Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc. — National Aeronautics and Space Administration STTR Phase I: T4

Description

he Distributed Multi-GNSS Timing and Localization (DiGiTaL) 2.0 system will leverage an existing partnership between Tyvak and the Stanfordrsquo;s Space Rendezvous Laboratory (SLAB) to advance the development required to provide precise knowledge of absolute and relative states of multiple orbiting nanosatellites necessary to mimic a gigantic spacecraft though a swarm of spacecraft with adjustable baselines.nbsp; Cooperative swarms of space vehicles have the potential to change fundamentally how many future space missions are performed.nbsp; By distributing payload tasks among multiple coordinated units, referred to as a Distributed Space Systems (DSS), rather than on a monolithic single spacecraft, advanced missions in Earth and planetary science, on-orbit servicing, and space situational awareness are possible.nbsp; Centimeter-level relative positioning precision can be obtained from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) using differential carrier-phase techniques, where synchronous measurements are shared between spacecraft and error-cancelling combinations of various data types are formed to create precise baseline knowledge.nbsp; Combined with the innovation Tyvak is leading in spacecraft miniaturization, whereby micro- and nanosatellites are transitioning from being merely educational tools to a viable scientific platform, future missions not possible on a monolithic spacecraft are enabled.nbsp; We will use the challenging miniaturized Distributed Occulator/ Telescope (mDOT) astrophysics mission as a reference to provide actual requirements to inform the development.