The Atsa Suborbital Observatory Using the XCOR Aerospace Lynx Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle

1. The Atsa Suborbital Observatory Using the XCOR Aerospace Lynx Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle FAITH VILAS PLANETARY SCIENCE INSTITUTE LUKE SOLLITT THE CITADEL

2. WHY - WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE? Scientifically? 2

3. Constraints on LEO observations: • Exclusion angle around the Sun: • Hubble Space Telescope: 50o •  Spitzer Space Telescope: 82.5o •  Sofia Airborne Telescope: 20o • Heat shielding; don’t point s/c at the Sun because you • could hurt detectors, instrumentation, etc. • OK for most astronomy; excludes many objects, e.g.: •  Near-Earth Objects (asteroids, comets) •  Inner Planets • Vulcanoid Searches Not an issue for suborbital spacecraft observations 3

4. Two types of planetary astronomy observations: Open field: FOV is most important; exact pointing not critical BUT need field information (so must be large enough to have identifiable stars in FOV) Target specific: Requires ability to (1) acquire target quickly and easily (2) keep target in instrument FOV (I.e., point well) The success of both of these efforts will depend on the magnitude of the target coupled with instrumental capabilities and pointing ability 4

5. Sample targets: Inner-Earth asteroids Mercury Venus V mag range 16.9 to … 5.4 to -2.3 -3.9 to -4.9 (Astronomical magnitude scale is logarithmic: difference of 5 magnitudes is difference of factor of 100) 5

6. Rich History of Solar System Observations: both low Earth orbit and suborbital telescopic platforms Advantages: Above water vapor at 100 km  access to full IR range Avoid Earth’s atmospheric effects  Above ozone layer opens UV to observers 1

7. WHY - WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE? Scientifically? Technologically? 1

8. Lessons Learned from Ground-Based Observatories Two types of instruments:  Facility Instruments  PI Instruments Observation types:  Observer-tended  Service observing  Queue observing Flexibility to adjust observations, guide, interact with observations Visiting astronomers trained on in-house system Periodic preventive maintenance conducted 6 Solar System Astronomy with Suborbital Spacecraft F. Vilas and L. Sollitt NSRC 2010

9. Lessons Learned from Airborne/Space-Based Observatories Observations operations heavily scripted Robust instrumentation (maintenance not easily possible in space) Review of technical feasibility of proposed observations 7 Solar System Astronomy with Suborbital Spacecraft F. Vilas and L. Sollitt NSRC 2010

10. How migrate to suborbital platform? Combine the best of all observatory worlds! 8

11. What is the Atsa Suborbital Observatory? Atsa is a facility: moving beyond flight or flights only Maintain a telescope (or telescopes) interchangeably with the freedom to attach different instruments Facility Instruments: Available in-house PI Instruments: Provided by the observatory user Data storage: On-board the spacecraft with observatory hardware 9

12. Publish list of criteria a PI instrument must meet before flies on Atsa Review project technically in-house for feasibility Programmatic: FAA review Generally, make this a smooth operation for an interested astronomer either with hardy, ready facility instrumentation or with their own instrument concepts 10

13. WHY - WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE? Scientifically? Technically? Fiscally? 11

14. We cut out redundancy in instrumentation, lowering costs Reflight establishes cost savings in repeated re-use of instruments On-board data storage removes data downlink costs Actual flight costs cheaper Standardization of observing removes costs of duplicating efforts for many observing programs; allows astronomer to tailor program as desired Service observing available saving observer training costs 12

15. Contributions from Ground-Based Observatories Observation types:  Observer-tended  Service observing Flexibility to adjust observations, guide, interact with observations Visiting astronomers trained on in-house system Periodic preventive maintenance conducted 13

16. Contributions from Airborne/Space-Based Observatories Observations operations heavily scripted Robust instrumentation (maintenance not easily possible in space) Review of technical feasibility of proposed observations 1 14

17. What does this mean to you the suborbital observer? 15

18. YOU: want to acquire an astronomical observation NOW Soon Sooner or later 16

19. YOU: want to acquire an astronomical observation Atsa: Can we do it? We will determine if your proposed observation is feasible with Atsa Tailors the observing sequence Simulates expected results and go/no go decision 17

20. YOU: want to acquire an astronomical observation You want to conduct the observation yourself (!) Atsa: We send you to Atsa-specific, FAA-approved NASTAR training for observers with our telescope We conducted the first Atsa specific NASTAR training session in July 2011 18

21. NASTAR Training, Summer 2011 19

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24. YOU: want to acquire an astronomical observation You don’t want to go anywhere near a flying tin can! Atsa will provide a trained observer for you. 22

25. YOU: want to acquire an astronomical observation You want to fly your own instrument with our telescope Atsa: Give us the specs! We can see if this is feasible with our telescope 23

26. Publish list of criteria a PI instrument must meet before flies on Atsa Review project technically in-house for feasibility Programmatic: FAA review Generally, make this a smooth operation for an interested astronomer either with hardy, ready facility instrumentation or with their own instrument concepts 24

27. Atsa telescope (20-in diameter currently planned) with suite of instrumentation: UV, visible, IR detectors Filters & grisms Onboard data recording - no data streaming, downlink • The telescope and focal plane components are all commercially available. • Custom fabricated parts include • Interface between the telescope and the camera • Mounting system (gimbals, bracket, etc.) • Drive system/Control interface • Special optics 25

28. Atsa Utilizes Advantages of XCOR Lynx Pointing Accuracy Lynx Mark I: +/- 2 degrees Lynx Mark II: +/- 0.5 degrees This is great (!) as pointing is a balance requiring coarse pointing by the spacecraft and fine pointing by the human operator Transmission on spacecraft: The BEST window is NO window! The XCOR Lynx III has a dorsal pod opening to space 26

29. The Atsa Armrest Camera • Engineering proof-of-concept instrument • To test the idea of acquiring and tracking a target from a suborbital spacecraft • Requirements we need to design/build to • Typical loads: 3-4 gx on launch, 4 gz on entry (with safety margin) • FAA certification issues • Cannot impede emergency egress from Lynx • Must be able to use wearing suit gloves • Use of off-the-shelf parts • Inexpensive, but can be challenging • Developed by undergraduatestudent team 27

30. Optical System • Xybion IR camera (previously flown on NASA F-18) • 400-900 nm range • Might replace with a newer camera • FLI five-position filter wheel • Two-inch narrowband filters • 4” catadioptric 800 mm lens • FOV of 5° • Will include a bracket to mount lens collar • Total weight approximately 8 pounds 28

31. Mechanical System • Mounts to step hinge • Lower attachment point still undefined • No Deployments • Two screens • Live view • Guidance view • Steering by hand • Fluid-head camera mount 29

32. Guidance/Control Design • Need to find where we are on the sky when the telescope turns on • Use code from Astrometry.net • Open source • Meant to be used on archival images • Search space constrained to ~5° around chosen sky coordinates • Allows for ~1° pointing accuracy for spacecraft, and jitter through launch • Need to show us how to get to where we need to be • Visual indicator (arrow) points to where we need to go • Will supplement with chart on knee board • Separate control for filter wheel 30

33. Flight planning and training requirements • The period of time above the atmosphere is mere minutes • Effective time management is critical to mission success • Choreographing the mission beforehand, and • Understanding the timing of critical events to the second • Maneuvers (turn telescope to face target) • Deployments (open/close payload doors; deploy tailplanes) • Flight training for the crew should include extensive practice of the mission profile, with plenty of simulated missions run before the real thing • Flight crew must be prepared for the rigors of suborbital flight before they go 31

34. Human Factors: Training • Goals of the training • Provide hands-on experience to aid in design • Resulted in abandonment of electromechanical gimbal in favor of the fluid head mount • Necessary for all future Atsa operators • NASTAR Training • G-loading training on the Phoenix centrifuge • gz loading flights to 4.5 g: anti-g straining maneuver • gx loading flights to 6 g • Simulated flight profiles of SpaceShip2, Lynx (sort of) • Hypobaric training • Distraction factors 32

35. Concluding thoughts; outlook • This is a practical, useful system that fills a unique niche in astronomy • First version of the observatory is being built • Eventual Atsa operators will come from: • PSI: research scientists • The Citadel and other colleges: Students can be and have been an integral part of the program • The user community • First flight of Lynx within ~1 year? • We will be ready to fly the Armrest Camera no later thanmid-year 2013 • Finalize design, fit/function testingWinter 2012 33