Other SBIR Efforts

Software Defined Radio (SDR) is a technology that is of emerging and critical importance to NASA and DoD. The concept behind SDR is that a common piece of hardware can exhibit multi-functional capabilities depending on the software and firmware loading into the radios FPGA and Microprocessor. Emerging standards, SCA for DoD and STRS for NASA define the interfaces and implementation. If a waveform is built to those standards porting to an existing radio is an easy process. The applications for this technology range from Operationally Responsive Space, in which a satellites mission may be defined only days ahead of launch to the use of legacy hardware in future missions after more advanced standards become the norm. Common hardware to support multi-functionality will enable a satellite to be assembled quickly for a specific mission. Properly defined SDR hardware will allow future missions to reconfigure on the fly for the latest and greatest standards. Emergent Space Technologies is at the forefront of the SDR innovation, building RF simulators and advanced Navigation receivers that make use of what is there now, but are not limited to that and which can exploit future advancements in Radio Science.

• GBORN
• RANE
• TENNIS

GBORN

Emergent Space Technologies, Inc. and it's partner, Loctronix, Corp. have developed an innovative Software Defined Radio (SDR) implementation of a GPS receiver. The receiver is based on technology known as Spectral Compression Positioning (SCP) in which GPS and other broadband RF signals can be exploited without knowledge of the codes modulated onto the fundamental sinusoids inherent in the signals. The technology exists in a terrestrial prototype and was tested for space environments through the use of a GNSS simulator under this phase I effort. An ability to track was demonstrated in all orbital regimes from LEO to GEO, and in a metric launch scenario. The existing SDR waveform was also analyzed for a potential migration to an existing space qualified hardware standard, which would allow it to be ported easily and quickly between DoD radios.

RANE

NASA is installing the Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) onto the truss of the International Space Station to demonstrate software-defined radio (SDR) technology, and is now accepting proposals for new and useful SDR experiments to fly on CoNNeCT that are compliant with the Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) SDR standard. Emergent Space Technologies proposes to develop an STRS-compliant software-defined GPS receiver that can be flown on CoNNeCT that is based on a proven terrestrial commercial technology which shares heritage with the JPL Blackjack receiver. The proposed system is called the Radio Navigation Waveform Experiment (RANE) and utilizes a codeless signal processing technique, called Spectral Compression Positioning (SCP), to estimate position, navigation, and timing (PNT) solutions. RANE will have a small electronic footprint, be multi-frequency capable, and require less power than traditional code-correlator GPS receivers. On CoNNeCT, RANE will demonstrate the portability and use of SCP for PNT solutions for NASA.

TENNIS

The need for science-grade Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) sensors that are low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) is well recognized. The ability to provide precise positioning and pointing in real-time is a capability needed for formation flying, rendezvous and proximity operations, and radio and laser altimetry. To address this need, Emergent Space Technologies will develop a low SWaP codeless GPS receiver that will be capable of precise and real-time orbit determination. Currently, precise orbital determination is performed on the ground since real-time GPS differential corrections won't be available on orbit until they are broadcast by the TDRSS Augmentation Satellite System (TASS). The proposed innovation will combine the capability to receive TASS messages with SCP and the Goddard Enhanced Orbital Navigation System (GEONS) to provide precise PNT capabilities. SCP can track the L1 P(Y) chipping code-phase without an encryption module since it is codeless. Combining this capability with the ability to receive TASS messages in GEONS, on a suitable hardware platform will enable kinematic GPS capable of decimeter-level positioning in real-time. This effort determines how to best integrate these technologies, and to find a suitable host platform for this combination such as the Electra software-defined radio or the Space Cube.