Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division

Engineering Dean’s Conference 2006Advancing Technology And Education For A Human Base On The Moon And Footprints on Mars

Oct 19, 2006

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Charter

The A&FMD Charter encompasses:

• Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) System Analysis;• Design, Development, Testing and Engineering (DDT&E);• Aeroscience and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD);• Flight Mechanics and Mission Design;• Rendezvous and Proximity Operations and Capture;• Simulation Development.

Vision

• The A&FMD vision is the expansion and innovative development of space exploration frontiers through application of Aeroscience, GN&C, and Flight Mechanics disciplines.

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Charter (concl.)

Mission

The A&FMD mission is to enable safe, cost-effective and timely space activities through:

•Developing and applying state-of-the-art aeroscience technologies;

•Developing and verifying end-to-end GN&C systems for JSC programs;

•Generating mission designs and plans.

Values

The A&FMD values include:

•Collaborating with industry, academia and other government agencies;

•Providing world class tools, facilities and expertise.

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Launch- GN&C- Performance- Aerodynamics- Aerothermodynamics- Mission Planning- Debris Transport

Aborts- Debris Transport- Aerothermodynamics- Performance- Aerodynamics- Simulations- Autonomy- GN&C

Rndz & ProxOps- GN&C Flight Software- Systems Engineering- Plume Impingement - Simulations- Autonomy- Sensors- GN&C

Entry- Guidance Algorithms- Plume Interaction- Performance- Aerothermodynamics- Aerodynamics- Flight Control Design- Navigation- GN&C Flight Software- Simulations

De-Orbit- Guidance Algorithm Design- GN&C Flight Software - Targeting- Navigation

Separation- Plume Interaction - Aerodynamics- Simulations- Dynamics- GN&C

Landing (Abort and End of Mission)Water or Land (Runways for Winged Vehicles)- Parachute/Parafoil Guidance- Touchdown Dynamics- Hazard Detection & Avoidance- Aerodynamics- Simulations - GN&C

Exploration (Lunar/Mars)- Interplanetary Trajectories- Atmospheric Entry Guidance- Powered Landing Guidance- GN&C Algorithm Design-Descent & Landing- Mission Planning- Aerocapture- Performance

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Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division

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GN&C Development and Testing (EG2)

• GN&C rapid prototype development and test

• GN&C flight hardware/software development, test, verification, and certification

• GN&C hardware/software interaction testing

• Navigation systems definition, design, development and test

• Shuttle subsystem management and flight systems upgrade

• Space Station subsystem management and flight systems testing

• Real time, hardware-in-the-loop, pilot-in-the-loop testing

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Applied Aeroscience and CFD (EG3)

GroundTesting

Simulation

FlightSupport

FlightTesting

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Integrated GN&C Analysis (EG4)

• GN&C system requirements

• GN&C functional architectures

• GN&C system algorithms

• GN&C system software requirement

• GN&C system test and analysis

• GN&C system verification and certification

• Rendezvous & proximity operations system definition

• Dynamics and control interaction

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Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design (EG5)

• Atmospheric Flight Mechanics:– Entry/Aeroassist

• Earth entry trajectory and prel. GN&C design• Planetary entry trajectory and prel. GN&C design• Aerocapture guidance and trajectory design

– Parachutes / Parafoils• Drogue and main chutes design, test, and sim• Parafoil aero and flight design, test, & sim• Parafoil GN&C• Planetary chutes

– Powered Flight• Earth and planetary ascent• De-orbit design & guidance• Landing and hazard avoidance

• Exo-atmospheric Flight Mechanics:– Powered Flight

• Lunar/Mars low and high thrust trajectory design• Interplanetary precision trajectory

– Orbital Mission Design• Design of Earth/moon/ Mars orbits• GN&C req’ts and methods for orbital maneuvers• De-orbit targeting• Orbit rendezvous design• Orbital lighting /comm/ track/de-orb oppor.

– Astrodynamics (Interplanetary)• Lunar/Mars end-to-end mission/arch design• Mission opportunities, trip times, departure windows, energy costs• Nav req’ts

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GN&C Autonomous Flight Systems Office (EG6)

• Responsible for the development and integration of GN&C systems with external disciplines

• Provide systems engineering for multi-disciplinary interfaces with GN&C hardware and software

• Provide design, development, and evaluation of autonomous and intelligent GN&C systems

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EG Demographics

• 105 Civil Servants– 88 Engineers – 7 Management– 6 Division Staff– 6 Administrative Support

• Average Age: 42.4• 52 have advanced degrees (59%)

– Masters: 38– ABD: 8– PhD: 6

• 90 Support Contractors (ESCG, Draper, Odyssey, Titan, Bastion, Dynacs, Honeywell, Boeing, Akima)– 29 on site– 61 off site

• Retirement Eligible– 17 are eligible in 2006– 5 more in the next 5 years

EG Age DistributionAs of October 19, 2006

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5

10

15

20

25

30

22-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75

Age Ranges

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EG

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Industry/Agencies

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CentersUT – AR&D, Copernicus,

Lunar Nav, ALHATUT/A&M – Nano SatUH – GPS Antenna Tech., FilteringCalTech – AerosciencesU. Minn – BLTTAMU – Buckeye, low speed W/TUtah State - ALHAT

Rice – Parachutes

Purdue – Turbulence Modeling, BLT, Ascent Heating

GSFC – Hubble servicing,Lunar NavigationGRC – Low Thrust Analysis Tools, SM PropulsionLaRC – Aerosciences, Mars EDL, CEV GN&C, CEV Abort, CEV recovery Systems

ARC – Aerosciences, Autonomy, Simulation, Shuttle

Entry, Columbia Super Computer

MSFC – CEV/CLV & Shuttle Ascent, Flowliner, CEV

Abort, AR&D

KSC – Para.JPL – Mars EDL, DSN nav

DFRC – CEV/Shuttle Flight

testing

Sandia – navigation sensorsAEDC – Aerosciences

CUBRC – Aerosciences Yuma Proving Grounds – parachute testingChina Lake (Navy) – Parachute consulting

Air Force Academy – AerosciencesAeroSpace Corp. – CMG failure analysisCSDL/MIT – flight control, MEMS, ALHAT

Naval Research Lab, Army, SWR

EG3’s DAC code distributed to >50 orgs

Teamwork

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Teaching & Research

Space Mission, System & Operations Design

The Common Ground

–Challenging inline Exploration Tasks

–Mentors/Task leads

–Labs, tools access (IDE)

–Exploration planning

–Lectures; briefings

–Small material and $’s

–GSRP’s

JSC Functions University Functions

–Unique Professor Skills

–Focused Student skills

–Links to “academia” scholars

–Onsite task support

–Beta site for Univ/JSC IDE

–Future employees (COOPs)

–State of the art “awareness”

Collaboration with academia

• JSC provides qualified lecturers to Universities for course instruction design class motivating & mentoring • Universities provide students/faculty to JSC for range of in-line tasks to JSC projects, including :

– hands-on engineering (H/W, S/W, test, reqts. analysis, etc.)– applied research (S/W, algorithms, techniques development)– Training

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Collaboration with academia

• Establishes “pipeline”– Complements existing co-op program by establishing noncommittal trial exposure– Provides exposure for Partners in Education-type arrangements

• Injects two-way vigorous skills and ideas exchange that mitigates potential erosion as JSC population ages

• Could be augmented, but not replaced, by IDE, electronic classroom, web-based conferences, etc.

• Some problems for startup:– Earth Land Landing Systems

• Characterization of horizontal wind, system mass, tumbling, loads, soil condition on landing systems

– Hazard Detection and Avoidance Systems and algorithms• For recognition and avoidance for lunar/Mars landings.

– Algorithm development– Trajectory optimization– Coupled flowfield/material response simulation– Aerodynamics for transonic blunt bodies – dynamics & stability– Shock-layer radiative heat transfer prediction