What does it take to point a spacecraft with only one thruster? In this episode, we dive into the engineering behind DeepSpace‑2’s gimbal system: a mechanical interface that enables directional control for our electric propulsion. GNC Engineer Emerson and Flight Software Engineer Kieran walk us through how they built the software, math, and lookup tables needed to command the gimbal, and why the complexity goes far deeper than just “move this motor.”
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What does it take to point a spacecraft with only one thruster? In this episode, we dive into the engineering behind DeepSpace‑2’s gimbal system: a mechanical interface that enables directional control for our electric propulsion. GNC Engineer Emerson and Flight Software Engineer Kieran walk us through how they built the software, math, and lookup tables needed to command the gimbal, and why the complexity goes far deeper than just “move this motor.”
This episode breaks down how spacecraft autonomy is structured through mission modes: predefined system states that control how a vehicle behaves, recovers from faults, and configures its subsystems. Chap (CoS), Robyn (COO), and Matt (CEO) cover how and when transitions happen, what “Oh Shit Mode” actually is, and how AstroForge designs and tests mode architecture to prioritize survivability over ideal execution.
Roid Rage
What does it take to point a spacecraft with only one thruster? In this episode, we dive into the engineering behind DeepSpace‑2’s gimbal system: a mechanical interface that enables directional control for our electric propulsion. GNC Engineer Emerson and Flight Software Engineer Kieran walk us through how they built the software, math, and lookup tables needed to command the gimbal, and why the complexity goes far deeper than just “move this motor.”
