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Launch Systems | Space Systems | Mission Engineering

Design of a Mars Rapid Round Trip Mission

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...

Spacecraft Navigation Using X-Ray Pulsars

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...

ORS Mission Utility and Measures of Effectiveness

Abstract: This paper briefly summarizes the traditional space system mission utility analysis process in order to establish a framework for utility analysis for Operationally Responsive Space (ORS). We then define both general and specific ORS Measures of...

XNAV for Deep Space Navigation

Abstract: The concept of utilizing pulsars for spacecraft navigation has been in development since the discovery of these rapidly rotating neutron stars in the 1960’s [1]. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) conducted studies in the 70’s and 80’s proposing the use of...