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2.4.3 Deep Space One Spacecraft System Engineering Techniques and the Application of Heuristic Reasoning
Author(s) -
Basilio Ralph R.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.1998.tb00070.x
Subject(s) - nasa deep space network , spacecraft , systems engineering , aerospace engineering , jet propulsion , in space propulsion technologies , propulsion , space exploration , propellant , deep space exploration , spacecraft design , computer science , engineering , aeronautics , artificial intelligence , spacecraft propulsion
The Deep Space One Project is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) New Millennium Program. The team is chartered with the design, development, and in‐flight validation of new technologies. The knowledge gained in flight will be instrumental in the success of future projects as they strive to build “faster, better, cheaper” spacecraft for NASA, the nation, and the world. There are a total of twelve new technologies planned to fly as part of the first deep space mission, many of which were either selected by the program and/or project manager independently or some that were coupled un‐conditionally with one another. These technologies include the miniature imaging camera and spectrometer, autonomous on‐board optical navigation, and the small deep space transponder. However, the most striking of these are arguably the ion propulsion system and advanced solar concentrator array, the combination of which will result in a ten fold or order of magnitude increase in impulse (ratio of force over the propellant mass) over a conventional chemical system. At the time of this writing, the Deep Space One Project is nearing completion of the thirty‐three month development life cycle and is being mechanically and electrically integrated and tested at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. This paper discusses the system engineering techniques used to date, especially the application of heuristic reasoning, in the design, development, and test of the Deep Space One spacecraft.