Hubble Servicing Missions

Hubble Servicing Missions

Overview

Genesis was a player on Hubble Servicing Missions 1, 2, 3A and 3B. We primarily created protected enclosures to transport new components and retrieve old components back down. Over the course of 4 missions, we transported over 130 flight components to the Hubble Telescope.

Servicing Mission 1

Servicing Mission 1, launch December 1993, was the first opportunity to conduct planned maintenance on the telescope. New instruments were installed and the optical flaw is Hubble’s primary mirror was corrected.

Genesis designed protective enclosures for ORUs (Orbital Replacement Units)

Servicing Mission 2

The Second Servicing Mission, launched February 11, 1997, greatly improved Hubble’s productivity. The installation of new instruments extended Hubble’s wavelength range into the near infrared for imaging and spectroscopy, allowing us to probe the most distant reaches of the universe. The replacement of failed or degraded spacecraft components increased efficiency and performance.

SM 2 Tasks

  • Designed, built and tested four protective enclosures to support cargo delivery
  • Design incorporated innovative “tool-less” EVA interface, heaters and data interfaces
  • Performed crew training, built crew training aides and provided crew familiarization support

Servicing Mission 3A

Servicing Mission 3A successfully replaced equipment and performed maintenance upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope. Although no new scientific instruments were installed, many activities took place over 3 EVA days. The originally planned 4 days of EVA were changed to 3 days because of the weather-delayed launch. The deorbit time was fixed for this mission in order to avoid any possible Y2K problems.

SM 3A Tasks

  • Emergency repair mission (4th of 6 gyros failed – 3 required for ops)
  • Design and fabrication of protective enclosure vibration isolation systems
  • Design and modification of protective enclosures
  • Supported training of mission critical personnel and crew

Servicing Mission 3B

During SM3B a new science instrument was installed: the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Several other activities were accomplished as well over a 12-day mission with 5 spacewalks.

SM 3B Tasks

  • Designed, fabricated and built four protective enclosures to support delivery of critical mission hardware
  • Supporting neutral buoyancy and crew familiarization
  • Provided mission support including ORU integration and de-integration

GENSAT-1

GENSAT-1

OVERVIEW

Gensat-1 is the first in a line of small satellites created by Genesis. This 6U cubesat carries a NASA payload in a polar orbit.

PAYLOAD

Gensat-1 carries the Advanced Energetic Ion Electron Telescope (AGILE) provided by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Code 600.

AGILE measures solar proton events and is the first space-instrument to use Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) to identify charged particles.

DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Genesis is providing a complete spacecraft bus for the NASA AGILE payload. In-house design and development capabilities utilized for Gensat-1 include:

  • Flight structure & ground support equipment mechanical design
  • Structural & thermal analysis
  • Harnessing design
  • Avionics PWB design
  • Mission analysis using NOS3 and 42
  • Flight software design using cFS
  • Ground station software design using COSMOS

SYSTEM VALIDATION

Genesis is validating the Gensat-1 spacecraft bus, flight software, and ground station in-house:

  • Software In The Loop
  • Hardware In The Loop
  • Day In The Life
  • Comprehensive Performance Test
  • Long-range radio testing

SYSTEM VALIDATION

Genesis is integrating and testing Gensat-1 fully in house with our advanced facilities:

  • Class 10,000 cleanroom
  • Vibration table
  • Thermal vacuum chamber

FABRICATION & INTEGRATION

Genesis is fabricating and integrating a large portion of Gensat-1 in-house. Our Class 10K clean tents and class 100k cleanroom are utilized for integration. In-house fabrication & integration includes:

  • Compact avionics stack structure integration
  • ACS, power, C&DH, and comm COTS components integration
  • NASA science payload integration
  • Ground support equipment integration
  • Avionics boards fabrication
  • Harness fabrication & routing
  • Bonding and staking

TESTING

Genesis is environmental testing Gensat-1 in-house with our 3-axis vibration table and thermal vacuum chamber.

GROUND STATION

Gensat-1 is operated from Genesis headquarters’ new in-house ground station using COSMOS for C&DH. Ground station capabilities are available for future missions.

LISA

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

OVERVIEW

LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) is a space-based gravitational wave observatory building on the success of LISA Pathfinder and LIGO.
Led by ESA, the LISA mission is a collaboration of ESA, NASA, and an international consortium of scientists.

GENESIS INVOLVEMENT

  • Optical Analysis
  • Mechanical Support of Telescope Design, Integration, and Test

SPS

Single Person Spacecraft

SPS

OVERVIEW

The Single Person Spacecraft (SPS) is an example of our ongoing investment in R&D. The SPS provides a unique alternative to the concept of a spacesuit. When extra-vehicular activity (EVA) in space has required an astronaut with spacesuit there are inherent challenges. The SPS has advantages for both the astronaut and the overall activities that need to be accomplished.

DETAILS

Designed for servicing / exploration of ISS, NEOs and satellites. It can be piloted or tele-operated. Using the same atmosphere as the host vehicle it provides immediate access to space without pre-breathing or airlock. Integral propulsion enables rapid transport to the work site. It is designed for all sizes of crew members providing “shirt sleeve” operations of conventional displays and controls.

USE CASES

NEUTRAL BOYANCY TESTING

Crew Enclosure Demonstration Test Article

PUBLICATIONS

COLLABORATIONS

AMRO, El Monte, CA

United Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL

SRI International, Menlo Park, CA

Paragon Space Development Corporation, Tucson, AZ

Shields, Martinsville, IN

Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems

Design Force

METECS

TriVector Services Inc.

GEN 6000

GEN6OOO

OVERVIEW

Originally called “Space Cube 2.0” Genesis licensed Goddard’s technology and renamed it GEN6000. This design is an in-flight reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based on-board hybrid science data processing system.

Services Provided by Genesis

PWA Manufacturing

PWA Electrical Testing

Printed Wiring Board Design

Electrical / FPGA Design

details

GEN6000 technology provides 10x to 100x improvements in on-board computing power while lowering relative power consumption and cost. 

The GEN6000 design strategy incorporates commercial 
radiation-tolerant FPGA technology and couples it with an integrated upset detection and correction architecture to provide reliable “order of magnitude” improvements in computing power over traditional radiation-hardened flight systems.

Software Performance Testing at GSFC

Having passed the standard suite of component and board-level electrical tests,
this GEN6000 unit is set up at NASA GSFC for a final 2-week long test using flight-like software.

JWST – IEC

JWST - IEC

JWST NASA ES CSA logo
ISIM Electronics Compartment (IEC) logo

OVERVIEW

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an orbiting infrared observatory that will take the place of the Hubble Space Telescope at the end of its mission. Genesis Engineering Solutions was contracted to develop the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Electronics Compartment (IEC) also knows as Region 2 of the JWST. This involves developing a light weight composite structure with optical reflective louver systems; this heat emitting system functions as a state-of-the-art radiator for space.

The goal of the JWST is to study the universe at the important but previously unobserved epoch of galaxy formation. It will peer through dust to witness the birth of stars and planetary systems similar to our own. Utilizing JWST, scientists hope to get a better understanding of the intriguing dark matter problem. JWST is also a key element in NASA’s Origins Program.

GENESIS INVOLVEMENT

  • Composite Structures
  • Thermal Blanketing
  • Harness, Cabling, Routing
  • Ground Support Equipment
  • Design
  • Analysis (Thermal & Structural)
  • Fabrication and Integration
  • Project Management
  • Genesis’ Integration Space and Class 10K Cleanroom
  • Composite Fabrication Facility

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Design, Manufacture, Integration, Test, and Support for Region 2 of the telescope
  • Composite shell design houses the telescope electronics
  • Innovative optical reflective louver design made of composite materials
  • Thermal system Incorporates critical heat-emitting solution

GEDI

Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation

Overview

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar will reveal the 3-D architecture of forests. The unprecedented detail of these measurements will provide crucial information about the impact that trees have on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

GENESIS INVOLVEMENT

In addition to providing general engineering expertise, our activity and support for the GEDI project includes:

  • Assisting with the design, configuration and maintenance of the GEDI laser and BDU experimental setups and build facilities
  • Performing incoming acceptance inspections of ETU and flight parts for the laser and BDU
  • Assisting as needed with design changes to the laser and BDU systems
  • Writing and carrying out flight level procedures and work orders
  • Supporting the assembly of the laser and BDU systems
  • Logistics assistance on the GEDI laser and BDU including manufacturing process flow, parts tracking and delivery
  • Documenting work performed in reports and presentations
  • Thermal Blankets

MUSTANG

mustang oci icdu electronics box
Modular Unified Space Technology Avionics for Next Generation

OVERVIEW

Goddard Space Flight Center’s new generation of spacecraft control electronics and science Instrument Data Processing Unit (IDPU) electronics design is nearly complete.

GENESIS INVOLVEMENT

  • OCI Optical Analysis
  • Printed Wiring Board Design
  • Electrical / FPGA Design
  • Integration & Test
  • Hardware Procurement
  • PWA Manufacturing

DETAILS

Modular Unified Space Technology Avionics for Next Generation (MUSTANG), also known as MMS Derived Avionics (MDA), was developed using GSFC internal funds and funds from the Goddard Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. It is baselined for PACE, the Goddard Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), the Goddard Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Power Controller Unit, and the JPL Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) Instrument Electronics. The designs, although not the form factor, for the processor, comm card, low voltage power supply, power monitor card, solar array module, segment module, heater module, and engine valve driver have been adopted by the WFIRST project. The Goddard team has worked closely with key Goddard contractors, such as Genesis Engineering, who supported the design and manufacture of a number the MUSTANG cards.

OCI PACE

OCI PACE

OVERVIEW

Measuring the color of the ocean provides important information about the health of the Earth’s oceans. The ocean is composed of many different substances which can contribute to the scattering of light at different wavelengths. One important substance is phytoplankton (marine based algae) which contributes to the greenish color of the ocean and is used to monitor and is an important sink for carbon dioxide.

GENESIS INVOLVEMENT

OCI Optical Analysis

We are supporting the OCI (Ocean Color Instrument) by working in the analysis of the OCI optical system. Stray light can interfere with the quality of the OCI measurements by affecting its accuracy. Stray light analysis helps to ensure that the OCI is measuring what it intends to and that most of the errant light entering the optical system is blocked by the detector. Optical tolerancing analysis provides an overall uncertainty budget in the optical systems ensuring that the instrument will meet its goals.

OCI Thermal Radiator

We are supporting the OCI by working in the analysis of the OCI optical system. Stray light can interfere with the quality of the OCI measurements by affecting its accuracy. Stray light analysis helps to ensure that the OCI is measuring what it intends to and that most of the errant light entering the optical system is blocked by the detector. Optical tolerancing analysis provides an overall uncertainty budget in the optical systems ensuring that the instrument will meet its goals.