RELATIVE DYNAMICS INC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: Z8

Description

NASA needs cost-effective high-data-rate communications and navigation knowledge for Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSM) and small spacecraft.nbsp; Our Relative Dynamics Inc. (RDI)nbsp;solution is annbsp;optical communication terminal (SCOUT) using integrated, modular, scalable and future-extendable communications for small spacecraft in the DSM configuration. Each key cost-driven optical communication terminal sub-system has been carefully considered to enable a number of key cost-saving high-performance innovations into our proposed RDI SCOUT.nbsp; Precision (microradian)-pointing actuator and motorsnbsp;are vital for optical communications.nbsp; We propose lowering system complexity and cost with anbsp;new-class ofnbsp;high-performance ultra-high-vacuum compatible motors that are widely used in the manufacturing industry.nbsp;nbsp;The RDI SCOUT terminal uses an innovative small-aperturenbsp;structure small spacecraft antenna (telescope).nbsp; The SCOUT terminal opto-mechanical structure uses new materials withnbsp;high strength-to-weight ratio thatnbsp;are robust against thermal deformation. The new materialnbsp;isnbsp;low-cost, widely available, readily manufacturable and amenable to compression-molding mass production. Low-cost high-performance telecommunications integrated photonic transceiver are atnbsp;the heart of the RDI SCOUT modem. RDI SCOUT will usenbsp;an open data format for compatibility and interoperability with lunar communications and navigation architecture plans.nbsp; RDI SCOUTnbsp;incorporates dual (comm and nav) functionality to enable clock-recovery based sub-millimeternbsp;laser ranging and precision pointing-knowledge for optical navigation with sub-arcsecond accuracy.nbsp; A lander or orbiter system could provide valuable calibrated navigation range/angle data using both active terminals and passive corner-cubes.nbsp; RDI will provide system engineering for DSM operational scenarios for the SCOUT terminal including planetary lander/orbiter, planetary lander/Earth terminal, satellite-to-satellite and satellite/Earth terminal.