SMALL SATELLITES OVERVIEW

Technical University of Moldova Bd. Stefan cel Mare, 168, Chisinau, R.

Moldova nsecrieru@gmail.com
Smallsats now a global activity
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43 Countries have launched small satellites
PHILOSOPHY OF SMALL SATELLITES
There is no universally accepted definition of a small satellite.
Usually, an upper limit of about 1,000 kilograms is adopted. Below
that limit, satellites over 100 kilograms are frequently called
minisatellites, between 10 and 100 kilograms microsatellites
and below 10 kilograms nanosatellites. At the University of
Surrey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
satellites having a mass between 500 and 1,000 kilograms are
called small and between 100 and 500 kilograms mini. The
European Space Agency (ESA) usually considers 350-700
kilogram satellites small, 80-350 kilogram mini and 50-80
kilogram micro. The cost of developing and manufacturing a
typical minisatellite is between US$ 5 million and 20 million, a
microsatellite between US$ 2 million and 5 million and a
nanosatellite could be below US$ 1 million.
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What are Small Satellites?
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Mass Cost Time
Large 1000kg+ $300M+ 10yrs+
Small >1000kg $50M 3yrs
Mini 250kg $35M 2yrs
Micro 100kg $15M 1-2yrs
Nano 1-10kg $5M ~1 yr
Pico 100gm > $100k >1yr
This philosophy is supported by
the following four trends
4 Electronics miniaturization and growth of performance
4 Appearance of small launchers
4 Independence
4 Mission complexity and cost of multi-instrument satellites
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Complementarity of Large and Small
Satellite Missions
A successful small satellite project requires:
4 (a) Highly innovative technical staff;
4 (b) Small, motivated teams;
4 (c) Personal responsibility, rigors and quality;
4 (d) Good team communications, close proximity;
4 (e) Well-defined mission objectives and constraints;
4 (f) Knowledgeable use of modern components;
4 (g) Layered, failure-resilient system architecture;
4 (h) Thorough testing of both components and the whole
system;
4 (i) Technically competent project management.
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Scope of Small Satellite Applications (1)
4 Telecommunications - remote and mobile
communications (including messaging, electronic mail and
localization) using small satellites in low-Earth orbits;
4 Earth observations (remote sensing) - In any case, low-
cost small satellites can now make affordable multisatellite
networks of Earth observation satellites to reduce
observation intervals from 10 to 20 days to around 12
hours, anywhere on the Earths surface;
4 Scientific research - There are many ongoing cooperative
scientific programs in the area of solar and space plasma
physics which illustrate this advantage of small satellites to
offer support in taking multi-point measurements of
various phenomena
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Scope of Small Satellite Applications (2)
4 Technology demonstrations - The demonstration of
technology is an obvious application for small satellites,
which are an attractive and low-cost means of
demonstrating, verifying and evaluating new technologies
or services in a realistic orbital environment and within
acceptable risks prior to commitment to a more expensive,
full-scale mission;
4 Academic training - The growing space industry and the
many associated service and scientific organizations
require a steady flow of enthusiastic, trained and
competent young engineers and scientists to meet the
challenges of the future
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Changing the Economics of Space
Small satellites and technology?
By exploiting enormous commercial investments,
we can now build highly capable small, low-cost
and reliable satellites built using the latest COTS
terrestrial technologies
What are Small Satellites?
= f (Mass + Time + Cost + Utility)
Innovative use of the latest technologies
A hobby that turned into research and then into a business
Space research
Antennas & RF systems
Astrodynamics
Autonomy in Space
Control systems
Embedded systems
Planetary Environments
Propulsion
Remote Sensing
Satellite systems
Signal Processing
Space Robotics
Academic space research
Looking over the horizon
100 academic researchers
Multi-disciplinary
Systems-oriented
Harsh environments
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Space Degree Courses at Surrey
Space Technology & Planetary Exploration (BEng/MEng)
Physics with Spacecraft Technology (BSc/MPhys)
Aerospace Engineering (BEng/MEng)
Space Technology & Planetary Exploration (MSc)
Satellite Communications Engineering (MSc)
Mobile & Satellite Comms. Engineering (MSc)
Satellite Engineering (MSc)
Short Courses for Industry, KHTT Training, Outreach
Academic space training
Space business
Application of small satellites to real needs at
affordable costs
Stimulating sustainable business opportunities
Since 1981.
> 200 Satellites launched
>1000 satellite-years on-
orbit experience
LEO Communications
Digital S&F email comms to remote regions
Early internet (1990s)
Advanced DSP payloads
Signal monitoring & analysis
Single satellite provides global reach
French ESSIAM system
Earth Observation Compartment (EOC)
UHF Antennas
Boom (Stowed)
Tipmass
Attach Fitting
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146
VHF Antennas
Sun Sensor
Magnetometer
(1)
32 (2)
32 (3)
35 (4)
26 (5)
26 (6)
32 (7)
26 (8)
26
26 (10)
26 (11)
GPS
G
PS
Earth Observation Platform (EOP)
Battery Module
Uplink Module
Downlink Module
Power Module
Telemetry and Telecommand Module
Attitude Determination, Control and Safety Module
On-Board Computer Module
On-Board Computer Module
UQP
IOX
UQP
CERTO
PBeX
CERTO Antenna
IOX antenna
Technology Verification
Polymer batteries
Ionospheric tomography
Ultra-quiet platform
USAF-STP FCT
PICOSat
4Mission detects broad-band emission from
different types of lightning
4Flight experiment of LANLs new FPGA-
based software radio for VHF/UHF spectrum
monitoring
Launched on USAF ATLAS EELV
Cape Canaveral March 2007
Research
CFESat
Microsatellites & the Internet
Task
secure
Internet
image
UoSAT-12: the first civil satellite to have an
Internet address (1999)
UK-DMC: carrying a Cisco router demonstrated
the power of microsatellites + internet
VMOC: an IP- based application for satellites, using an
available IP-based infrastructure first demonstrated
using UK-DMC to USAF at VAFB in 2004
Space Weather
The effects of the space radiation environment on modern COTS components
The evolution of EO microsatellites
1980s experimental research
UoSAT-1
UoSAT-2
1990s experimental proof-of-concept
UoSAT-5, UoSAT-12
KiTSAT-1, KiTSAT-2, KiTSAT-3
ThaiPhatt, FASat-B, TiungSAT-1, PoSAT-1
Tsinghua-1, SunSAT-1
2000 demonstration
BIRD
PROBA
LAPAN-TUBSAT
2005 operational
DMC: Alsat-1, Beijing-1, BILSAT-1
NigeriaSat-1, UK-DMC
RapidEye (x5)
International co-operation
Kazakhstan
USA
Nigeria*
Turkey*
Algeria*
China
Malaysia*
Singapore
Thailand
Chile*
Portugal
S.Korea
S. Africa
Pakistan*
Portugal
Malaysia
Nigeria
Korea
Algeria
Chile
Train engineers as nucleus of a
space agency & industry
Launch first national
microsatellite & demonstrate its
applications & utility
Establish national space facilities
& capabilities
Create new space SMEs
Six space agencies trained and at
least 3 space SMEs
Thailand
Constellations & Swarms
Constellations and Swarms of small satellites
enable an affordable capability to achieve:
Rapid revisit increased temporal resolution
Contemporaneous data gathering data merging
Particularly for Earth Observation
Disaster Monitoring Constellation
Novel International Collaboration 6 countries
Individual satellite ownership
Collaborative operation
Data sharing and exchange
Daily imaging worldwide (600km swaths)
National, disaster and commercial use
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts global daily imaging
Example of SATELLITE MODEL
SATELLITE OVERVEW
INSTRUMENT for USEFUL IMAGES
Satellite Platform
Attitude & orbit control (AOCS)
Structure
Power System (PS)
Software (SW)
Onboard data handling (OBDH)
Imager Payload
Pushbroom imager
Video camera
Mission Ground Station
(Satellite Applications Centre CSIR)
Mission Control System (MCS)
CAPTURING IMAGERY
Main design challenge: Creating
mechanism for in orbit re-focussing in
narrow (80mm) workspace when 5 m
blurs the image.
IMAGER
Main
pushbroom
Telescope
Focal plane +
CCD +
electronics
Viewfinder
Video
transmission
receiver
POINTING THE IMAGER
AOCS
Onboard transputer
Unique orbital algorithms
Propulsion
3-axis reaction wheels
FOG gyros
Magneto torquer rods
Star tracker
Horizon sensor
Coarse & fine sun sensors
Main design challenge: Ensuring 3-axis FMC and stability to get enough
imaging light into the telescope and versatility
Solution: Tilting the satellite along the horizontal plane at one-quarter of the
satellite ground speed to give full imaging quality
OTHER CRITICAL PARTS
OBDH OBDH
2 Onboard
computers
CAN bus + SH4
processors
1 T800
processor
COMMS COMMS
VHF/UHF for
TT&C
S-band for
image
transmission
MCS MCS
Automated
satellite control
Image tasking
&
scheduling
PS PS
Hi-efficiency
solar cells
NiCad
Batteries
Integrated
switching and
distribution
FAULTLESS DESIGN + REALITY
SOME
INCIDENTS
IMMEDIATE
EFFECT
SOLUTION COMMENT
Comms
connection bad at
beginning of
commissioning
Dropped data packets,
complicated fault analysis
during early operations
Replaced and
repositioned YAGI
antenna
Improved fault
tracking and analysis.
T800 AOCS
transputer lost
Uncontrolled tumbling Reprogrammed OBC
to take over main
functions
Design versatility
prevented catastrophic
loss and helped
improve original
algorithms .
X- reaction wheel
lost
Lost tilting capability Reprogrammed star-
tracker/horizon sensor
combination to
achieve performance
close to original HW
Not possible with
hardwired satellite
systems. Because of
local design engineers
our sorted out the
problem during
commissioning
Part of most of our space projects
QinetiQ manages entire training of
UK Army
QinetiQ manages training forSpace
Adventures
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Training : our
experience
PROBA Small Satellites
Missions Overview
Launched 22nd Oct 2001
9 years in Orbit!
Proba 1 Satellite Earth Observation
mission vegetation study
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Pyramids Gizeh, Egypt HRC instrument (OIP)
Miniutarized telescope
Monochromatic camera
5m @ 600 km geometrical
resolution
0.5 deg field of view
(4 km at nadir)
Three Gorges Dam, China
High Resolution Camera
Push broom imager
17 m @ 600 km resolution at
nadir
Up to 62 spectral bands
simultaneously (415 - 1050
nm)
Spectral resolution of 5-12
nm
Swath width 14 km at nadir
Bi-directional Reflectance
Distribution Function
measurements
19km
Begin
imaging
End
imaging
Li ne of sight
of imager
Image 2 Image 4 Image 5 Image 1 Image 3
1
2
3
4
5 6
7
8
9
10
Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer
Palm Island, Dubai Three Gorges Dam, China CHRIS Instrument (SIRA UK)
Proba 1 Satellite Instruments
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4 Vegetation studies:
Estimation of cotton crop health, maturity and yield (University of New South
Wales Australia)
Assessing the effects of different land use strategies on vegetation types in
Central Nambias savannahs
Study the state of woodland in the Rhineland Palatine in Germany
4 Coastal & water studies:
Mapping of Chlorophyll and Suspended Particle Matter Maps of the Ostend Core
Site (RBINS Belgium)
Mapping Water Constituents in Lake Constance
4 Disaster monitoring:
Survey of longer term damage done by forest fires by identification of vegetation
regrowth
Proba images are used in support of the International Charter on Space and Major
disasters (forest fires Var region France 2003, Arles river flood France 2003,
Tsunami disaster Asia, Earthquakes Iran 2005
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Proba 1 Satellite Applications - Examples
Proba/Chris workshop papers available on http://earth.esa.int/workshops
Environment studies Disaster monitoring Vegetation studies
Precision farming Urbanisation planning
Volcano observation
Proba 1 Satellite Applications Summary
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07.12.2003 Arles (France)
Floodings
Since end 2003: Invited Guest
for International Charter
Proba 1 Satellite Disaster Monitoring
Platform
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Etna eruption,
Sicily, 20.10.2002
Proba 1 Satellite Disaster Monitoring
Platform
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24.04.2004 Ayers Rock, Australia
20.03.2004 Pyramids Gizeh, Egypt
4 m GSD panchromatic snapshot image
Proba 1 Satellite panchromatic snapshot
image
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Ostend, Belgium (ESA)
Antwerp, Belgium (ESA)
4 m GSD panchromatic snapshot
image
17 m GSD hyperspectral pushbroom image
Proba 1 Satellite images
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40 II II
Proba 2 Satellite Science Mission
Space Weather
Launched 02nd Nov 2009!
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Proba 2 Science Mission - Space Weather
LYRA (CSL, ROB, PMODWRC):
- Solar UV radiometer
- 4 UV bands, relevant to solar
physics
- 3 detectors with closeable covers
- mass:3.5 kg
- power: 6W combined with SWAP
- Volume: 315 mm x 222 mm x 76
mm
- cadence: up to 100 Hz
- Data processing done on board
SWAP (CSL, ROB):
-Extreme UV imaging of the solar corona
-Built on the heritage of EIT on SOHO
- CMOS APS detector
- mass: 10 kg
- power: 6W combined with LYRA
- Volume: 570 mm x 150 mm x 110 mm
- nominal cadence: 1 image per minute
- image processing done on-board
Sun observation instruments
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Proba 2 Science Mission - First results
70,000 images taken until end of May 2010
Much more data is available on the Proba 2 Science Center website: http://proba2.sidc.be
Images:Royal Observatory
Belgium
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Gap filler mission for Spot-Vegetation and Sentinel 3
Spectral and radiometric performance identical to Vegetation
Ground sampling distance 100 - 300 m
Daily global coverage for latitudes above 35
Complete global land coverage in two days
Instrument
3 identical TMA telescopes -> 102,6 FOV together (~2250
km swath)
Blue, Red, NIR (100 m unbinned) and SWIR (200 m
unbinned)
On-board binning of pixels > 300 m resolution NIR, 600 m
SWIR
37 Mbit/sec data flow
System characteristics
Orbit 820 km near-SSO 10h30
Satellite system mass 160 kg
Peak power consumtion 131 W
X-band downlink and 12 Gbit on-board storage
Proba V Vegetation study
4 Microsatellite platforms have demonstrated to deliver
outstanding capabilities for earth observation and science
missions.
4 Furthermore microsatellite as Proba class missions have
following key advantages:
Affordable
Low operational cost
Innovative
Demonstrated top performance for earth observation missions
Short development times
ESA quality label & standard redundant systems
Use of international standards
Turn-key solutions
Operations facilities available
Conclusion
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Thank you!
Small satellites
Changing the Economics of Space