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The NASA Wallops Arc-Second Pointer (WASP) System for Precision Pointing of Scientific Balloon Instruments and TelescopesThe National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), part of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), has developed a unique pointing control system for instruments aboard scientific balloon gondolas. The ability to point large telescopes and instruments with arc-second accuracy and stability is highly desired by multiple scientific disciplines, such as Planetary, Earth Science, Heliospheric and Astrophysics, and the availability of a standardized system supplied by NASA alleviates the need for the science user to develop and provide their own system. In addition to the pointing control system, a star tracker has been developed with both daytime and nighttime capability to augment the WASP and provide an absolute pointing reference. The WASP Project has successfully completed five test flights and one operational science mission, and is currently supporting an additional test flight in 2017, along with three science missions with flights scheduled between 2018 and 2020. The WASP system has demonstrated precision pointing and high reliability, and is available to support scientific balloon missions.
Document ID
20180002870
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Stuchlik, David W.
(NASA Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Lanzi, Raymond J.
(NASA Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
May 16, 2018
Publication Date
June 5, 2017
Subject Category
Engineering (General)
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN43066
Meeting Information
Meeting: AIAA Balloons System Conference
Location: Denver, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: June 5, 2017
End Date: June 9, 2017
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 911542
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
WASP
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