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Meeting	ACGS Committee Meeting 115 - Portland, OR - March 2015
Agenda Location	8 SUBCOMMITTEE B – MISSILES AND SPACE 8.1 MAJIC: A Gyroscopically Actuated Astronaut Mobility Unit for Future EVA Missions
Title	MAJIC: A Gyroscopically Actuated Astronaut Mobility Unit for Future EVA Missions
Presenter	Michelle Carpenter
Affiliation	Draper Laboratory
Available Downloads*	presentation
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Abstract	Abstract: While the direction for human space exploration may not be currently well-defined, there are many potential missions that could benefit from an astronaut mobility unit providing six-degree-of-freedom control during extravehicular activities (EVAs). The attitude-control system (ACS) for the Jetpack device currently under development at NASA Johnson Space Center is based on the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER), which uses gas thrusters for both attitude control and translation. The proposed astronaut mobility unit incorporates control concepts optimized to support EVA tasks and adds control-moment gyroscopes (CMGs) to the current Jetpack system. The control architecture of this Mobility-Augmenting Jetpack with Integrated CMGs (MAJIC) considers a concept of operations that includes scenarios such as surface sample collection, equipment deployment, satellite servicing, crewmember rescue, and contingency EVA missions at objects lacking built-in handholds or foot restraints. Momentum desaturation logic is incorporated into the MAJIC control algorithm and the CMGs are sized using a Monte-Carlo simulation approach. The resulting ACS design is evaluated by test subjects in comparison to an idealized CMG ACS and the baseline Jetpack thrusters-only design using a human-in-the-loop, real-time, virtual-reality simulation. Results demonstrate that while the initial CMG size is too small for practical use during EVA missions, a design incorporating a larger CMG array with sufficient angular-momentum capability significantly reduces undesired compensating torques on the astronaut while conserving onboard fuel and extending the length of EVA missions. Bio: Michele Carpenter received a B.S. in Astrophysics from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Cornell University. For two years, she worked in the Ballistic Missile Defense division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory on discrimination algorithm development and test. Her Ph.D. research focused on the dynamics and control of gyroscopically actuated space-robotic systems. She is currently a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Draper Laboratory where she has spent the last six years working as a GN&C analyst on a variety of space and strategic programs.