Abstract: The present work is divided in two parts. The first part analyzes the basic constraints of interplanetary round trip travel, and calculates an interplanetary train schedule (ITS) of missions to Mars in the general case of orbits with non-zero eccentricity...
Abstract: NanoEye is a near-term space system capable of providing better than 0.5 m resolution at nadir for a total recurring mission cost of less than $5 million — including payload, spacecraft, launch, and 3 years of mission operations. NanoEye is based on a...
Abstract: SmallSats appear to have the potential of significantly decreasing the cost and increasing responsiveness of both military and civil space missions. However, there are 3 major barriers facing the large-scale development and deployment of large numbers of...
Abstract: A configuration is presented for a low-cost Micro-Satellite Launch Vehicle (MSLV), the Mini-Sprite. This 3-stage configuration exploits Scorpius® technology that is largely developed: all-composite cryogenic tanks; pressure-fed, ablative, LOX/kerosene...
Abstract: The term XNAV (X-ray navigation) is used to describe a variety of means of using celestial X-ray source observations for spacecraft attitude, position, velocity, and time determination. Several classes of source observations can be utilized for different...
Abstract: In this paper, a methodology for dramatically reducing the time required to build a complex system based on the self-organization of self-describing components is presented. In this “plug-and-play” approach, component services are exposed for use through...
