Generic Adaptive Approaches for Orbit and Attitude Determination on Earth Pointing Spacecraft

Many critical space assets include imaging payloads that keep vigilant watch over the Earth’s surface. The navigation (NAV) and attitude determination and control (ADCS) approaches traditionally used to control these assets rely on the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) and a variety of ADCS sensors as primary inputs for control. However, GPS and ADCS sensors are at some risk of loss, outage, or degradation. Microcosm, with partner HRP Systems, proposes to develop innovative NAV and ADCS approaches, derived from Plug and Play (PnP) avionics and software development concepts, to provide primary and back-up NAV/ADCS operations for these critical Earth pointing space assets. The team will analyze discrete NAV and ADCS mode changes based on sensor performance and availability, as well as the development of a flexible Kalman Filter that seamlessly transitions as the complement and/or quality of inputs changes. These frameworks allow for a broad array of traditional NAV and ADCS sensors, as well as the integration of “synthetic sensor inputs” which could come from specialized payloads, communication devices, or ground interaction. The team will draw from their involvement in the PnP ADCS/NAV activities of AFRL’s Responsive Space Testbed (RST) and PnPSat to develop the proposed capabilities.