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Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, May 1, 2017 / 3:30 PM, Building 8 Auditorium

Jason Mitchell

"X-ray Navigation (XNAV) and X-Ray Communication (XCOM)"

ABSTRACT -- While the Neutron-Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission uncovers the mysteries of neutron stars, it will simultaneously demonstrate a technology first by performing autonomous, real-time, absolute position determination through observations of X-ray emitting millisecond pulsars, often referred to as XNAV. The Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) demonstration will firmly establish this GPS-like absolute position determination capability so enabling autonomous navigation throughout the Solar System and beyond. In addition, NICER will help usher in the next generation of communication technology beyond laser communication: X-ray Communication (XCOM).

We will review the NICER instrument, and discuss the revolutionary technologies of XNAV and XCOM that it will demonstrate.

SPEAKER -- Jason Mitchell is currently the Assistant Chief for Technology in the Mission Engineering and Systems Analysis Division (Code 590) and the Project Manager for the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) technology demonstration that is part of the Neutron-Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission. He received his PhD from the University of Cincinnati in Aerospace Engineering. Since coming to GSFC in 2004, he has enjoyed developing navigation and communication technologies for formation flying in distributed spacecraft missions, high altitude GPS for the MMS mission, X-ray pulsar navigation, and X-ray communications.

Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov