MMS-IRAS TRL-6 Testing

Gregory W. Heckler, Luke B. Winternitz, William A. Bamford

Abstract:	An absolute and relative navigation sensor for formation flying, composed of the Navigator weak-signal GPS receiver and an S-band transceiver with ranging capability, is described. This sensor, dubbed the Intersatellite Ranging and Alarm System (IRAS), is a vital avionics component of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission set to launch in 2014. We describe the IRAS capabilities, driven by performance requirements imposed on the MMS mission, and some challenging and novel aspects of its design. Next, we describe NASA's technology readiness level (TRL) system for characterizing the maturity of technology developments, and finally detail the test environment and specific tests that will be used to verify the advance of the IRAS to TRL level 6.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 21st International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2008) September 16 - 19, 2008 Savannah International Convention Center Savannah, GA
Pages:	702 - 709
Cite this article:	Heckler, Gregory W., Winternitz, Luke B., Bamford, William A., "MMS-IRAS TRL-6 Testing," Proceedings of the 21st International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2008), Savannah, GA, September 2008, pp. 702-709.
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