(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-08)
McDonald, Dillan; Lightsey, E. Glenn; Peet, Sterling
After 949 days in space, contact with the ARMADILLO CubeSat from the University of Texas at Austin has been established. After a complete reconstruction of the ground command software, the Space System Design Laboratory (SSDL) at Georgia Tech has commanded and received acknowledgements and data downlinks from ARMADILLO as well as commanded a hard reset. The Georgia Tech Ground Station Network (GT GSN) has leveraged its autonomous contact capability to maintain consistent contact with ARMADILLO, enabling it to remain online for longer than a week. Something ARMADILLO had previously never accomplished due to the ground contact condition for onboard reset never being satisfied. This has prompted the development of a late-life commissioning plan that currently indicates that ARMADILLO has the potential to accomplish its original science goals.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2002-12-01)
McDonald, Dillan; Lightsey, E. Glenn
As spacecraft miniaturize, the implementation of an appropriate fault
management system is increasingly important. Through experiences testing NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) Lunar Flashlight fault
protection system and working closely with ARMADILLO’s flight software implementation and other LEO cube-satellites, a set of recommendations has been formed. The recommendations provided specifically cover Under-Voltage Lock Out (UVLO) implementation, spacecraft error handling to help restore functionality, a simplified spacecraft mode state diagram, fault interaction rules, and a general architecture for fault protection implementation. Additionally, a fault hazard analysis was conducted to evaluate points of failure for the Georgia Tech Mission Operations Center (MOC), and finally a discussion on ground station development and the role the GT Ground Station Network (GSN) plays in mission operations.