Flight Dynamics Facility
Critical and Comprehensive Flight Dynamics and Navigation Services
Mission Success Begins Here
The FDF provides comprehensive flight dynamics services to science missions, human exploration programs, space communications networks, and launch vehicle providers. The FDF also emphasizes the value of pre-launch coordination, testing, and analysis to ensure mission success because it’s better to prevent an incident than it is to recover from one.
The FDF helps projects answer three critical questions:
“Where are you?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“How can we get you there safely?”
Application Areas
Science Missions
FDF navigation support covers all mission phases and flight regimes, from launch and powered flight, to orbit transfer and maintenance, and finally to end-of-mission. FDF performs real-time on-console support daily and for critical mission events.
Human Spaceflight
FDF’s history of Human Spaceflight Support stretches back to Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Shuttle. The FDF is excited to be supporting ISS and NASA’s latest wave of human exploration missions, including Artemis, SpaceX Starship, and Blue Origin New Glenn.
Launch Vehicle Support
The FDF integrates network tracking and real-time launch trajectory information to ensure that customers can maintain communications through the entire launch sequence, even in the event of emergencies.
Network Tracking Evaluation & Certification
The FDF ensures that tracking data used to locate Spacecraft is accurate and reliable. With a large, diverse set of mission support, the FDF is in a unique position to evaluate and monitor the quality of tracking data from various networks, including ground and space-based tracking assets.
Publicly Available Models
Models generated and assembled by the FDF to support orbit determination and prediction are publicly available and regularly used by the aerospace community. From station geodetics to solar activity, these models benefit the community as a whole.
Success Stories: Saving the Day
The FDF has seen it all: A spacecraft deployed to the wrong orbit. A satellite gone silent.
A mission that maneuvered “in the blind.” A satellite with a thruster stuck on, and a satellite with an inoperable thruster. In each case, the FDF switched into high gear and ensured that the satellite could be located, communications could be restored, and years of scientific exploration can continue.
FDF News
FDF News showcases its latest achievements in the aerospace industry as it continues to lead the arena with its comprehensive flight dynamics services, supporting a diverse range of customers including NASA, U.S. Government agencies, private companies, and international space organizations.
Contact the FDF for More Information
Preparing for Support? Want to learn more about our capabilities? Reach out to the FDF’s Operations Planning Task.
The FDF employs a team of Systems Engineers to manage requirements, documentation, lines-of-business, process improvements, and assist FDF Management in business development.