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GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

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C.4 Science Mission Phase: 8/27/04 - 8/12/0527 AUGUST 2004— GRAVITY PROBE B MISSIONUPDATE: DAY 129On Day #129, we have arrived at the second major milestone of themission—the completion of the Initialization and Orbit Checkout(IOC) Phase and transition into the Science Phase. The spacecraftcontinues to be in excellent health, with all subsystems performingwell. The telescope is properly tracking the guide star, IM Pegasi,during the portion of each orbit when the guide star is visible. Fineprecision spin axis alignment has been completed on gyros #1, #2, and#3, and after the suspension voltages on these gyros were reducedfrom 10 volts to 200 millivolts in preparation for data collection, a finalelectrostatic discharge was performed on the gyro rotors usingultraviolet light. Gyro #4 is further behind its fellow gyros and willcontinue undergoing spin axis alignment awhile longer. Today, thespacecraft was placed in a drag-free mode around gyro #3, and it willremain in this mode for the duration of the Science Phase of themission, which has now officially begun.Over the course of this past week, we completed a number of finaladjustments to the spacecraft and the gyros, in preparation for thetransition to the Science phase. For example, on Wednesday, August25th, we increased the spacecraft’s roll rate very slightly from 0.75 rpmto 0.7742 rpm. This moved the signal frequencies from the gyros outof the range of telemetry sample rate harmonics, thus improving thesignal to noise ratio of the experimental data.Throughout most of this past week, we continued fine precisionalignment of the gyro spin axes to the telescope axis. Conceptually,this is a straightforward process. Our SQUID magnetometers, inconjunction with the Gyro Suspension System (GSS), can detect veryslight imperfections in the gyro rotors, and they utilize theseimbalances, enhanced by a suspension force of 10 volts (50 timeshigher than the science suspension voltage of 200 millivolts) to torquethe rotors ever so slightly, causing their spin axes to spiral in towardsthe target alignment position. However, our success in creating gyrorotors that are almost perfect spheres actually hinders this process.The smaller the level of imperfections in the rotors, the longer it takesthe GSS to complete the alignment.Today, we completed the final preparations, prior to beginning datacollection. First, we reduced the suspension voltages on gyros #1, #2,and #3 from the 10 volt level used for spin axis alignment to 200millivolts (0.2 volts), which is the level that will be used for datacollection throughout the Science Phase of the mission. We use highervoltage in the GSS whenever we are controlling the position of thegyro rotors. However, during the data collection phase, we use thelowest voltage required to maintain proper suspension, so that onlythe effects of relativity will be influencing the spin axis deflections ofthe gyros.After lowering the suspension voltages, we used ultraviolet light,shining through fiber optic cables as we have done previously, toremove any excess electrical charge that has built up on the rotors.When ultraviolet light shines on certain metals, it liberates electrons.Two fiber optic cables are embedded in each gyro housing—one ateach end—and each fiber optic cable terminates at an electrode,located just above the rotor surface, When the ultraviolet lamps areturned on, electrons form between the electrode and the rotor surface,and by changing the bias on these electrodes, we can control thedirection of electron flow, either towards or away from the surfaces ofthe rotors.Finally, this morning, we commanded the spacecraft into back-updrag-free mode, balanced around gyro #3. After testing the spacecraftin both primary and back-up drag-free modes over the past few weeks,we have determined that back-up drag-free mode has yielded the mostreliable and efficient performance, and thus, the spacecraft will remainin this mode for the duration of the Science Phase. We will continuetuning the drag-free performance of the Attitude and TranslationControl (ATC) system in the early portion of the Science Phase tocorrect for a previously reported, unknown force, which is causingexcess helium flow from the dewar through the micro thrusters. Thecurrent science configuration of the spacecraft has very little marginfor increased helium flow.In next week’s highlights, we will look back over the IOC period andput it into the perspective of the whole mission. In the process of doingthis, we will hopefully answer a number of email inquiries we havereceived recently regarding the health, longevity, and success of the<strong>GP</strong>-B mission.3 SEPTEMBER 2004—GRAVITY PROBE B MISSIONUPDATE: DAY 136As of Day #136, <strong>GP</strong>-B has successfully completed its first full week inthe Science Phase of the mission, with gyros #1, #2, and #3 in sciencemode. Gyro #4 is still undergoing alignment of its spin axis, which weexpect to be completed in about a week. For the past week, thespacecraft has been in drag-free mode around gyro #3.The spacecraft remains in excellent health, rolling at a rate of 0.7742rpm, with all subsystems performing well. The telescope continuesproperly tracking the guide star, IM Pegasi, during the portion of eachorbit when the guide star is visible. We are still investigating a smallforce or bias along the roll axis of the spacecraft, but this bias has noeffect on science data collection. Moreover, during the past two weeks,we have tuned the spacecraft’s Attitude and Translation Control(ATC) system to compensate for this bias, with no excess expenditureof helium through the micro thrusters.Having just achieved the major milestone of transitioning into theScience Phase of the mission, this is a good time to pause and lookback over the Initialization and Orbit Checkout (IOC) phase of themission. During this 19-week period, the <strong>GP</strong>-B mission has alreadyachieved a number of extraordinary accomplishments:• The orbit injection of the spacecraft was so close to perfect (within6 meters of the target orbit plane) that none of the planned orbittrim operations were necessary.• We’ve communicated with the spacecraft over 3,000 times duringthe IOC phase, and the Mission Planning team has successfullytransmitted over 70,000 commands to the spacecraft without anerror.• <strong>GP</strong>-B is the first satellite ever to achieve both 3-axis attitude control(pitch, yaw, and roll), and 3-axis drag-free control. Essentially,while orbiting the Earth, the whole spacecraft flies around one ofthe science gyros.• The <strong>GP</strong>-B gyros, which are performing perfectly in orbit, will belisted in the forthcoming edition of the Guinness Book of WorldRecords as being the roundest objects ever manufactured.484 March 2007 Appendix C — Weekly Chronicle of the <strong>GP</strong>-B Mission

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