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APL JANUS System Progress on Commercial Suborbital Launch Vehicles: Moving the Laboratory Environment to Near Space

H. Todd Smith
H. Todd Smith
, 
Ryan T. Hacala
Ryan T. Hacala
, 
Erik M. Hohlfeld
Erik M. Hohlfeld
, 
Weston K. Edens
Weston K. Edens
, 
Charles A. Hibbitts
Charles A. Hibbitts
, 
Larry J. Paxton
Larry J. Paxton
, 
Steven P. Arnold
Steven P. Arnold
, 
Joseph H. Westlake
Joseph H. Westlake
, 
Abigail M. Rymer
Abigail M. Rymer
, 
Al Chacos
Al Chacos
, 
Mason A. Peck
Mason A. Peck
 and 
Ben R. Zeiger
Ben R. Zeiger
   | Jan 29, 2021
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Article Category: Research Note
Published Online: Jan 29, 2021
Page range: 30 - 49
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2021-0003
Keywords
© 2021 H. Todd Smith et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

(Top panel) JANUS 2.1 system. Top left: Double (left) and single (right) units with associated flight batteries and ground support system (middle). Top right: JANUS 2.1 dimensions. Bottom left: Low-voltage power supply electronics board. Bottom right: processor electronics board. (Bottom panel). Images from the six completed JANUS mission (by column from left to right). Top row shows the JANUS payload for each mission with flight images below each of these columns.
(Top panel) JANUS 2.1 system. Top left: Double (left) and single (right) units with associated flight batteries and ground support system (middle). Top right: JANUS 2.1 dimensions. Bottom left: Low-voltage power supply electronics board. Bottom right: processor electronics board. (Bottom panel). Images from the six completed JANUS mission (by column from left to right). Top row shows the JANUS payload for each mission with flight images below each of these columns.

Figure 2

1st mission on the Masten Space Systems Xombie sRLV. Top: Magnetic field observations. Middle: Thermal observations of the JANUS processor board. Bottom: Total acceleration observations.
1st mission on the Masten Space Systems Xombie sRLV. Top: Magnetic field observations. Middle: Thermal observations of the JANUS processor board. Bottom: Total acceleration observations.

Figure 3

2nd sRLV mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard CC escape motor test. Left column: Acceleration (g) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis). Right column: Rotational (deg/s) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis).
2nd sRLV mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard CC escape motor test. Left column: Acceleration (g) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis). Right column: Rotational (deg/s) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis).

Figure 4

3rd sRLV mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard sRLV. Left: Acceleration (g) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y). Right: Rotational (deg/s) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis).
3rd sRLV mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard sRLV. Left: Acceleration (g) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y). Right: Rotational (deg/s) observations (y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis).

Figure 5

4th mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard sRLV. Left middle: Magnetic field observations by axis. y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis. Bottom middle: Rotation (deg/s) observations. Top right: Micro-gravity period analysis (g). Right middle: Total magnetic field observations (gauss). Bottom right: Acceleration (g) observations by axis.
4th mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard sRLV. Left middle: Magnetic field observations by axis. y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y-axis. Bottom middle: Rotation (deg/s) observations. Top right: Micro-gravity period analysis (g). Right middle: Total magnetic field observations (gauss). Bottom right: Acceleration (g) observations by axis.

Figure 6

5th sRLV mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard vehicle. Top left: Total magnetic field (gauss) observations. Bottom left: Axial magnetic field (gauss) observations. Top right: Axial acceleration (g) observations. Bottom right: Low-gravity field (g) observations. y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y.
5th sRLV mission on the Blue Origin New Shepard vehicle. Top left: Total magnetic field (gauss) observations. Bottom left: Axial magnetic field (gauss) observations. Top right: Axial acceleration (g) observations. Bottom right: Low-gravity field (g) observations. y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y.

Figure 7

6th sRLV mission on the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo. Top left: Total magnetic field (gauss) observations compared to vehicle altitude (km). Middle left: Vector magnetic field (gauss) observations. Bottom left: Vector rotation (deg/s) observations. Top right: Vector acceleration (g) observations. Middle right: Total acceleration (g) compared to vehicle velocity (knots). Bottom right: Low-gravity field (g) observations. y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y axis.
6th sRLV mission on the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo. Top left: Total magnetic field (gauss) observations compared to vehicle altitude (km). Middle left: Vector magnetic field (gauss) observations. Bottom left: Vector rotation (deg/s) observations. Top right: Vector acceleration (g) observations. Middle right: Total acceleration (g) compared to vehicle velocity (knots). Bottom right: Low-gravity field (g) observations. y-axis vertical in CC, x and z axes orthogonal to y axis.

Figure 8

Payload location on top of the Blue Origin New Shepard PM for external space environment access.
Payload location on top of the Blue Origin New Shepard PM for external space environment access.

Figure 9

Top left: VACNT radiometer head. Bottom left: Radiometer payload assembly. Bottom center: Growth from rectangular patterned catalyst region of VACNT substrate. Right: Summary of radiometer test results.
Top left: VACNT radiometer head. Bottom left: Radiometer payload assembly. Bottom center: Growth from rectangular patterned catalyst region of VACNT substrate. Right: Summary of radiometer test results.

Figure 10

Top: Single-layer graphene attached to lithographically patterned Al 3 micron wide mesh (Left panel: A bad region with substantial cell breakage. Right panel: A good region with essentially all cells intact). Middle left: Single-layer graphene #G13 on 2000 lpi Ni mesh as-made. Middle right: Sample after 90 days, two cross-country FEDEX trips, 3 cycles into an SEM, and a few days of 10 keV Ar+ ion bombardment. Bottom left: Detection of single-layer graphene #G15 using SEM (inset shows gray levels associated with the mesh, the graphene-covered cells, and holes). Bottom right: Foil test flight enclosure.
Top: Single-layer graphene attached to lithographically patterned Al 3 micron wide mesh (Left panel: A bad region with substantial cell breakage. Right panel: A good region with essentially all cells intact). Middle left: Single-layer graphene #G13 on 2000 lpi Ni mesh as-made. Middle right: Sample after 90 days, two cross-country FEDEX trips, 3 cycles into an SEM, and a few days of 10 keV Ar+ ion bombardment. Bottom left: Detection of single-layer graphene #G15 using SEM (inset shows gray levels associated with the mesh, the graphene-covered cells, and holes). Bottom right: Foil test flight enclosure.

Figure 11

Top: Schematic of 200 g ChipSat. Bottom: TRL 7 ChipSat Deployer on a 1U CubeSat to be used during the suborbital flight test (Image Courtesy of Ben Bishop).
Top: Schematic of 200 g ChipSat. Bottom: TRL 7 ChipSat Deployer on a 1U CubeSat to be used during the suborbital flight test (Image Courtesy of Ben Bishop).

Figure 12

Top left: PIMS Faraday Cup sensor. Top right: PIMS electronics assembly/bank. Bottom: PIMS operational constraints.
Top left: PIMS Faraday Cup sensor. Top right: PIMS electronics assembly/bank. Bottom: PIMS operational constraints.
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