Terminal Guidance for Autonomous Aerial Refueling

Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc. (ASC) has developed a 3D camera that will provide a breakthrough in GNC sensing technology and is ideal for autonomous aerial refueling(AAR). In July 2009, ASCs DragonEye 3D Flash LIDARTM camera was in orbit for 16 days successfully imaging the Endeavor Orbiter (STS-127) to Space Station docking. ASC is developing, for SpaceX Corporation, a camera for autonomous rendezvous and docking that is directly applicable as a sensing solution for AAR. 3D Flash LIDAR (3DFL) can provide position and velocity data for multiple objects from distances of 25cm to 2.5 km. Flash LIDAR Cameras (FLC) are 3D vision systems that return range and intensity information for each pixel in the Focal Plane Array (FPA) simultaneously in real time. ASC’s 128x128 3D array FLC has the equivalent of 16,000 range finders on a single FPA which allows the sensor to act as a 3D video camera with enhanced functionality and value well beyond range finding. The objective of the Phase I effort will be to develop a detailed architectural design concept for a unmanned air vehicle terminal guidance using a 3D Flash LIDAR Autonomous Aerial Refueling (FLAAR) system