Papers by eric schwartzbaum
The 2009 Mars telecom orbiter mission
2005 IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2005
This paper provides an overview of the Mars telecom orbiter (MTO) mission, and is an update to th... more This paper provides an overview of the Mars telecom orbiter (MTO) mission, and is an update to the paper presented at last year's conference. Launched in 2009, MTO provides Mars-to-Earth relay services for NASA missions arriving at Mars between 2010 and 2020, enabling far higher science data return and lowering the telecom and operations costs for these missions. MTO carries
The Electra Proximity Link Payload for Mars Relay
To support the coming decade of Mars exploration, NASA is establishing a telecommunications relay... more To support the coming decade of Mars exploration, NASA is establishing a telecommunications relay and navigation infrastructure in Mars orbit, supporting increased science data return, providing energy-efficient relays for small scout-class mission concepts, gathering engineering telemetry during critical mission events, and providing in situ radio-based navigation. A key element of this vision is the Electra Proximity Payload, a telecommunications and navigation payload that will fly on each Mars orbiter, beginning with the 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and with subsequent flight on the 2009 Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO). We present here the functional requirements, design characteristics, and implementation status of the Electra Payload and its role as a telecommunications node in an evolving Mars orbital infrastructure.
The SeaWinds Scatterometer Antenna Subsystem on the QuikScat Spacecraft
In today's environment of "Better, Faster, Cheaper", the ability to produce reliabl... more In today's environment of "Better, Faster, Cheaper", the ability to produce reliable, flight-proven mechanisms for mission critical applications is more important than ever. Such a mechanism was produced for the QuikScat satellite. The Scatterometer Antenna Subsystem (SAS) is a spin mechanism that continuously rotates a scatterometer antenna, and includes the necessary features (rotary interfaces, drives, launch locks, etc) to allow collection of the scatterometry data that will insure mission success. This paper will discuss the evolution of the SAS from its design heritage on the GGS Polar mission to qualification on the ADEOS II satellite to being a key enabler for the rapid development of the QuikScat Satellite.
This work provides a comprehensive overview of the proposed Mars Telecom Orbiter (MTO) mission. L... more This work provides a comprehensive overview of the proposed Mars Telecom Orbiter (MTO) mission. Launched in 2009, MTO would provide Mars-to-Earth relay services for NASA missions arriving at Mars between 2010 and 2020, enabling far higher science data return and lowering the cost for these missions. MTO also carries an optical communications payload, which demonstrates downlink bit rates from 1 Mbps up to and possible exceeding 30 Mbps. MTO also searches for the potential Mars Sample Return orbiting sample, and demonstrates this capability beforehand, using the sample canister, which it carries.
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Papers by eric schwartzbaum