Smart-1 Operations Experience and Lessons Learnt

Paper number

IAC-06-B5.3.08

Author

Mr. Octavio Camino, European Space Agency/ESOC, Germany

Coauthor

Mrs. Maria Alonso, European Space Agency/ESOC, Germany

Coauthor

Eng. Daniel Gestal, LSE Space Engineering and Operations AG, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Jurriaan De Bruin, European Space Agency/ESOC, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Peter Rathsman, Swedish Space Corporation, Sweden

Coauthor

Mr. Joakim Kugelberg, Swedish Space Corporation, Sweden

Coauthor

Dr. Per Bodin, Swedish Space Corporation, Sweden

Coauthor

Mr. Rick Blake, SciSys Ltd, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Pablo Pardo, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Luca Stagnaro, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands

Year

2006

Abstract

It was launched on 27th of September 2003 and spiralled out over a 14-month period until being captured by the Moon on 15/11/2004, thus successfully achieving the primary objective set to demonstrate Solar Electric Propulsion. The Initial orbit target was optimized in two phases taking advantage of the good performance of the Electric propulsion. The first brought the orbit apolune down to 3000 Km from the initial 10.000 Km; the second done during August and September 2005 optimized the orbit visibility for Science.

Smart-1 is not only a mission for advance research and technology but an opportunity to experiment new ways of conducting ground operations automation. The paper will focus on three areas:

1. The accumulated performance of the technology demonstration components since launch:

• The Electric Propulsion. Overall performance throughout the mission and special procedures to exhaust the Xenon at the end of its life.
• The triple-junction cells solar. Degradation during the three months in the radiation belts and during the rest of the mission.
• The Lithium Ion batteries. Performance with regard to eclipses and high thermal conditions
• 32 bit CPU ERC32 Single Chip, in-flight Performance and Lessons Learnt
• The CAN bus. Overall performance of this COTS product.
• The DTU Star Trackers. Problems and improvements. The performance of the on-board autonomy

2. The changes implemented during the lunar phase on-board and on the ground to increase the data return:

• Automation of Payload dumps redesigning the Payload stores.
• Automation of spacecraft pointing through scientific menu driven requests
• Automation of data rate changes based on ground station coverage and spacecraft ephemeris.

3. The pros and contras in some of the choices made for Smart-1, the developments and solutions implemented to mitigate the problems and the tools developed to automate the operations and the distribution of data:

• Impact of on-board problems on operations.
• The new challenges for the operations teams. Faster, better, more flexible and competent.
• Spacecraft contacts requirements with Electric Propulsion, the options and their consequences. Moon orbit insertion, new operational orbit and orbit re-boost. What was planned and what was done.
• Automation tools used during moon operations; the Smart-1 mission planning and automation system.
• Fast distribution of spacecraft data through internet for anomaly identification and analysis. The MUST tool; its evolution and status. The extended capabilities to mobile phones and PDAs.
• Summary of lessons learnt

Abstract document

IAC-06-B5.3.08.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-B5.3.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.