In phase I of this project, ssci carried out initial development of the generalized guidance, navigation & control architecture for reusable development (GUARD). The resulting framework is…

This is a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI), a small business, for the continued development of the Generalized Guidance, Navigation & Control Architecture for Reusable Development (GUARD) framework.

The GUARD framework is intended to enable the development and testing of reusable guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) software for autonomous rendezvous and docking (AR&D) applications across different domains, such as orbital operations, planetary rover docking, and quadrotor close-proximity missions. The Phase I work focused on enhancing the GUARD framework with fault detection, identification, and accommodation capabilities, as well as extending vision-based navigation algorithms to achieve high-precision positioning for AR&D. The Phase II effort will demonstrate an enhanced GUARD prototype with the integrated GN&C, fault detection, and vision-based navigation software in various simulated and hardware test environments.

The contract has a ceiling value of $749,991.00 and is a Firm Fixed Price definitive contract. It is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside.

In phase I of this project, ssci carried out initial development of the generalized guidance, navigation & control architecture for reusable development (GUARD). The resulting framework is applicable across different autonomous rendezvous and docking (AR & D) domains, and enables further development and testing of reusable GN & C software for such applications. GUARD is based on the key functional requirements for GN & C software for AR & D, with special emphasis on the commonality across different domains of operation and unique implementation requirements for GN & C algorithms in such domains. Phase I accomplishments include: (I) augmented the flight-test proven on-line trajectory optimization and control algorithm with a fault detection, identification and accommodation (FDIA) capability, (II) extended ssci's vision based navigation (VBN) algorithms, recently demonstrated for shipboard landing flight experiments, to achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy for the AR & D implementations, and demonstrated its robustness to docking pattern variations; (III) carried out a detailed study of common GN & C functions for AR & D, and developed a conceptual solution for a user interface enabling agile reconfiguration of domainspecific information; and (IV) carried out initial analysis of system-level performance metrics for AR & D missions to facilitate V & V of the overall integrated GN & C system. Phase II will demonstrate an enhanced prototype of the GUARD with integrated GNC/FDIA/VBN software that will make IT reusable in three disparate AR & D system domains. Demonstrations will be in simulation and hardware tests as follows: orbital AR & D (in simulation), planetary rover docking with a habitat (evaluations at olin college on R-gator platform), and a quadrotor close-proximity operation mission (evaluations at UT austin on quadrotor platform). Phase III will focus on commercialization of the GUARD software and its implementation to future NASA space exploration missions.