Engineering considerations applied to starshade repointing

Norman Rioux; Donald Dichmann; Shawn Domagal-Goldman; Avi Mandell; Aki Roberge; Chris Stark; Eric Stoneking; Dewey Willis

doi:10.1117/12.2233541

29 July 2016 Engineering considerations applied to starshade repointing

Norman Rioux, Donald Dichmann, Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Avi Mandell, Aki Roberge, Chris Stark, Eric Stoneking, Dewey Willis

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9904, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 99043L (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2233541
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

Engineering analysis has been carried out on orbit dynamics that drive the delta-v budget for repointing a free-flying starshade occulter for viewing exoplanets with a space telescope. This analysis has application to the design of starshade spacecraft and yield calculations of observations of exoplanets using a space telescope and a starshade. Analysis was carried out to determine if there may be some advantage for the global delta-v budget if the telescope performs orbit changing delta-v maneuvers as part of the telescope-starshade alignment for observing exoplanets. Analysis of the orbit environmental forces at play found no significant advantage in having the telescope participate in delta-v maneuvers for exoplanet observation repointing. A separate analysis of starshade delta-v for repointing found that the orbit dynamics of the starshade is driven by multiple simultaneous variables that need to be considered together in order to create an effective estimate of delta-v over an exoplanet observation campaign. These include area of the starshade, dry mass of the starshade spacecraft, and propellant mass of the starshade spacecraft. Solar radiation pressure (SRP) has the potential to play a dominant role in the orbit dynamics and delta-v budget. SRP effects are driven by the differences in the mass, area, and coefficients of reflectivity of the observing telescope and the starshade. The propellant budget cannot be effectively estimated without a conceptual design of a starshade spacecraft including the propulsion system. The varying propellant mass over the mission is a complexity that makes calculating the propellant budget less straightforward.

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Norman Rioux, Donald Dichmann, Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Avi Mandell, Aki Roberge, Chris Stark, Eric Stoneking, and Dewey Willis "Engineering considerations applied to starshade repointing", Proc. SPIE 9904, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 99043L (29 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2233541

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KEYWORDS

Telescopes

Space telescopes

Exoplanets

Space operations

Sun

Device simulation

Solar sails

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