The document discusses spacecraft technology developed at the University of Dundee, including SpaceWire, a standard interface for onboard data handling. It describes how SpaceWire connects instruments and processors on spacecraft. It also discusses STAR-Dundee, a successful spin-off company that produces SpaceWire chips and test equipment used on over 100 spacecraft. The document outlines work done at Dundee on vision-based navigation for planetary landers, including a prototype camera and simulator called PANGU for testing navigation algorithms.

1. Spacecraft Technology from Dundee
Steve Parkes
Space Technology Centre, University of Dundee
STAR-Dundee Ltd
Spacecraft images courtesy of ESA
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2. Spacecraft onboard data-handling
 Computer network technology for spacecraft
– SpaceWire
 Connects together data-handling elements
onboard a spacecraft:
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Instruments
Processors
Mass memory
Telemetry and Telecommand
 Standard interface
 Forms the nervous system of a spacecraft
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8. SpaceWire Key Features
 Similar purpose to USB
– Different technology
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Designed for space applications
Simple
Implementation requires few logic gates
High performance
Flexible architecture

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Image courtesy NASA

10. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
DRLE
CRATER
LOLA
NAC
1
NAC
2
WAC
Mini-RF
Radar
LRO Camera (LRCO)
ACS
SpW
LEND
1553B
SpW
HK/IO
SpW
Large
Memory
Command and Data
Handling Computer
SpaceWire Router
SpW
KaCOMMS
10
SpW
S-COMMS
LAMP

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Image courtesy NASA

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Image courtesy NASA

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14. Plug and Play Sat
Image courtesy AFRL
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15. Plug and Play Sat
Image courtesy AFRL
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17. GAIA
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Image EADS Astrium

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Illustration: Akihiro Ikeshita / JAXA.

24. Sentinel 3
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25. SpaceWire
 SpaceWire standard
– Written by University of Dundee
– With inputs from international spacecraft
engineers
 SpaceWire technology
– Being used or designed into over 100 spacecraft
– Over $15 billion worth of spacecraft rely on it
 Scientific, Exploration, Earth observation, Commercial
 Dundee SpaceWire chip technology
designed into
– European, Japanese, USA, Chinese spacecraft
 Successful spin-out company STAR-Dundee
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26. STAR-Dundee Ltd
 Operational for 11 years
 Grown organically
 Winner of Courier
– “Business of the Year” Award 2013
– “Digital Business of the Year” Award 2013
 Winner of two SMART awards
 Customers include
– ESA
– NASA
– JAXA
 Many leading aerospace companies in
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– USA
– Europe
© STAR-Dundee Ltd 2012
2011

27. STAR-Dundee
 Products
– SpaceWire test equipment
– SpaceWire chip designs
 High value, low volume
 Responsive to customer
requirements
 Support important
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© STAR-Dundee Ltd 2012
2011

28. The Team
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18 people
16 FTEs
8 PhDs
Other highly skilled people
Mix of technical skills
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–
–
–
–
–
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Chip design
Circuit design
Board design
Box design
Software drivers
Application software
© STAR-Dundee Ltd 2012
2011

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© STAR-Dundee Ltd 2012
2011

30. Planetary Landers
 How to land a spacecraft on a distant planet?
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–
–
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Without a pilot on board
Long communication delays
Precision landing
In potentially hazardous terrain
 Robotic pilot
 Eyes of robotic pilot
– Computer vision
– Measure spacecraft motion relative to the surface
– Visual information combined with information from
other navigation sensors
– Used to guide the spacecraft
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32. Feature Tracking
Image (N)
Image (N+1)
“Landmark”
Tracking
Target
Landing
Site

34. Eyes for Spacecraft Robotic Pilot
 NPAL Camera Prototype
– Navigation for Planetary Approach and Landing
 Team
– EADS Astrium (France)
– Selex Galileo (Italy)
– University of Dundee
Image Memory
Image
Proc.
Control
Proc.
Imaging
Chip
SpW
To
OBC

35. Testing Vision Based Navigation
 Having built a lander navigation system
– How can we test it?
 Simulation
– PANGU:
 Planet and Asteroid Natural-scene Generation Utility
– Software tool
 Simulates planets and asteroids
 Simulates cameras and other sensors viewing those
bodies
 Developed specifically to test vision based GNC
algorithms
 Realistic and high performance
 Extensively tested and validated so that it can be used
for testing space flight systems
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– Being used for lander, rover, orbiter simulation

36. Descent videos: Malapert Ridge
– Based on a 960 m DEM centred on Malapert
Ridge near the South Pole Model with resolution
varying from 960 m to 47 cm.
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40. Landmark Recognition
 Landmarks: sites of prominent Harris corners
 Connected by a surface mesh
 Surface mesh allows tracking of landmarks
– Lying over the asteroid horizon
– and in concave areas
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41. Landmark Recognition
 Landmarks are projected into the image
– Using an estimate of the spacecraft position &
orientation
 Matches are made with features in the
current navigation imagery
 Estimated spacecraft position & orientation
optimised
– By minimising the difference between
– Expected and observed landmark position in the
image
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43. Planetary Landers
 Navigation camera
– Prototype built and tested
– Engineering model currently under development
– Dundee providing image processing chip design
 Test system
– PANGU simulator designed and built at Dundee
– Widely used in Europe for testing vision-based
navigation systems
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Descent and landing, e.g. Lunar Polar
Asteroid landing, e.g. Marco Polo
Rover navigation, e.g. ExoMars
Spacecraft rendezvous and docking, e.g. Mars Sample
Return

44. Earth Observation Data Reception
 Dundee Satellite Receiving Station
 One of main receiving stations in UK
 Funded by NERC
– Natural Environment Research Council
 Part of NEODAAS
– NERC Earth Observation Data Acquisition and
Analysis Service

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47. User community across UK
 Marine
 Atmospheric
 Earth
 Terrestrial & Freshwater
 Polar
 Earth Observation

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49. Haar

50. Sarahan Dust Over UK

52.  www.spacetech.dundee.ac.uk
 www.sat.dundee.ac.uk
 www.neodaas.ac.uk
 www.star-dundee.com
 www.rapidqualitysystems.com
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