Geek Chic and The Future of Space Systems

Geek Chic and The Future of Space Systems Michael M. Gorlick The Aerospace Corporation gorlick@aero. org WESAS 2000 University of California, Irvine May 8 -9, 2000 THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 1

Agenda How to predict the future of software architectures The construction principles for the 21 st century How to prepare for the future THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 2

It’s the Hardware, Stupid! Theoretical software engineering in its infancy Software engineering is hardware (device) driven – Invites new architectures – Forces new architectures Predicting the future of software architectures means “following the devices” THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 3

Following the Devices Materials inform building architectures – Stone versus steel Cathedrals versus skyscrapers Devices inform software architectures – Scarcity versus plenitude Processors – Isolation versus community Communication – Insensate versus sensation Sensors – Paralysis versus mobility THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION Actuators WESAS 2000 4

Know Thy Materials Silicon Carbon THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 5

Silicon Building material – Stronger and less dense than aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium – High melting point – Excellent heat conductor Digital substrate Analog substrate Will Revolutionize All Devices THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 6

Silicon Analog Devices ADXL 50 Accelerometer Principle of operation: Fixed Electrode Moving Electrode THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION 3 millimeters WESAS 2000 7

Silicon MEMS Accelerometers Monitored STS-93 Flight Launch Silicon Designs 1010 J & 1210 J MEMS Accelerometers Orbit Correction Sensor ASIC THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 8

Optical MEMS Devices MEMS “Pop Up” Mirror (Sandia) MEMS “Pop Up” Lens (UCLA) http: //www. mdl. sandia. gov/micro machine/images 6. html S. J. Walker and D. J. Nagel, Optics & MEMS http: //code 6330. nrl. navy. mil/6336/moems. htm M. C. Wu, Micromachining for Optical and Optoelectronic Systems, Proc. IEEE, 85(11), Nov 1997; http: //www. ee. ucla. edu/labs/laser/ research/mot/1 integrated. html THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 9

MEMS Microthrusters DARPA MTO Cold Gas Thruster Module MEMS 15 -Thruster “Chip” on STS-93 The Aerospace Corporation Valve Thruster Module The Aerospace Corporation http: //www. design. caltech. edu/ micropropulsion/index. html Nozzle TRW, Cal. Tech, and The Aerospace Corp. THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 10

MEMS Microthrusters • Integrated electronics with microthrusters • Sub-micron features easily available Micro Ion Engine Micro Resistojet: Bond Pads Field Ionization Array 300 m Field Ionization Array Field Emission Wires The Aerospace Corporation THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION Linear Field Ionizer WESAS 2000 11

A Silicon Nanosatellite Concept Structure, Radiation shield, Thermal control, Optical material, MEMS substrate, Electronic substrate The Aerospace Corporation Silicon serves as: SWJ 97 THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 12

MASS PRODUCTION OF PICOSAT PARTS - MOSTLY FROM DELRIN AND ALUMINUM PICOSAT ELECTRONICS STACK INTEGRATION INTO A PICOSAT THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 13

Mating Picosatellites with OPAL THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 14

Femtosatellites http: //eecs. berkeley. edu/~pister/Smart. Dust THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 15

Carbon 1 nanometer Buckytubes – Extremely strong – – Strength/weight = 600 X steel Theoretical optimal material Flexible Tolerant of buckling on compression Self-repairing Conductive 1000 nanometer Many times more efficient than copper – Semiconductor Certain arrangements act like semiconductors Will Revolutionize All Structures THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 16

Revolutionizing Structures Space Elevator 3, 000 lb / 15 lb 5, 000 lb / 25 lb 30 lb / 2 oz 200, 000 lb / 3, 000 lb 200, 000 lb / 1, 000 lb THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION Neolithic / Buckytube (200: 1) WESAS 2000 600, 000 lb / 3, 000 lb 17

Construction Principles Replace physical structure with information Build small and think big Transport energy and information not mass THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 18

Space Telescope Primary mirror Focal plane assembly Scanning 25 m 3 m long x 30 cm wide electron beam 50 m 250 m Figure sensor reference Beamed power e Sunshad Total weight: 125 kg Sensitivity: 1200 x better than Hubble I. Bekey, An Extremely Large yet Ultralightweight Space Telescope and Array, May 1999 THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 19

Focal point for short wavelengths Hyperspectral Sensor Focal point for long wavelengths Focal length is thousands of km Fresnel lens 5, 000 nanosats spaced along line of sight each imaging in a different spectral band 100 m Tolerant of axial and radial errors even at optical wavelengths Total weight is 30 kg THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 20

Nanosatellite Constellatinos Dense LEO constellations – 500 to 1000 satellites at ~700 km altitude – At least 2 satellites always above 30 oelevation for all surface locations – One satellite always within 1000 km range d 14 c 14 a 14 d 13 b 13 c 13 a 13 d 12 b 12 c 12 a 12 d 11 b 11 c 11 a 11 d 10 b 10 c 10 a 10 Disposable missions Local clusters (“platooning”) d 9 b 9 a 9 c 9 – Co-orbiting clusters Up to 10 km diameter in LEO Up to 1000 km diameter in GEO – Arbitrary “formation flying” THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION Up to 10 km diameter in GEO WESAS 2000 21

Computing Principles Tune in Turn on Drop out THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 22

The Great Wall of Computing Sensors Processor Memory/FPGA 1 inch Ir. DA 1 inch Battery 1 inch THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 23

The Great Wall of Computing Put 1, 000 sensor cubes in a regular pattern on the walls of a room Challenges – Meeting environment – Gesture recognition – Communication with handheld devices Phased array THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 24

Sensate Automobile Assume that EVERY single component part has a processor, memory, communication, sensors Challenges – Organizing the processors and sensors – What can you discover about automobiles? Diagnosis Preventive maintenance Fault detection Accident avoidance – What can you discover about drivers? THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 25

Information Superhighway Let information “hitch a ride” on vehicular traffic – Vehicles broadcast routes and destinations to fixed nodes and passing vehicles – Packets “hitchhike” on vehicles that will get them closer to destination – Packets can “hop off” to other passing vehicles, roadway wireless nodes and cellular towers Challenges – Protocols – Routing – Payment THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION Micro auctions Micro payments WESAS 2000 26

Summary Architectures are based on an intimate understanding of building materials – Silicon and carbon are the building materials of the future All devices and all structures will be revolutionized beyond imagining Construction principles of the golden age – Replace structure with information – Build small and think big – Transport energy and information not mass Computing principles of the golden age – Tune in – Turn on – Drop out THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WESAS 2000 27