Formation Flying System Concepts for Space Science Missions in Europe
- Paper number
IAC-07-B4.2.08
- Author
Mr. Jacques Borde, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Charles Koeck, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Thomas Schirmann, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Anthony Villien, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Jean-Paul Gardelle, Astrium, France
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Formation Flying (FF) is an emerging domain of space activities on which Astrium is very active since more than 10 years. Astrium is leading numerous studies on FF for European Space Agency (ESA) and French Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) on system aspects, GNC (Guidance Navigation and Control) design and payload concepts, so as to bring the required expertise and support to space agencies in the design and planning of future FF missions. This paper will highlight the recent and on-going FF activities performed by Astrium in the frame of future programmes and Research \& Development (R\&D) studies, for ESA and CNES. Astrium is currently running the phase A for the Detector satellite of the CNES SIMBOL X mission (large focal X-ray telescope composed on one Mirror satellite and one Detector satellite), and the phase A of ESA PROBA 3 mission (coronograph and in-flight FF demonstration). Astrium is also involved in the definition of the FF system for the ESA XEUS X-ray telescope, through two studies dealing with the accommodation of the instruments on-board the Detector and Mirror satellites of the XEUS mission. Astrium has designed the two-stage GNC system of the ESA Darwin and CNES Pégase interferometry missions, building on an unrivalled experience gained since many years in GNC and laser optics thanks to ESA contracts, namely the Interferometer Constellation Control (ICC), Interferometer Constellation Deployment (ICD) and High Precision Optical Metrology (HPOM) studies. Astrium Satellites is also involved in the FFIORD (FF In-Orbit Ranging Demonstration) experiment to be flown on-board PRISMA, the first FF demonstration mission in Europe, primed by SSC (Swedish Space Company). The FFIORD experiment aims at demonstrating RF-based rendezvous and FF techniques in-flight, for which Astrium is in charge of the definition of the anti-collision strategy and collision avoidance manoeuvres. Astrium is also leading several R\&D studies for supporting these future programmes. In particular, Astrium has proposed several Command/Control architectures and operation concepts suitable for future FF missions with 2 or more satellites. Command/Control and Operations implement the distribution of on-board functions on the different satellites of the Formation, generalises the space-to-ground interface and addresses Autonomy and FDIR (Failure Detection Isolation \& Recovery) which are key functions for the integrity of an FF mission. In parallel to the design of future FF missions, the question of the validation of the required FF technologies and techniques shall also be addressed. Astrium is currently running an R\&D study for ESA on the definition of an FF ground testbed, where the test philosophy, testbed requirements specification and testbed design have been thoroughly investigated. Previously, a similar study was performed for CNES, for identification of the critical technologies for FF.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-B4.2.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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