Initial Results from ST7-Disturbance Reduction System on LISA Pathfinder

ORAL

Abstract

The European Space Agency LISA Pathfinder spacecraft was launched on December, 2, 2015 carrying the NASA contribution ST7-Disturbance Reduction System (ST7-DRS). The objective of ST7-DRS is to demonstrate drag-free control and noise reduction technologies for future missions, especially a future space-based gravitational wave observatory. The system consists of a pair of Colloid Micro-Newton Thruster clusters and a computer with control algorithms. Data from the host platform is used for inertial and attitude sensing. ST7-DRS was initially powered on in January 2016 for an on-orbit check out and was fully commissioned in late June and early July. This presentation will report results relative to the 0.1 micro-Newton/ rt Hertz thrust noise requirement and the 10 nanometer/rt Hertz position control requirement. Preliminary extended mission results will be discussed.

*The work described here was funded by NASA

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Authors

  • Charles Dunn

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Phillip Barela

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Curt Cutler

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Richard Denzin

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Garth Franklin

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Jacb Gorelik

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Oscar Hsu

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Shahram Javidnia

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Irena Li

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Peiman Maghami

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Colleen Marrese-Reading

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Jitendra Mehta

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • James O'Donnell

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Andrew Romero-Wolf

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • Jacob Slutsky

    • University of Maryland - Baltimore County
    • Univ of Maryland-Balt County
    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Ira Thorpe

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • S. Harper Umfress

    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  • John Ziemer

    • JPL
    • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology