Systems

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The goal of the Mars Gravity Systems Team is to make sure that the satellite functions properly when all the systems are incorporated into the spacecraft. To accomplish this goal we are responsible for managing spacecraft requirements, modeling the spacecraft, running analyses on the models, managing the interfaces between spacecraft systems, and assisting with overall team management. We place requirements on the Bus, EDL and Payload systems to ensure that their designs remain consistent with each other and with the requirements provided by the Science team and the Program Office. Another critical aspect of managing the satellite integration involves designing and documenting the interfaces between all the spacecraft systems. These include power, thermal, mechanical and data interfaces.

To maintain consistency in designs, documentation and program management, our work is divided into a number of areas, including:

• Computer Aided Design (CAD) Integration
• System Level Analysis
• Interface Design/Documentation
• Requirement Determination/Verification/Documentation
• Schedule/Budget Integration
• Coordinating communications between teams

The CAD integration team is responsible for providing aid in the drafting of design modifications and additions. Once all the parts are represented, the team integrates them into a full spacecraft model, which is then used to solve for mass properties - such as the center of gravity. We also use the model to analyze how the spacecraft reacts to expected loads and vibrations, and in given thermal and acoustic environments.

The systems level analysis team's main goal is modeling the integrated system. The questions that need to be answered are therefore:

• What method will be used to model the vibration modes? (natural frequency analysis, etc)
• Will the spacecraft will be stable in its desired spin axis/rate? (mass properties)
• What the thermal environment for the equipment and science payload will be?
• How will the structures react to the launch re-entry and landing loads? (loads analysis)

Significant work has been done for the mass properties in order to properly define the interface, and testing is underway on the thermal system.

The system team is also responsible for designing and documenting the interfaces between EDL, Payload and Bus. Examples of such interfaces are:

	1.   Power
	2.   Thermal
	3.   Data
	4.   Mechanical

We must legislate the specific interfaces to guarantee upon integration that the system will work together to meet all the requirements. There can be no room for error in the fastening mechanisms, in power connections, thermal dissipation or communication schemes. Each of these systems must work flawlessly in order to have a successful mission.

Another set of documents the system team controls are the requirements documents. We are given requirements from the science team and the program office; it is the job of the system team to ensure that all these requirements are appropriately divvied up to efficiently meet all the mission requirements.

The system also gets the great pleasure of organizing all the cross-system management tools, from schedules, to budgets and progress updates. It is necessary to facilitate these tasks to allow the other systems to work as independently as possible, so that one team can not hold up the progress of the rest of the system. The systems team therefore works with the program office (and often has overlapping staff) to keep the project moving towards our final goal: the successful completion of the Mars Gravity Biosatellite mission.

Other Teams: Science  |  Payload  |  Systems  |  Bus  |  Entry, Decent, & Landing

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