Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 CEAS Space Journal https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-017-0189-x ORIGINAL PAPER Design and validation of a GNC system for missions to asteroids: the AIM scenario A. Pellacani 1  · P. Kicman 2  · M. Suatoni 1  · M. Casasco 3  · J. Gil 3  · I. Carnelli 3 Received: 21 August 2017 / Accepted: 3 December 2017 © CEAS 2017 Abstract Deep space missions, and in particular missions to asteroids, impose a certain level of autonomy that depends on the mission objectives. If the mission requires the spacecraft to perform close approaches to the target body (the extreme case being a landing scenario), the autonomy level must be increased to guarantee the fast and reactive response which is required in both nominal and contingency operations. The GNC system must be designed in accordance with the required level of autonomy. The GNC system designed and tested in the frame of ESA’s Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) system studies (Phase A/B1 and Consolidation Phase) is an example of an autonomous GNC system that meets the challenging objectives of AIM. The paper reports the design of such GNC system and its validation through a DDVV plan that includes Model-in-the-Loop and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing. Main focus is the translational navigation, which is able to provide online the relative state estimation with respect to the target body using exclusively cameras as relative navigation sensors. The relative navigation outputs are meant to be used for nominal spacecraft trajectory corrections as well as to estimate the collision risk with the asteroid and, if needed, to command the execution of a collision avoidance manoeuvre to guarantee spacecraft safety Keywords Vision-base navigation · Autonomous GNC · HIL Abbreviations AFC Aim framing camera AIDA Asteroid impact and defection assessment AIM Asteroid impact mission BOL Beginning of life CAM Collision avoidance manoeuvre CEP Circle of error probable CoB Centre of brightness CoM Centre of mass DART Double asteroid redirection test DDVV Design development validation and verifcation ESA European space agency FoV Field-of-view GNC Guidance, navigation, and control HIL Hardware-in-the-loop HW Hardware IP Image processing MIL Model-in-the-loop SC Spacecraft SW Software TRL Technology readiness level 1 Introduction The Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is a small ESA mis- sion of opportunity which has the goal to demonstrate and consolidate new technologies for future exploration missions This paper is based on a presentation at the 10th International ESA Conference on Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems—29 May-2 June 2017—Salzburg—Austria. * A. Pellacani apellacani@gmv.com P. Kicman pkicman@gmv.com M. Suatoni msuatoni@gmv.com M. Casasco Massimo.Casasco@esa.int J. Gil Jesus.Gil.Fernandez@esa.int I. Carnelli Ian.Carnelli@esa.int 1 GMV, Tres Cantos, Spain 2 GMV, Warsaw, Poland 3 ESA-ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands