Enhancing reliability and efficiency of flight dynamics systems for planetary exploration through KPLO ground...

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft Flight Dynamics
• Planetary Mission Operations
• Aerospace Engineering

Background:

• The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), also known as Danuri, is South Korea's first lunar mission, launched in August 2022.
• The KPLO mission has provided a year of real-flight experience in lunar orbit operations.
• The KPLO Flight Dynamics (FD) ground system has been operating nominally with no major issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose improvements for Flight Dynamics (FD) operational systems for future planetary missions.
• To leverage real-flight experience from the KPLO mission to enhance FD system reliability and efficiency.
• To provide guidelines for designing and operating FD ground systems in planetary exploration.

Main Methods:

• Overview of the KPLO spacecraft bus and ground system architecture.
• Presentation of the design and functionalities of the FD-related ground systems.
• Analysis of operational data and identification of areas for improvement.

Main Results:

• Identification of specific areas in FD system architecture and functionality requiring enhancement.
• Development of suggestions to improve the design and functionality of FD ground systems.
• Demonstration of potential for increased operational reliability and efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The KPLO mission's operational experience offers valuable insights for improving FD systems.
• Enhancements in FD system design and functionality are crucial for future planetary missions.
• This work provides guidelines to facilitate more efficient and reliable FD operations in space exploration.