

▪ Adaptive coding &

modulation

▪ Self-configured links

▪ Reliability-based asset

assignment

▪ Integration of cognitive

security

Operations Concept of

RF Network

RF Network

Near Earth DTE

Near Earth DTE

RF Network

Near Earth Relay

Near Earth DTE

RF Network

Deep Space DTE

Near Earth Relay

Technology Development & Demonstration Timeline

2019 2019-2021 2022

ILLUMA-T on ISS:

1.244 Gbps Relay User

▪ LEO satellite acquisition

and tracking in a GEO

relay system (LCRD)

▪ ISS LCRD Earth

Terabyte Delivery System:

200 Gbps Demo

Near EarthDTE Technologies

▪ 200 Gbps user

terminal

▪ 200 Gbps low

cost ground

station

▪ Space technologies based

on COTS products

▪ CubeSat-sized, low SWaP

user terminal

▪ User-site installable

ground station: eliminates

data backhaul

LCRD: 1.244 Gbps

Optical Relay Demo

Near EarthRelay Technologies

▪ 1.244 Gbps GEO relay

two ground stations

(2019)

▪ 1.244 Gbps user

terminal (2021)

▪ 100 Gbps GEO relay,

user & ground station

(2023) – Second Gen

▪ Hosted GEO relay payload

on AFRL’s experimental

STPSat-6; based on

LADEE technology

▪ Routing of optical signals in

a hybrid environment

(RF/optical)

▪ NASA’s first frame-layer

switch in space

Discovery Psyche:

125 Mbps Demo

Deep SpaceDTE Technologies

▪ Space user

terminal for 125

Mbps at 40

Mkm range

▪ 5 meter Optical

Ground Station

▪ Deep space optical link

▪ Launch on Discovery

2022 mission

▪ Five (5) meter Palomar

telescope

Demonstrations 20192019 2021 2022

Technology

2019 2019 2021

TimelineOperational

2022

ILLUMA-TUser Relay

Technology

Demonstration

Terabyte

Delivery

SystemNear Earth DTE

Demonstration

Near Earth DTE

Operational Services

Initially two SCaN operated

ground stations; other

added incrementally

▪ Scheduling

▪ Ground data buffering

and routing

▪ Cognitive algorithms

LCRDGEO Relay

Technology

Demonstration

Relay Operational

Services

Reuses LCRD and adds two

more GEO relay node to the

network

▪ Based on LCRD design

▪ Augments near earth DTE

network

▪ Cognitive networking in

operations

Discovery

PsycheDeep Space

Technology

Demonstration

Deep Space

Operational Services

Adds deep space class

terminals to the

architecture

▪ Based on first

generation terminals

▪ Ready to support

missions starting in

2026

Operational 2025 - 2027 20262024

https://www.nasa.gov/SCaN

LIGHT Decade of

NASA Official Use Only

SlidesBackup

SWaP

Lighter

50% less Mass

RF (Ku-band) Optical

25% Less Power

Consumption

Smaller, lighter, flight communication systems that require less power cost savings for missions.

RF Comms Payload

Higher Data

Rates

Faster

40x more

RF (Ku-band) Optical

200

Gb/sec

5 Gb/sec

Higher bandwidth enables mission data to be downloaded using shorter contact times decreasing the number of relay terminals and ground sites.

Low Cost

Ground

Systems

Flexible

Low-cost-ground segments located at mission sites or data centers lower cost, more direct control, and decreased ground data transport expenses.

▪ 100 Gb/sec

▪ COTS Based

Solution

S

Much smaller beam footprints and receiver fields-of-view increased link security.

Secure

Protect our Band Ka-band Spectrum

Potential Impact by Other Users

• AI 1.14 – Broadband delivered by high-altitude platform stations

- May impact 24.25 to 27.5 GHz for Region 2

- Under Working Party (WP) 5C review

• AI 1.13 – Identification of bands for the future development of IMT

- May impact 24.25 to 27.5 GHz band

- May impact passive sensors operating in 23.6 to 24 GHz band

- IMT Characteristics is conducted under WP 5D

- Sharing studies are conducted under Task Ground (TG) 5/1

World Radio Conference 2019 Agenda Items of Interest to Ka-band