Real-time testbed spacecraft simulation for the Deep Space One Spacecraft

The Deep Space One (DS1) Project is the first advanced technology validation mission that is part of the New Millennium Program sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and it´s industry partner for this endeavor, Spectrum Astro, Inc., are working together with a number of select integrated product development teams, and are tasked with the design, development, and in-flight validation of a chosen suite of advanced technologies. To verify proper spacecraft function and performance prior to actual launch and in-flight operations, the spacecraft must be subjected to a battery of tests at the assembly, subsystem, and system levels. One facility where much of this testing will performed is the Flight System Testbed for Deep Space One (FST/DS1). The FST/DS1 is comprised of flight software test stations and a main integration and test station called the DS1 Testbed. Considerable effort is being undertaken to develop a high fidelity spacecraft simulation to assist in the verification and validation of the avionics system on the DS1 Testbed. A commercial product-derived spacecraft dynamics software simulation, inherited custom hardware models, and electrical ground support equipment consisting of both commercial and semi-custom components will be integrated to develop a fully operational spacecraft simulation. This paper states the requirements for, describes the overall architecture of, and identifies the future work involved in developing the DS1 Testbed spacecraft simulation