William Folkner, Sasha Buchman, Robert Byer, Daniel DeBra, C. Dennehy, Manuel Gamero-Castano, J. Hanson, Vlad Hruby, George Keiser, Andy Kuhnert, F. Landis Markley, M. Houghton, P. Maghami, David Miller, S. Prakash, Robert Spero
KEYWORDS: Space operations, Control systems, Electrodes, Interferometers, Magnetism, Sensors, Aerospace engineering, Control systems design, Prototyping, Microfluidics
The Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) is a space technology demonstration within NASAs New Millennium Program. DRS is designed to validate system-level technology required for future gravity missions, including the planned LISA gravitational-wave observatory, and for formation-flying interferometers. DRS is based on a freely-floating test mass contained within a spacecraft that shields the test mass from external forces. The spacecraft position will be continuously adjusted to stay centered about the test mass, essentially flying in formation with the test mass. Colloidal microthrusters will be used to control the spacecraft position within a few nanometers, over time scales of tens to thousands of seconds. For testing the level of acceleration noise on the test mass, a second test mass will be used as a reference. The second test mass will also be used as a reference for spacecraft attitude. The spacecraft attitude will be controlled to an accuracy of a few milliarcseconds using the colloidal microthrusters. DRS will consist of an instrument package and a set of microthrusters, which will be attached to the European Space Agencys SMART2 spacecraft with launch scheduled for August 2006.
KEYWORDS: Space operations, Electrodes, Magnetism, Sensors, Control systems, Capacitance, Ultraviolet radiation, Electronics, Interferometers, Sensing systems
The Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) is designed to demonstrate technology required for future gravity missions, including the planned LISA gravitational-wave observatory, and for precision formation-flying missions. The DRS is based on a freely floating test mass contained within a spacecraft that shields the test mass from external forces. The spacecraft position will be continuously adjusted to stay centered about the test mass, essentially flying in formation with the test mass. Any departure of the test mass from a gravitational trajectory is characterized as acceleration noise, resulting from unwanted forces acting on the test mass. The DRS goal is to demonstrate a level of acceleration noise more than four orders of magnitude lower than previously demonstrated in space. The DRS will consist of an instrument package and a set of microthrusters, which will be attached to a suitable spacecraft. The instrument package will include two Gravitational Reference Sensors comprised of a test mass within a reference housing. The spacecraft position will be adjusted using colloidal microthrusters, which are miniature ion engines that provide continuous thrust with a range of 1-20 mN with resolution of 0.1 mN. The DRS will be launched in 2007 as part of the ESA SMART-2 spacecraft. The DRS is a project within NASA's New Millennium Program.
Conference Committee Involvement (2)
Gravitational Wave and Particle Astrophysics Detectors
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