Abstract
ExoMars programme is part of a cooperation between ESA and Roscosmos. It foresees two missions to Mars that aim to searching for signs of past and present life on Mars, investigating the Martian atmosphere and surface and demonstrating the technologies needed to land on Mars and perform robotic exploration. The first spacecraft launched in early 2016 is composed of an Orbiter module (the Trace Gas Orbiter, TGO) carrying an entry descent and landing demonstration module (EDM) The Orbiter GNC design shall allow the spacecraft composite to cruise towards Mars, to accurately release the EDM, to make orbit insertion in Mars orbit with chemical propulsion system, to circularise the orbit by aerobraking and perform atmosphere observation with the four payloads instruments while relaying communication from assets on Mars surface. After a brief presentation of the ExoMars mission and constraints, the paper first provides an overview of the TGO GNC design (in term of mode and sensor/actuator), then an updated status of development is given. A special emphasis is given to the GNC level implementation of the aerobraking strategies and on specific FDIR features.
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Abbreviations
- ACC:
-
Accelerometer
- AEBM:
-
Aerobraking mode
- AIT:
-
Assembly integration test
- ARD:
-
Atmospheric rate damping
- CSS:
-
Coarse sun sensor
- DM:
-
Descent module
- DSMC:
-
Direct simulation MonteCarlo
- EDM:
-
Entry descent module
- ESA:
-
European space agency
- FDIR:
-
Failure detection isolation recovery
- GNC:
-
Guidance navigation control
- HGA:
-
High-gain antenna
- GYR:
-
GYRometer
- IMU:
-
Inertial measurement unit
- ME:
-
Main engine
- MOI:
-
Mars orbit insertion
- NOMP:
-
Nominal mode with propulsion
- NOMR:
-
Nominal mode with reaction wheel
- OCM:
-
Orbit correction mode
- PCU:
-
Power conditioning unit
- P/L:
-
Payload
- PTE:
-
Periapsis timing estimator
- PUDE:
-
Pop-up direction estimator
- RCT:
-
Reaction control thruster
- RW:
-
Reaction wheel
- SA:
-
Solar array
- SADM:
-
Solar array drive mechanism
- STR:
-
Star tracker
- TGO:
-
Trace gas Orbiter
- SAM:
-
Sun acquisition mode
- S/C:
-
Spacecraft
- SGM:
-
Safeguarded memory
- SMU:
-
Spacecraft management unit
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This paper is based on a presentation at the 9th International ESA Conference on Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems, June 2–6, 2014, Porto, Portugal.
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Renault, H., Sergent, N., Chevallier, M. et al. ExoMars 2016, Orbiter module bus a GNC development update. CEAS Space J 7, 105–118 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-014-0070-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-014-0070-0