Evolution, Re-evolution, and Prototype of an X-Band Antenna for NASA’s Space Technology 5 Mission

2005 ◽  
pp. 205-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason D. Lohn ◽  
Gregory S. Hornby ◽  
Derek S. Linden
Keyword(s):  
Space Technology ◽  
X Band

Computer-Automated Evolution of an X-Band Antenna for NASA's Space Technology 5 Mission

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory. S. Hornby ◽  
Jason D. Lohn ◽  
Derek S. Linden
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Algorithms ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Design Space ◽  
Fitness Function ◽  
Antenna Design ◽  
Space Technology ◽  
X Band ◽  
Spacecraft Orbit

Whereas the current practice of designing antennas by hand is severely limited because it is both time and labor intensive and requires a significant amount of domain knowledge, evolutionary algorithms can be used to search the design space and automatically find novel antenna designs that are more effective than would otherwise be developed. Here we present our work in using evolutionary algorithms to automatically design an X-band antenna for NASA's Space Technology 5 (ST5) spacecraft. Two evolutionary algorithms were used: the first uses a vector of real-valued parameters and the second uses a tree-structured generative representation for constructing the antenna. The highest-performance antennas from both algorithms were fabricated and tested and both outperformed a hand-designed antenna produced by the antenna contractor for the mission. Subsequent changes to the spacecraft orbit resulted in a change in requirements for the spacecraft antenna. By adjusting our fitness function we were able to rapidly evolve a new set of antennas for this mission in less than a month. One of these new antenna designs was built, tested, and approved for deployment on the three ST5 spacecraft, which were successfully launched into space on March 22, 2006. This evolved antenna design is the first computer-evolved antenna to be deployed for any application and is the first computer-evolved hardware in space.

scholarly journals Evolutionary design of an X-band antenna for NASA's Space Technology 5 mission

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. Lohn ◽  
D.S. Linden ◽  
G.S. Hornby ◽  
W.F. Kraus ◽  
A. Rodriguez-Arroyo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Design ◽  
Space Technology ◽  
X Band

Detection and Characterization of earth-like Planets

1997 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 299-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Marie Mariotti ◽  
Alain Léger ◽  
Bertrand Mennesson ◽  
Marc Ollivier
Keyword(s):  
Direct Detection ◽  
Contrast Ratio ◽  
Angular Size ◽  
Physical Nature ◽  
Major Axis ◽  
Infrared Emission ◽  
Space Technology ◽  
Semi Major Axis ◽  
Earth Like Planets ◽  
Visible Wavelengths

AbstractIndirect methods of detection of exo-planets (by radial velocity, astrometry, occultations,...) have revealed recently the first cases of exo-planets, and will in the near future expand our knowledge of these systems. They will provide statistical informations on the dynamical parameters: semi-major axis, eccentricities, inclinations,... But the physical nature of these planets will remain mostly unknown. Only for the larger ones (exo-Jupiters), an estimate of the mass will be accessible. To characterize in more details Earth-like exo-planets, direct detection (i.e., direct observation of photons from the planet) is required. This is a much more challenging observational program. The exo-planets are extremely faint with respect to their star: the contrast ratio is about 10−10at visible wavelengths. Also the angular size of the apparent orbit is small, typically 0.1 second of arc. While the first point calls for observations in the infrared (where the contrast goes up to 10−7) and with a coronograph, the latter implies using an interferometer. Several space projects combining these techniques have been recently proposed. They aim at surveying a few hundreds of nearby single solar-like stars in search for Earth-like planets, and at performing a low resolution spectroscopic analysis of their infrared emission in order to reveal the presence in the atmosphere of the planet of CO H2O and O3. The latter is a good tracer of the presence of oxygen which could be, like on our Earth, released by biological activity. Although extremely ambitious, these projects could be realized using space technology either already available or in development for others missions. They could be built and launched during the first decades on the next century.

Efficiency of application of cellular designs in rocket-space technology

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 96-99
Author(s):  
V.I. Slivinsky ◽  
◽  
M.V. Slivinsky ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Space Technology
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document