This volume assesses the ability of the next generation Defense System Communication Satellite (DSCS III) to be made autonomous, i.e., to operate successfully without ground intervention for up to six months. The existing DSCS III design will not operate autonomously for extended periods. This volume assesses the ability of the current DSCS III design to be upgraded for increased autonomy (1) without additional hardware and (2) with modest hardware additions and changes. Functional descriptions of options for increasing DSCS III's autonomy are presented. Software-only modifications can make improvements in mission performance but cannot meet the six-month autonomy goal. Full autonomy hardware additions are necessary in three areas: (1) some additional autonomy for routine service functions, (2) addition of a fault tolerant autonomous spacecraft redundancy management function, and (3) addition of a fault tolerant autonomous navigation function. These functions can be added for relatively minor increases in mass and power, primarily providing additional computing capability and autonomous navigation sensors. On-board computing control complexity will be substantially increased. (Author)


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    Title :

    Assessment of Autonomous Options for the DSCS III Satellite System. Volume III. Options for Increasing the Autonomy of the DSCS III Satellite


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1981


    Size :

    184 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English