Shields-1 Technology Demonstration on ELaNaXIX
Session
Session 10: Leo Missons
Abstract
The NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Shields-1 CubeSat will demonstrate a research payload platform for materials durability experiments on emerging radiation shielding technologies. This spacecraft has been manifested on the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative ELaNaXIX mission scheduled for November 2017. Shields-1 has been previously designed for a concept of operations (CONOPS) in the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) environment, and now it has been updated for the polar low earth orbit (PLEO) environment planned for ELaNaXIX. Shields-1 incorporates eight dosimeters for radiation experiments: one in the atomic number (Z)-grade radiation shielding vault, three behind experimental Z-grade radiation shielding samples developed at NASA LaRC, three behind baseline aluminum shielding samples, and one deep inside the research payload. The Z-grade is an atomic number gradient of shielding materials with a low atomic number metal, such as aluminum, with a high atomic number material, like tantalum. The metals are engineered into the vault structure. The research payload structure supports the multiple radiation experiments and provides the systems necessary for space operations and rideshare. Shields-1 includes the resistance and temperature measurement of a charge dissipation film. The data acquisition system has been developed at NASA LaRC to collect temperature, total ionizing dose, charge dissipation film resistance, and coarse sun-sensor photodiode measurements. The Shields-1 mission contributes to the SmallSat community with the development of technologies to increase the lifetimes of CubeSat missions from months to years in multiple radiation environments and increase the return on investment for scientific and commercial spacecraft.
Presentation
Shields-1 Technology Demonstration on ELaNaXIX
The NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Shields-1 CubeSat will demonstrate a research payload platform for materials durability experiments on emerging radiation shielding technologies. This spacecraft has been manifested on the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative ELaNaXIX mission scheduled for November 2017. Shields-1 has been previously designed for a concept of operations (CONOPS) in the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) environment, and now it has been updated for the polar low earth orbit (PLEO) environment planned for ELaNaXIX. Shields-1 incorporates eight dosimeters for radiation experiments: one in the atomic number (Z)-grade radiation shielding vault, three behind experimental Z-grade radiation shielding samples developed at NASA LaRC, three behind baseline aluminum shielding samples, and one deep inside the research payload. The Z-grade is an atomic number gradient of shielding materials with a low atomic number metal, such as aluminum, with a high atomic number material, like tantalum. The metals are engineered into the vault structure. The research payload structure supports the multiple radiation experiments and provides the systems necessary for space operations and rideshare. Shields-1 includes the resistance and temperature measurement of a charge dissipation film. The data acquisition system has been developed at NASA LaRC to collect temperature, total ionizing dose, charge dissipation film resistance, and coarse sun-sensor photodiode measurements. The Shields-1 mission contributes to the SmallSat community with the development of technologies to increase the lifetimes of CubeSat missions from months to years in multiple radiation environments and increase the return on investment for scientific and commercial spacecraft.
