Flight dynamics operations during SMART-1 commissioning

SMART-1, the first of ESA's Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology, was launched late in September 2003. A number of anomalies, which affected Flight Dynamics operations, were finally mostly overcome by improvements to the onboard software. After LEOP, routine tasks performed by Flight Dynamics (FD) in a weekly cycle included the generation of attitude and EP thrust profiles and calibration of the Attitude Rate Sensor biases. Telemetry related to the Attitude and Orbit Control system was monitored regularly. When SMART-1 finally had escaped the radiation belts, the payload commissioning phase started. This required from FD great flexibility in providing special pointings. Reaction wheel offloadings using the hydrazine thrusters were commanded during phases without EP thrust, before eclipses and in regular intervals since July 2004. Each offloading was postprocessed to estimate the effect on the orbit and the hydrazine consumption. The following paper describes the experiences and observations made by FD during the commissioning phase.