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A Space Based Internet Protocol System for Sub-Orbital Tracking and ControlPersonnel from the Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF) in Virginia are responsible for the overall management of the NASA Sounding Rocket Program. Payloads are generally in support of NASA's Space Science Enterprise's missions and return a variety of scientific data as well as providing a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft. The fifteen types of sounding rockets used by NASA can carry payloads of various weights to altitudes from 50 km to more than 1,300 km. Launch activities are conducted not only from established missile ranges, but also from remote locations worldwide requiring mobile tracking and command equipment to be transported and set up at considerable expense. The advent of low earth orbit (LEO) commercial communications satellites provides an opportunity to dramatically reduce tracking and control costs of launch vehicles and Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by reducing or eliminating this ground infrastructure. Additionally, since data transmission is by packetized Internet Protocol (IP), data can be received and commands initiated from practically any location. A low cost Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) system is currently under development for sounding rockets which also has application to UAVs and scientific balloons. Due to relatively low data rate (9600 baud) currently available, the system will first be used to provide GPS data for tracking and vehicle recovery. Range safety requirements for launch vehicles usually stipulate at least two independent tracking sources. Most sounding rockets flown by NASA now carry GPS receivers that output position data via the payload telemetry system to the ground station. The Flight Modem can be configured as a completely separate link thereby eliminating requirement for tracking radar. The system architecture which integrates antennas, GPS receiver, commercial satellite packet data modem, and a single board computer with custom software is described along with the technical challenges and the plan for their resolution. These include antenna development, high Doppler rates, reliability, environmental ruggedness, hand over between satellites and data security. An aggressive test plan is included which in addition to environmental testing measures bit error rate, latency and antenna patterns. Actual flight tests are planned for the near future on aircraft, long duration balloons and sounding rockets and these results as well as the current status of the project are reported.
Document ID
20010015249
Acquisition Source
Wallops Flight Facility
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Bull, Barton
(NASA Wallops Flight Center Wallops Island, VA United States)
Grant, Charles
(Computer Sciences Corp. Greenbelt, MD United States)
Morgan, Dwayne
(NASA Wallops Flight Center Wallops Island, VA United States)
Streich, Ron
(Computer Sciences Corp. Greenbelt, MD United States)
Bauer, Frank
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Meeting Information
Meeting: Guidance and Control
Location: Breckenridge, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: January 31, 2001
End Date: February 4, 2001
Sponsors: American Astronomical Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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