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Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering
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ItemProof of Concept of an Advanced Sun Photometer for Planetary Applications(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-24) Strawa, Anthony W. ; Papadopoulos, Periklis ; Brill, Richard JohnA lightweight, compact, highly reliable instrument designed to measure gas phase and particulate concentrations has been developed that is suitable for use in planetary environments. Current efforts have focused on validating the direct aerosol optical depth measurements. Efforts have been primarily focused on characterizing the instrument angular response, as well as validating measurements of aerosol optical depth, and water-vapor columnar abundance. Recent work has been aimed at refining the analysis procedures. Comparisons of the Advanced Sun Photometer AOD measurements have been made with AOD readings taken with a commercial Microtops II handheld sun photometer. Background: Dust is one of the primary drivers in the Martian atmosphere, second only to carbon dioxide. Understanding the characteristics and distribution of Martian dust is not only essential to understanding the climatology and weather of Mars, but could provide data essential for the development of future manned and unmanned missions to Mars. Previous surface observations of Mars have been largely performed by instruments developed for geological, navigational, and engineering applications. A sun photometer instrument dedicated to the measurement of Martian dust would considerably increase our understanding of the atmospheric physics and chemistry of the Martian atmosphere, providing a detailed knowledge of the composition and phase of atmospheric gasses, the size and distribution aerosols, as well as the upwelling and down welling radiative flux. Continuous measurements throughout the diurnal and seasonal planetary cycles are needed, since aerosols in the Martian atmosphere vary spatially and temporally. Although planetary orbiters can be used to obtain these measurements, the revisit times/rates of these orbiters are limited by their orbital geometry. Concept: the CCD array records both the diffuse light entering the cone as well as the direct solar beam. Most sun photometers incorporate a rigid tracking mechanism to follow the sun. The tracking mechanism may provide a point of failure during the entry, descent, and landing phase or later during the operational phase due to the harsh entry/planetary environment. Making these systems more robust usually requires increasing the instruments size, weight, and/or power requirements. Eliminating the need for a tracking mechanism can significantly reduce instrument weight while increasing system robustness. The Advanced Sun Photometer described here will use an optical system to provide a hemispherical field of view, removing the need for a sun tracking mechanism. A CCD array is placed at the base of the optical system captures and records the light. Measurements at specific wavelengths are achieved by interposing various interference filters into the light path by means of a filter wheel. The Advanced Sun Photometer can be adapted to other planetary bodies with sensible atmospheres.
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ItemStudent Project: International Offset for Space - Offsets Enable Planetary Probe Technology Exchanges Internationally(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-24) Baklashov, Aleksey M. ; Grady, J. ; Papadopoulos, Periklis ; Le, T.Offset or industrial participation is a practice that is part of many large international transactions. In the event of a large international transaction involving the purchase of a product (e.g.: equipment or services), the company selling the product, is typically required to compensate the purchasing country for a perceived loss to the economy of the purchasing country. This compensation is called offset. Other terms for offset include industrial participation or industrial cooperation, and there are others. Offset is a legal or formal requirement for many large sales by companies to most foreign governments. Exceptions include the United States and Japan which have other methods of getting the compensation for perceived loss to their economies. Over the past 25 years, the number of countries practicing offset in international sales have increased tenfold to over 150 countries. As estimated by offset associations (i.e.: GOCA, DMA, etc.) offset accounts for 10% to 15% of world trade, which translates to about 1 trillion dollars in world trade per year. Offset has great potential to be used for interplanetary probe applications. Help fund joint interplanetary probe missions between countries. Provide launch services. Stimulate research and development of sensors within universities. Increased international collaboration between seller and buyer countries. Build stronger bonds within the international scientific community. This is a student project. Our objective is to promote the use of international offset to further the development of interplanetary probe missions.
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ItemDOTNET Framework Design Environment for System Integration of Planetary Probe Payload Sensors and Interplanetary Trajectory Optimization(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-24) Schreck, Keith ; Papadopoulos, Periklis ; Subrahmanyam, PrabhakarAn engineering level system analysis based on the mission requirements and a web based design environment has been developed specifically for planetary in-situ instrumentation. The software architecture is linked to a comprehensive instrumentation database via a middleware component that services the designer's requests through the framework. The framework also develops parametric trade studies at component architecture level for probes. The whole design process is iterative and made transparent to the designer and accepts criteria from the user making it an interactive tool. Interactivity is a key factor for any design environment and hence critical design decision factors come from the database and alerts the user to rectify flawed engineering decisions that might otherwise prove expensive at the final design phase. This engineering level "intelligent" design tool will catch common errors and alert the designer of such fundamental flawed assumptions that can be rectified and applied in the design mode. Once the design is done for the payload sensors, the software applies it against the selection criteria review process model which is based on operational ranges and required performance limits. After the final design, the probe can be flown and linked to an interplanetary trajectory optimization where several test cases are run. A Mars Sample return test case is analyzed in this framework and presented in this publication. This software architecture is a successful attempt in fusing the payload sensor system integration with an interplanetary trajectory optimization package all developed in Java language since java is platform independent.
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ItemTool for Planetary Probe Payload Sensor System Integration(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-24) Schreck, Keith ; Djordjevich, Nik ; Papadopoulos, PeriklisDetermination of instrumentation for interplanetary science mission is an involved, complex procedure. A final design solution is achieved at the end of this often lengthy process. The analysis methodology performed within this work investigates mission requirements and generates a mission sensor package using design engineering relations. Given the broad science goals for an interplanetary science mission, the specific scientific measurements required can be determined. From the objectives the required measurements flow down, leading to an overall mission design. The mission design drives the instrumentation requirements and influences the selection of components for the mission. Components are chosen to meet mission requirements, creating an initial sensor package design. Trade studies are performed at component levels. Designs iterate on initial concepts and options are evaluated until a final design is determined. A tool for in-situ measurements is developed using systems engineering design relations to deliver a sensor payload configuration starting from the initial mission concept and the specific measurement objectives. Design of the sensor payload package for any mission is a combination of different aspects. The final design is a result of individual case studies at the component level and design engineering studies at a system level. Human decision elements are included in the design process, and final selection between competing components is made. The decision to use one flight hardware component over another can arise from many factors - functionality, heritage, Technology Readiness Level (TRL), compatibility, etc. The objective of this work is to combine selection techniques for mission hardware, based on optimization studies with engineering judgment, into a single tool that can be used to generate a preliminary sensor package configuration for planetary missions. A tool for in-situ measurements is developed using systems engineering design relations to deliver a sensor payload configuration starting from the initial mission objectives and the specific measurement types. The In-Situ Sensor Payload Optimization Tool (ISSPO) consists of a number of individual sensor modules, based on commercially available and space-rated components, and programs to determine the required components. Information on the desired mission location and types of science data to be returned, along with payload limits, are entered into the main program. For each sensor type available within the database, a corresponding module is executed and supplied information on the planetary location and additional sensor requirements. Selection of the final sensor is made based on operational ranges and required performance limits. Logic checks determine whether the sensor package meets or exceeds the mission limits, or if another combination of components would provide a viable solution with some requirement tradeoff. The resulting sensor package represents a preliminary sensor package capable of answering the mission's science requirements.
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ItemAtromos: Mars Companion Mission, Mid Sized Polar Lander Investigation(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-24) Iskander, Ed ; Hartman, Elsie ; Ngo, Freddy ; Lueng, Hingloi ; Boronowsky, Kenny ; Murbach, Marcus ; Fernandez, Nelson ; Pham, Nicholas ; Papadopoulos, Periklis ; Martinez, Ramon ; Shah, Syed GhazanfarThe polar regions of Mars offer a rich environment to search for signs of life. The Atromos probe was designed with the intent of investigating this polar region for evidence of life and to take atmospheric data in the harsh environment. The overall project was done as an example model and proof of concept for a small and affordable planetary probe capable of collecting scientific data used in life detection. Several key instruments were included such as a mass spectrometer, methane detector, gas chromatograph, and atmospheric characterization equipment. Some important components of the design were the ultra sonic drill, mechanical airbag system and deployable mast. The ultra sonic drill consists of a piezoelectric vibrator attached to a coring bit and a free mass. This drill can operate without external force applied and can bring back ice cores on the polar surface. The mechanical airbag system is an alternative method for touchdown in the EDL sequence. It minimizes the complexity and increases reliability of the probe surviving impact by utilizing spokes to absorb the impact. The deployable mast is used to enhance the atmospheric data collection by extending a series of temperature, pressure and anemometers to various distances above the surface. Notable subsystem work includes the power system and thermal regulation for operation on the planet. The power system consists of a radioisotope thermoelectric generator as well as solar panels that surround the probe. Power is stored in ultra capacitors and the probe operates on duty cycles when enough power is stored. The thermal regulation system consists of a sealed insulated box concealed within the probe. Inside the box are several radioisotope heating units to provide the warmth necessary for polar survival. System design, integration, testing and mock construction were performed on the various subsystems to determine feasibility and effectiveness. \nA poster will be presented at the IPPW 6. The poster will show the system layout, integration and testing results for all the subsystems and equipment included on the probe. A mock model will accompany the poster to help visualize the scale and functionality of the probe.