ODIN – Optomechanical-Distributed instrument for Inertial sensing and Navigation

We present ODIN, an Optomechanical-Distributed instrument for Inertial sensing and Navigation system. ODIN is a novel instrument that has been funded under NASA’s InVEST program as technology demonstration program in space, to fly as a secondary payload on the GRATTIS mission led by the University of Florida. ODIN is an instrument of low cost, size, weight, and power (CSWaP), and utilizes arrays of in-plane dual-accelerometer systems that are capable of providing linear acceleration and angular measurements at levels of 10^-9 ms^-2/√Hz and 50 µrad/√Hz, respectively, which are relevant for mass change.

Accelerometry has become crucial for monitoring mass change within the Earth system.  Novel optomechanical inertial sensors provide an alternative instrument to existing ones, exhibiting lower cost, size, weight and power (CSWaP) with performances on par with GRACE. Reduced CSWaP makes these instruments suitable for enhancing mission reliability as redundant accelerometers, and can also improve science data quality by providing measurements of thruster firings and transient effects, among others.

Moreover, low CSWaP optomechanical instruments would enable cost-effective mission designs, spacecraft miniaturization, simplified architectures, as well as the deployment of constellations of satellite pairs flying at lower altitudes, and observations of transient phenomena that may impact mission performance.

We will discuss some of the potential science cases that can be addressed with this technology, as well as current status and development timeline of this flight instrument.