Session III: Coming Attractions

Chair: Michael Socha – Draper Laboratory

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

8:45 a.m. VENµS Program: Broad and New Horizons for Super–Spectral Imaging and Electric Propulsion Missions for a Small Satellite

Jacob Herscovitz – Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.; Arnon Karnieli – Ben Gurion University

ABSTRACT: Vegetation and Environment New Micro Satellite (Venµs) is a joint venture of the Israeli and French space agencies for development, production, launching, and operating a new space system. Venµs is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) small satellite for scientific and technological purposes.

The scientific mission includes vegetation monitoring and water quality assessment over coastal zones and inland water bodies. It will be specifically suitable for precision agriculture tasks such as site-specific management and/or decision support systems. For this purpose the satellite has apparatus for high spatial resolution (5.3 m) and for high spectral resolution (12 spectral bands in the visible and near infrared wavelengths), as well as orbit for high temporal resolution (2 days revisit time). The satellite's orbit is a near polar sun-synchronous orbit at 720 km height. The satellite will acquire images of sites of interest all around the world. The satellite will be able to be tilted up to 30 degree along and across track; however, each site will be observed under a constant view angle.

The technological mission consists of space verification and validation by mission enhancement capability demonstration of a newly developed Israeli Hall Effect Thruster (IHET) system, used as a payload. IHET is developed and manufactured by Rafael and this will be its maiden flight. The heart of the IHET is the HET-300 thruster, which produces about 15 mN thrust, operating at 300W anodic power. This thruster and the based-on Electrical Propulsion System (EPS), is specifically developed for usage onboard micro or small satellites, which can supply as little as 300 to 600 watts for operation. The technological mission will be targeted to qualify the IHET in space as well as validate it by demonstrating orbit transfer and strict orbit keeping in a high drag environment.

The Venµs satellite is currently in manufacturing phase, its launch weight is 260 kg, and it is planned to be launched in 2010. This paper will present Venµs system with emphasis on the two main missions (scientific and technological) of Venµs and the respective payloads along with main design considerations of the electrical propulsion system.

9:00 a.m. TacSat–4 Mission and the Implementation of Bus Standards: Ken Weldy, Amy Hurley, Chris Amend, Ed Becker, Mike Nurnberger, Keith Akins, Carl Ford, Mark Johnson, William Raynor, Mike Hurler – Naval Research Laboratory; ABSTRACT: This paper provides an overview of the TacSat-4 mission with a focus on the COMMx payload. It discusses the lessons-learned to date and the challenges of building a payload to fly on the prototype spacecraft Bus built to the ORS Phase III Bus standards. Each TacSat experiment tests key elements of an operational system by taking frequent tangible steps to spiral capability and receive operational feedback, while moving toward Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) acquisitions. The TacSat-4 experiments mission was selected by a Joint panel. Tacsat-4 has several ORS system level objective including using a prototype bus to mature spacecraft bus standards for acquisition and to fly in a “low” highly elliptical orbit, enabling a new set of ORS missions that require dwell, such as communications. TacSat-4 provides a Communications-on-the-Move and Data-Exfiltration payload. Building a TacSat that operates in a high radiation, highly elliptical orbit is quite challenging for the low cost class and short schedules that TacSats must support. The COMMx payload is currently undergoing system level environmental testing. The ORS Bus Standards flight prototype is complete and ready for integration with the payload. Space vehicle integration and test will be performed from August to October 2008 with launch scheduled for September 2009.

9:15 a.m. A Norwegian Satellite for Space–based Observations of AIS in the High North

Bjorn Narheim, Oystein Olsen, Oystein Helleren – Norwegian Defense Research Establishment; Alexander Beattie, Robert Zee – Space Flight Laboratory/University of Toronto

ABSTRACT: The Automatic Identification System (AIS) for maritime vessels introduced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is basically an anti collision system for vessels at sea. Vessels are broadcasting messages on two channels in the maritime VHF band on regular basis to neighboring vessels for collision avoidance, and to shore stations for vessel traffic services (VTS). AIS messages can also be received by a VHF receiver in space for wide area observation of maritime activity.

Norway is about to build its first dedicated satellite (AISSat-1) for such space-based observation of AIS. The justification for the mission is based on careful modeling of the global AIS detection probability, with particular emphasis on observation of Norwegian ocean areas in the High North (and High South). AISSat-1 is based on a dedicated low cost high-performance nano-satellite platform (just 20×20×20cm) with three-axis attitude control. The platform will be built by the Space Flight Laboratory at the University of Toronto (UTIAS/SFL), Canada. The AIS sensor is a software defined radio developed by Kongsberg Seatex (KSX), Trondheim Norway.

This paper will in some detail discuss AIS detection probability modeling results, mission architecture, satellite, payload, and AIS data distribution on ground. It is believed that AISSat-1 currently is one of the most advanced nano-satellites being developed and is possibly the only nano-satellite dedicated to demonstrate a much needed and future oriented national maritime situational awareness service.

9:30 a.m. Getting the Bigger Picture: More Bytes for Your Buck: Zeger de Groot, James Penson, Adam Baker – Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.; Paul Stephens – DMC International Imaging; ABSTRACT: ABSTRACT: UK-DMC-2 and Deimos-1 will be in orbit after a multi-satellite launch at the end of 2008 and will mark the start of the Next Generation Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC-NG). Whereas Deimos-1 is under contract for the Spanish company Deimos Imaging SL, UK-DMC-2 is SSTLs own investment. This paper describes the UK-DMC-2 and Deimos-1 missions and the technical design of UK-DMC-2, focussing on the latest developments and experimental subsystems such as an innovative GPS-receiver, enhanced sun-sensors and a set of COTS heat pipes. New operational modes such as near real time imaging and downlink and a direct broadcast mode to multiple ground stations provides a substitute service for customers currently receiving Landsat data. Due to UK-DMC-2s high throughput potential, it will be used to assist in large area coverage campaigns.

9:45 a.m. NEOSSat: A Collaborative Microsatellite Project for Space Based Object Detection

William Harvey – Canadian Space Agency; Tony Morris – Defence Research and Development Canada

ABSTRACT: Recognizing the importance of space-based Near Earth Object (NEO) detection and Surveillance of Space (SoS), the Canadian Space Agency and Defence Research and Development Canada are proceeding with the development and construction of NEOSSat. NEOSSat's two missions are to make observations to discover asteroids and comets near Earth's orbit (Near Earth Space Surveillance or NESS) and to demonstrate surveillance of satellites and space debris (High Earth Orbit Space Surveillance or HEOSS). This micro-satellite project will deploy a 15 cm telescope into a 630 km low earth orbit in 2010. This will be the first space-based system of its kind.

NEOSSat represents a win-win opportunity for CSA and DRDC who recognized there were significant common interests with this microsatellite project. The project will yield data that can be used by the NEOSSat team and leveraged by external stakeholders to address important issues with NEOs, satellite metric data and debris cataloguing. In the contexts of risks and rewards as well as confidence building, NEOSSat is providing CSA and DRDC with valuable insights about collaboration on a microsatellite program and this paper presents our views and lessons learned.

10:00 a.m.Launching 2009: The NigeriaSat–2 Mission — High-Performance Earth Observation with a Small Satellite: Andrew Cawthorne, Matt Beard, Andrew Carrel, Guy Richardson – Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.; Abdul Lawal – National Space Research and Development Agency, Nigeria; ABSTRACT: The NigeriaSat-2 mission is a high-resolution imaging mission currently under construction and due for launch in 2009. This paper will emphasise the potential of a mission of this type, particularly highlighting mission performance parameters such as image throughput and ground coverage rate. It will also underscore the versatility of the platform by highlighting the extensive modes of operation that are possible, and the possibilities that these could have for the end customer. It will then discuss the technological advances that allow operational high resolution imagery to be captured on board a 300kg satellite. Attention will be paid to the mechanical engineering challenges of isolating the payload from thermal distortions introduced into the rest of the spacecraft platform and hence the novel way in which SSTL has solved this, allowing a very high geolocation accuracy to be achieved. Finally included in the paper will be a discussion on the advanced attitude and orbit control sub-system, which provides both high stability during imaging as well as high agility and a fast slew capability to transition between imaging opportunities.

Alternate Plug and Play — Small Satellite Solutions with Large Satellite Implications: Lee Thienel, Guy Robinson, Dale Stottlemyer, Rus Burgess – Libration Systems Management, Inc.; John DiPalma – Space Works Engineering, Inc.; Scott Clough – Vantage Systems, Inc.; ABSTRACT: The Plug N Play concept has roots that reach back decades and has implications that reach decades into the future. The aerospace industry has tried to achieve a reusable modular satellite from time to time to leverage recurring design costs and by reusing them change them into nonrecurring costs. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is working on a new approach to implement a modern version of a standardized bus definition. It started with standardization efforts for NASA and DoD MMS (Multimission Modular Satellite) missions of the 1970’s and 1980’s.It has evolved to todays applications in small responsive space satellite programs. The potential applications of Plug N Play concepts to large satellite programs can reduce costs as well as minimize assembly, integration and test timelines. Today we have to ask “Are the large satellite houses ready to adapt a new paradigm that will reduce satellite cost, and shorten the Integration and Test cycle?”

Alternate Integrating Modular Smart Tools into the Space Exploration Infrastructure through Small Satellite Systems Protocols

Gary Rodriguez – sysRAND Corporation; Frederick Slane – Space Environment Technologies LLC

ABSTRACT: Technical capabilities developed in the Small Satellite community are being translated to other space applications. sysRAND Corporation is developing hardware and software tools for the Air Force Research Laboratorys Satellite Data Model and Space Plug and Play Avionics. We are also developing an industrial class excavator for planetary surface exploration and development. Applications include civil engineering at landing sites, and in-situ resource utilization in support of long-range logistical objectives. The excavator has been modeled at a production rate in the neighborhood of 1,000kg/hr and will be integrated with a universal tool coupling, a robotic turret arm and mobility platform.

The Excavator control system is based upon a COTS industrial controller to be augmented by AFRL's SDM plus SPA-E and SPA-U Plug 'n Play interfaces. This coupling will also connect the SPA-E (EthernetDerivative) from the vehicle to the excavator controller. The controls are further extended for real time scientific data acquisition of environmental parameters such as plasma flux, magnetic and electrostatic field strengths, etc.

The universal tool coupling incorporating the SDM Plug ‘n’ Play model may be applied to orbital applications with a variety of tools, effectors and sensor platforms.