The Roadmap from Concept to Infusion for a Cold Survivable Distributed Motor Controller

This paper will present JPL's effort working towards a distributed motor controller capable of working out in the ambient environment of in-situ missions to icy worlds such as Europa and Enceladus. Placing electronics out at the actuators has been a long-time goal for JPL because it enables a significant reduction in cable mass and its associated complexity. Learning from the previous efforts in this area we have developed a pragmatic approach based upon developing incremental deliveries that are complete products that could be sold on their own merits. These products take us closer by tackling a particular challenge by producing a tangible product that can be infused on its own long before we are ready to infuse the product that addresses our entire goal. In this paper we will discuss the goal we are trying to achieve along with the roadmap for getting there. We will present the products we have produced along with the projects that have baselined these products into their designs. We will finish by discussing our plans for the future.