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Integration and Testing of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Attitude Control SystemThroughout the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Integration and Testing (I&T) phase of the project, the Attitude Control System (ACS) team completed numerous tests on each hardware component in ever more flight like environments. The ACS utilizes a select group of attitude sensors and actuators. This paper chronicles the evolutionary steps taken to verify each component was constantly ready for flight as well as providing invaluable trending experience with the actual hardware. The paper includes a discussion of each ACS hardware component, lessons learned of the various stages of I&T, a discussion of the challenges that are unique to the LRO project, as well as a discussion of work for future missions to consider as part of their I&T plan. LRO ACS sensors were carefully installed, tested, and maintained over the 18 month I&T and prelaunch timeline. Care was taken with the optics of the Adcole Coarse Sun Sensors (CSS) to ensure their critical role in the Safe Hold mode was fulfilled. The use of new CSS stimulators provided the means of testing each CSS sensor independently, in ambient and vacuum conditions as well as over a wide range of thermal temperatures. Extreme bright light sources were also used to test the CSS in ambient conditions. The integration of the two SELEX Galileo Star Trackers was carefully planned and executed. Optical ground support equipment was designed and used often to check the performance of the star trackers throughout I&T in ambient and thermal/vacuum conditions. A late discovery of potential contamination of the star tracker light shades is discussed in this paper. This paper reviews how each time the spacecraft was at a new location and orientation, the Honeywell Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) was checked for data output validity. This gyro compassing test was performed at several key testing points in the timeline as well as several times while LRO was on the launch pad. Sensor alignment tests were completed several times to ensure that hardware remained on a rigid platform.
Document ID
20100014258
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Simpson, Jim (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Badgley, Jason (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
McCaughey, Ken (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Brown, Kristen (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Calhoun, Philip (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Davis, Edward (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Garrick, Joseph (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Gill, Nathaniel (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Hsu, Oscar (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Jones, Noble (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Oritz-Cruz, Gerardo (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Raymond, Juan (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Roder, Russell (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Shah, Neerav (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Wilson, John (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2010
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) Conference
Location: Toronto
Country: Canada
Start Date: August 2, 2010
End Date: August 5, 2010
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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