The current Range Systems rely almost exclusively on a network of aging ground-based assets for tracking, communications, and flight termination system (FTS). Space-Based Telemetry and Range Safety (STARS) is a multifaceted and multicenter project to determine the feasibility of using space-based assets, including the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to reduce operational costs and increase reliability.

STARS is divided into the Range Safety and Range User systems. Innovations on the Range Safety side include GPS for metric tracking, a versatile low-power multichannel transceiver (LPT), digitized FTS commands, and a state-of-the-art flight processor. The Range User side uses broad-bandwidth communications to provide information about the vehicle health and audio and video data.

Flight Demonstration 1 Overview Configuration

The primary NASA Centers and their roles in STARS are:

• Kennedy Space Center: Program management, engineering support, postflight analysis, and coordination with Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Eastern Test Range.
• Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC): Flight hardware, TDRSS, and communications support.
• Wallops Flight Facility (WFF): Engineering support.
• Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC): Flight hardware integration, configuration control (vehicle and range), range support, flight test and postflight analysis, coordination with Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB), Edwards AFB, and the Western Test Range.

Supporting Centers include Glenn Research Center (GRC), providing research and analysis, and White Sands Complex (WSC), providing TDRSS and communications support.

Key accomplishments:

• 2001: Proposals by KSC/GSFC and DFRC combined, accepted, and funded (January). Demonstration Concept Study by GRC (October).
• 2002: STARS Flight Demo 1 Critical Design Review (CDR) (February). Flight processor Interface Control Document (February). LPT CDR (March). Hardware procurements initiation.

Key milestones:

• 2002: Flight Demo 1 on an F-15B at DFRC.
• 2004: Flight Demo 2 on an F-15B at DFRC with redesigned antennas.
• 2005: Flight Demo 3 on a hypersonic vehicle.

Contacts: R.A. Nelson (Richard.Nelson-2@ksc.nasa.gov), YA-E6, (321) 867-3332; L.M. Valencia, YA-E6, (321) 861-7682; and Dr. J.C. Simpson, YA-D5, (321) 867-6937
Participating Organizations: Dynacs Inc. (R.B. Birr), GSFC (T.C. Sobchak), DFRC (R.D. Sakahara, D. Whiteman, and D.K. Randall), WFF (W.R. Powell and S.N. Bundick), GRC (D.R. Hilderman), WSC (J.M. Gavura), and ITT Industries (M. Harlacher and S. Castell)