Fractionated spacecraft

A fractionated spacecraft is a satellite architecture where the functional capabilities of a conventional monolithic spacecraft are distributed across multiple modules which interact through wireless links. Unlike other aggregations of spacecraft, such as constellations and formations, the modules of a fractionated spacecraft are largely heterogeneous and perform distinct functions corresponding, for instance, to the various subsystem elements of a traditional satellite.

History

The term "fractionated spacecraft" appears to have been coined by Owen Brown and Paul Eremenko in a series of 2006 papers, [ cite conference
first = Owen
last = Brown
authorlink =
coauthors = Eremenko, Paul
title = The Value Proposition for Fractionated Space Architectures
booktitle = AIAA Space 2006
pages = Paper No. AIAA-2006-7506
publisher = American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics
date = 2006
location = San Jose, CA
url = http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMSPACE06_1393/PV2006_7506.pdf
doi =
id =
accessdate = ] [ cite conference
first = Owen
last = Brown
authorlink =
coauthors = Eremenko, Paul
title = Fractionated Space Architectures: A Vision for Responsive Space
booktitle = 4th Responsive Space Conference
pages = Paper No. AIAA-RS4-2006-1002
publisher = American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics
date = 2006
location = Los Angeles, CA
url = http://www.responsivespace.com/Papers/RS4%5CPapers%5CRS4_1002P_Eremenko.pdf
doi =
id =
accessdate = ] cite conference
first = O.
last = Brown
authorlink =
coauthors = Eremenko, P.; Roberts, C.
title = Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Notional Fractionated SATCOM Architecture
booktitle = 24th International Communications Satellite Systems Conference
pages = Paper No. AIAA-2006-5328
publisher = American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics
date = 2006
location = San Diego, CA
url = http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMICSSC06_1269/PV2006_5328.pdf
doi =
id =
accessdate = ] which argue that a fractionated architecture offers more flexibility and robustness than traditional satellite design during mission operations, and during the design and procurement.

But the idea dates back to at least a 1984 article by P. Molette. [ cite journal
last = Molette
first = P.
authorlink =
coauthors = Cougnet, C.; Saint-Aubert, PH.; Young, R.W.; Helas, D.
title = Technical and Economical Comparison Between a Modular Geostationary Space Platform and a Cluster of Satellites
journal = Acta Astronautica
volume = 12
issue = 11
pages = 771–784
publisher = Pergamon Press Ltd.
location =
date = 1984
url =
doi =
id =
accessdate = ] Molette's and later analyses [cite web |url=http://personal.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/L.Wood/DARPA-fractionated-spacecraft/rooney-fractionated-spacecraft.pdf |title=An Exercise in Spacecraft Mission Fractionation |accessdate=2008-01-13 |last=Rooney |first=Kevin |date=August 2006 |work=Presentation |publisher=Boeing] concluded that the benefits of fractionated spacecraft were outweighed by their higher mass and cost. Brown and his collaborators [ cite conference
first = Owen
last = Brown
authorlink =
coauthors = Long, Andrew; Shah, Naresh; Eremenko, Paul
title = System Lifecycle Cost Under Uncertainty as a Design Metric Encompassing the Value of Architectural Flexibility
booktitle = AIAA Space 2007
pages = Paper No. AIAA-2007-6023
publisher = American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics
date = 2007
location = Long Beach, CA
url = http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMSPACE07_1808/PV2007_6023.pdf
doi =
id =
accessdate = ] claim that the option value of flexibility, the insurance value of improved robustness, and mass production effects will exceed any penalties, and make an analogy with distributed clusters of personal computers (PCs) which are overtaking supercomputers. A recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology appears to have corroborated this latter view. [cite web |url=http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA459448 |title=Fractionated Spacecraft Architectures Seeding Study |last=Weigel |first=Annalisa |date=2006-04-03 |work=AFRL-VS-PS-TR-2006-1026 |publisher=Air Force Research Laboratory]

Development

In 2007, DARPA, The Pentagon's advanced technology organization, issued an announcement [cite web |url=http://www.darpa.mil/TTO/solicit/BAA07-31/F6_BAA_Final_07-16-07.doc |title=System F6 |date=2007 |work=Broad Agency Announcement |publisher=DARPA] soliciting proposals for a program entitled System F6 which aims to prove "the feasibility and benefits" of a fractionated satellite architecture through a space demonstration. The program appears to emphasize wireless networking as a critical technical enabler, along with econometric modeling to assess if and when the architecture is advantageous over conventional approaches.

DARPA called for open source development of the networking and communications protocols and interfaces for the fractionated spacecraft modules. This unusual step was presumably in an effort to proliferate the concept and mirror in space the development of the terrestrial Internet.

In 2008, DARPA announced that contracts for the preliminary development phase of the System F6 program were issued to teams headed by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Orbital Sciences. [cite web |url=http://www.darpa.mil/body/news/2008/F6.pdf |title=DARPA awards contracts for fractionated spacecraft program |accessdate=2008-05-13]

Miscellaneous

Fractionating a communications satellite mission appears to be subject to US patent|6633745, "Satellite cluster comprising a plurality of modular satellites."

References

External links

* [http://info.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/L.Wood/DARPA-fractionated-spacecraft/ Fractionated Spacecraft workshop] , Colorado Springs, August 2006.