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Microsystems in Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control 225

Future NASA Science and Exploration missions will strongly rely upon mul-
tiple GN&C technological advances. Of particular interest are highly innovative
GN&C technologies that will enable scientists as well as robotic and human
explorers to implement new operational concepts exploiting new vantage points;
develop new types of spacecraft and platforms, observational, or sensing strategies;
and implement new system-level observational concepts that promote agility,
adaptability, evolvability, scalability, and affordability.
There will be many future GN&C needs for miniaturized sensors and actuators.
MEMS-based microsystems can be used to meet or satisfy many, but not all, of
these future challenges. Future science and exploration platforms will be resource
constrained and would benefit greatly from advanced attitude determination sensors
exploiting MEMS technology, APS technology, and ULP electronics technology.
Much has been accomplished in this area. However, for demanding and harsh space
mission applications, additional technology investments will be required to develop
and mature, for example, a reliable high-performance MEMS-based IMU with low-
mass, low-power, and low-volume attributes. Near-term technology investments in
MEMS inertial sensors targeted for space applications should be focused upon
improving sensor reliability and performance rather than attempting to further
drive down the power and mass. The R&D emphasis for applying MEMS to
spacecraft GN&C problems should be placed on developing designs where im-
proved stability, accuracy, and noise performance can be demonstrated together
with an ability to withstand, survive, and reliably operate in the harsh space
environment.
In the near term, MEMS technology can be used to create next generation,
multifunctional, highly integrated modular GN&C systems suitable for a number of
mission applications and MEMS can enable new types of low-power and low-mass
attitude sensors and actuators for microsatellites. In the long term, MEMS technol-
ogy might very well become commonplace on space platforms in the form of low-
cost, highly-reliable, miniature safe hold sensor packages and, in more specialized
applications, MEMS microsystems could form the core of embedded jitter control
systems and miniaturized DRS designs.
It must be pointed out that there are also three important interrelated common
needs that cut across all the emerging MEMS GN&C technology areas highlighted
in this chapter. These should be considered in the broad context of advanced GN&C
technology development. The first common need is for advanced tools, techniques,
and methods for high-fidelity dynamic modeling and simulation of MEMS GN&C
sensors (and other related devices) in real attitude determination and control system
applications. The second common need is for reconfigurable MEMS GN&C tech-
nology ground testbeds where system functionality can be demonstrated and ex-
ercised and performance estimates generated simultaneously. These testbed
environments are needed to permit the integration of MEMS devices in a flight
configuration, such as hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) fashion. The third common
need is for multiple and frequent opportunities for the on-orbit demonstration
and validation of emerging MEMS-based GN&C technologies. Much has been
accomplished in the way of technology flight validation under the guidance and

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