Spacecraft & Engineering

The key criterion driving the design of the TIMED spacecraft was to lower mission operations costs while enhancing science return by enabling TIMED's instruments to operate at their full capacity around-the-clock. Several technological innovations are incorporated into TIMED's design providing a more efficient and inexpensive spacecraft that's easier to use. Several of these technological developments, which can enhance future science and commercial endeavors, include:

• Increased Autonomy,
• Onboard Orbit Determination,
• Event-based Commanding,
• Integrated Electronics Module (IEM) (PDF),
• GPS Navigation System (PDF), and
• Peak Power Tracker.

The TIMED spacecraft (overview in PDF) was designed and built with a considerable amount of onboard intelligence, as well as an abundance of onboard resources, in its Spacecraft Subsystems which include:

• GPS Navigation System (GPS),
• Integrated Electronics Module (IEM),
• Power,
• Thermal.

The TIMED Ground System was designed with the desire to reduce operational costs through easing spacecraft and instrument operations. This led to a highly autonomous system that uses distributed processes communicating over local and wide area networks. TIMED Ground System elements include the following elements:

• Ground Stations,
• Mission Operation Center (MOC).
• Payload Operation Centers (POCs).
• Mission Data Center (MDC).

TIMED Engineering Publication & Conference Presentations:

• Publications
• Presentations