Modular, Self-Contained Data Acquisition, Optical Metrology, and Control System for Flight Payloads

The increasing emphasis on using smaller satellites for space experiments, technology demonstration, and operational systems by DoD, NASA, and private industry has given rise to increasing standardization of small-sat components and systems, resulting in reduced costs and acquisition time. However, because of inevitable trades between resources and capability, there remains a strong need for standardized architecture for implementing experiments requiring high computational and data acquisition throughput. Further, because there is frequently a need to integrate several experiments on a single satellite, modularization allows individual teams to develop its functions with less impact and reduced risk than for a highly-integrated experiment. In Phase I, we defined a modularized architecture for a payload computer and data acquisition/control system. In Phase II, we will develop enabling technologies, together with systems engineering capabilities, that will make possible the demonstration of satellites having transformational capabilities in a small-sat package and at a small-sat price. Our initial products are a precision optical metrology sensor for space and a networked data acquisition system. To assess the feasibility of the architecture, we will optimize the design for AFRL's Deployable Structures Experiment space flight experiment.