Formation Flying:-QinetiQ Enabling Technologies: Formation Flying:- QinetiQ Enabling Technologies BNSC Workshop at RCDS:- Technologies for Satellite formation Flying: Opportunities for the UK Chris Dorn, QinetiQ Space Division 23 February 2006 Hollow Wave Guides MELACOM 5cm Gridded Ion Engine


Overview: Overview A brief review of key technologies for formation flying missions EP and micro thrusters FF GNC communications Ranging and Metrology


Electric Propulsion: Electric Propulsion Investigation into several options Miniature gridded ion engine systems Conventional scaled thruster (5cm diameter grids) Total impulse capability > 0.5x106 Ns Specific impulse > 3000s @ 5mN 5N – 5mN thrust range (5cm diameter) Wide and controllable trust range provides significant mission design options TRL = 3 Supporting sub-systems also at TRL=3, require optimisation and development. Breadboard model of 5cm GIE (front & rear views)


FF GNC Communications : FF GNC Communications Requirements Provide an extremely high QoS physical layer to facilitate data exchange between distributed architectures for processing and control. Minimise spacecraft resource demands (mass power etc) Candidate Solutions Proximity-1 A reliable, interoperable, low-power, sub-network protocol for space links which can implement the physical layer of constellation GNC architecture. As implemented on MELACOM CCSDS File Deliver Protocol – CFDP A protocol for robust file delivery between spacecraft and/or spacecraft and ground segment. Development TRL = 5 for existing systems TRL = 3 for development technologies Development required to improve latency and QoS.


Ranging and Metrology: Ranging and Metrology Requirements Mission dependant, nanometres – meters - kilometres Current baselined techniques rely upon multi-wavelength interferometric techniques QinetiQ is offering optical methods, which when combined with technologies such as hollow waveguides and photonic crystal fibres, offers alternative space-capable precision ranging systems. Time correlated single photon counting Low Coherence Optical Reflectometry (Femtosecond laser pulse) range finding Other technologies to enable ‘loose’ formation flying DALOMIS RF relative location monitoring (75m and 0.5). Uses code autocorrelation combined with radio direction finding to determine range and position. TRL = 4.


Time-correlated single photon ranging: Time-correlated single photon ranging Capable of micron level range measurement accuracy Low laser power It is possible to detect a single photon reflected from a corner cube at range 10m

Low Coherence Optical Reflectometry: Low Coherence Optical Reflectometry A femtosecond laser pulse range-finding technique offering potential 1mm range precision Exploits interferometry and optical vernier principle Broadband pulse generated with non-linear photonic crystal fibres Exploits integrated optics – hollow waveguides TRL = 3 development required for space qualification and application