Spacecraft kernel

• US 6,283,416 B1
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AeroAstro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aero Astro Incorporated
• Inventors: Fleeter, Richard D., McDermott, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Best, Christian M.
• Application Number:
  US09/337,154
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 701/13, 701/3, 244/176, 244/167, 455/427, 710/14
• US Class Current: 244/158.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/10 Artificial satellites; Systems of such satellites; Interplanetary vehicles space shuttles B64G1/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/22 Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/223 Modular spacecraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/244 Spacecraft control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/42 Arrangements or adaptations of power supply systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/66 Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A spacecraft architecture is defined that distinguishes components and sub-systems based on both functional and physical dependencies. On one side of the interface are kernel components that are both functionally and physically independent of the vehicle configuration and functionally and physically independent of the mission-specific system. On the other side of the interface are components that depend on either the spacecraft configuration or the mission-specific system. The kernel components can be included in a variety of spacecraft, independent of the spacecraft architecture and independent of the spacecraft mission. The kernel includes a communications system for communicating with an earth station, a command and data handling processor, and a power regulation and distribution system. The preferred kernel is extensible by allowing the selection of different capacity components within the kernel, each different capacity component utilizing the same standardized interface for communicating with the vehicle and mission-specific components. By providing a standardize interface and extensible kernel, design changes do not propagate beyond the standardized interface, thereby substantially damping the costly ripple effect typically associated with changes that are introduced late in the design cycle.

Claims

1. A spacecraft kernel having a standard electrical interface for communicating with one or more spacecraft sub-systems, comprising:

a standard electrical interface on the spacecraft kernel for communicating with one or more spacecraft sub-systems,

a receiver that is configured to receive commands from an earth station,

a transmitter that is configured to transmit data to the earth station, and

a processor, operably coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, that is configured to;

process the commands from the earth station and produces therefrom sub-system commands,

process communications from the one or more spacecraft sub-systems and produces therefrom the data that is transmitted to the earth station;

wherein

the standard electrical interface is operably coupled to the processor and the one or more spacecraft sub-systems, and is configured to;

provide the sub-system commands to the one or more spacecraft sub-systems in a standard format, and

receive the communications from the one or more spacecraft sub-systems in the standard format.

4. The spacecraft kernel of claim 1, wherein

the transmitter and the receiver are configured to communicate with the earth station via an antenna system, and

the standard electrical interface is configured to operably couple the transmitter and the receiver to the antenna system.

5. The spacecraft kernel of claim 1, wherein

the processor is also configured to facilitate control of the one or more spacecraft sub-systems.

6. The spacecraft kernel of claim 1, wherein

the standard format conforms to at least one of:

a CANbus standard, an IEEE-1394 standard, an RS-485 standard, a Mil-Std 1553/1773 standard, and an I²C standard.

2. A spacecraft kernel having a standard electrical interface for communicating with one or more spacecraft sub-systems, comprising:

a power management system that is configured to receive a variable power input and produces therefrom a regulated power output,

a receiver that is configured to receive commands from an earth station,

a transmitter that is configured to transmit data to the earth station, and

a processor, operably coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, that is configured to;

process the commands from the earth station and produces therefrom sub-system commands,

process communications from the one or more spacecraft sub-systems and produces therefrom the data that is transmitted to the earth station;

wherein;

the standard electrical interface is operably coupled to the processor, the power management system, and the one or more spacecraft sub-systems, and is configured to;

provide the sub-system commands to the one or more spacecraft sub-systems in a standard format,

receive the communications from the one or more spacecraft sub-systems in the standard format,

receive the variable power input from a power generation system,

communicate the variable power input to the power management system,

receive the regulated output from the power management system, and

provide the regulated power output to the one or more spacecraft sub-systems.

3. The spacecraft kernel of claim 2, wherein

the variable power input is intermittent, and

the power management system further includes a storage system that augments the variable power input to provide the regulated power output continuously.

13. The spacecraft kernel of claim 2, wherein

the transmitter and the receiver are configured to communicate with the earth station via an antenna system, and

the standard electrical interface is configured to operably couple the transmitter and the receiver to the antenna system.

14. The spacecraft kernel of claim 2, wherein

the processor is also configured to facilitate control of the one or more spacecraft sub-systems.

15. The spacecraft kernel of claim 2, wherein

the standard format conforms to at least one of:

a CANbus standard, an IEEE-1394 standard, an RS-485 standard, a Mil-Std 1553/1773 standard, and an I²C standard.

7. A spacecraft system comprising:

a mission-specific system that includes;

a collection system that is configured to collect mission data, and

a first processor, operably coupled to the collection system, that is configured to process the mission data and produces therefrom data items in a standard format;

a kernel that includes;

a second processor that is configured to process the data items from the mission-specific system in the standard format and to produce therefrom processed data, and

a transmitter, operably coupled to the second processor, that is configured to transmit the processed data to an earth station; and

an electrical interface, operably coupled to the mission-specific system and the kernel, that is configured to communicate the data items from the mission-specific system to the kernel in the standard format.

8. The spacecraft system of claim 7, wherein:

the kernel further includes

a receiver, operably coupled to the second processor, that is configured to receive commands from the earth station, and

wherein

the second processor is configured to process the commands from the earth station and produce therefrom at least one mission-specific command in the standard format;

the electrical interface is configured to communicate the at least one mission-specific command from the second processor to the mission-specific system in the standard format; and

the first processor is configured to receive the at least one mission-specific command from the electrical interface and effect therefrom a modification of at least one parameter of the collection system.

9. The spacecraft system of claim 8, further including

an attitude determination and control system that is configured to effect a motion of the spacecraft system,

wherein:

the second processor is also configured to produce at least one attitude command in the standard format from the commands from the earth station, and

the electrical interface is configured to communicate the at least one attitude command from the second processor to the attitude determination and control system in the standard format; and

the attitude determination and control system is configured to effect at least one motion of the spacecraft system in response to the at least one attitude command.

10. The spacecraft system of claim 7, further including

an attitude determination and control system that is configured to effect a motion of the spacecraft system,

and wherein:

the kernel further includes

a receiver, operably coupled to the second processor, that is configured to receive commands from the earth station; and

the second processor is configured to process the commands from the earth station to produce at least one attitude command in the standard format, and

the electrical interface is configured to communicate the at least one attitude command from the second processor to the attitude determination and control system in the standard format; and

the attitude determination and control system is configured to effect at least one motion of the spacecraft system in response to the at least one attitude command.

11. The spacecraft system of claim 7, wherein

the standard format conforms to at least one of:

a CANbus standard, an IEEE-1394 standard, an RS-485 standard, a Mil-Std 1553/1773 standard, and an I²C standard.

12. A method of producing a spacecraft system including:

providing a kernel that includes

a communications system for communicating to an earth station and

a standard electrical interface

for receiving data items from a spacecraft-specific system for communication to the earth station,

for receiving variable power from the spacecraft-specific system, and

for communicating regulated power to the spacecraft-specific system,

providing the spacecraft-specific system that includes

a power generating system that is configured to provide the variable power to the standard electrical interface, and

a mission-specific system that receives the regulated power from the standard electrical interface and provides the data items to the standard electrical interface,

attaching the spacecraft-specific system to the kernel via the standard electrical interface.

16. A spacecraft system comprising:

a mission-specific system that includes;

a collection system that is configured to collect mission data, and

a first processor, operably coupled to the collection system, that is configured to process the mission data and produces therefrom data items in a standard format;

a kernel that includes;

a power management system that is configured to receive a variable power input and produces therefrom a regulated power output,

a second processor that is configured to process the data items from the mission-specific system in the standard format and to produce therefrom processed data, and

a transmitter, operably coupled to the second processor, that is configured to transmit the processed data to an earth station; and

an electrical interface, operably coupled to the mission-specific system and the kernel, that is configured to;

communicate the data items from the mission-specific system to the kernel in the standard format

receive the variable power input from a power generation system, communicate the variable power input to the power management system,

receive the regulated output from the power management system, and provide the regulated power output to the one or more spacecraft sub-systems.

17. The spacecraft system of claim 16, wherein:

the kernel further includes

a receiver, operably coupled to the second processor, that is configured to receive commands from the earth station, and

wherein

the second processor is configured to process the commands from the earth station and produce therefrom at least one mission-specific command in the standard format;

the electrical interface is configured to communicate the at least one mission-specific command from the second processor to the mission-specific system in the standard format; and

the first processor is configured to receive the at least one mission-specific command from the electrical interface and effect therefrom a modification of at least one parameter of the collection system.

18. The spacecraft system of claim 17, further including

an attitude determination and control system that is configured to effect a motion of the spacecraft system,

wherein:

the second processor is also configured to produce at least one attitude command in the standard format from the commands from the earth station, and

the electrical interface is configured to communicate the at least one attitude command from the second processor to the attitude determination and control system in the standard format; and

the attitude determination and control system is configured to effect at least one motion of the spacecraft system in response to the at least one attitude command.

19. The spacecraft system of claim 16, further including

an attitude determination and control system that is configured to effect a motion of the spacecraft system,

and wherein:

the kernel further includes

a receiver, operably coupled to the second processor, that is configured to receive commands from the earth station; and

the second processor is configured to process the commands from the earth station to produce at least one attitude command in the standard format, and

the electrical interface is configured to communicate the at least one attitude command from the second processor to the attitude determination and control system in the standard format; and

the attitude determination and control system is configured to effect at least one motion of the spacecraft system in response to the at least one attitude command.

20. The spacecraft kernel of claim 16, wherein

the standard format conforms to at least one of:

a CANbus standard, an IEEE-1394 standard, an RS-485 standard, a Mil-Std 1553/1773 standard, and an I²C standard.