OrbitalHub

The place where space exploration, science, and engineering meet

Domain is for sale. $50,000,000.00 USD. Direct any inquiries to contact@orbitalhub.com.

Archive for the Microsatellites category

July 26, 2023

NASA’s Starlings

Posted by

 

 

NASA dicit:

NASA’s Starling mission is advancing the readiness of various technologies for cooperative groups of spacecraft – also known as distributed missions, clusters, or swarms. Starling will demonstrate technologies to enable multipoint science data collection by several small spacecraft flying in swarms. The six-month mission will use four CubeSats in low-Earth orbit to test four technologies that let spacecraft operate in a synchronized manner without resources from the ground. The technologies will advance the following capabilities: swarm maneuver planning and execution, communications networking, relative navigation, autonomous coordination between spacecraft.

The Starling mission will test whether the technologies work as expected, what their limitations are, and what developments are still needed for CubeSat swarms to be successful.

Distributed spacecraft are advantageous because they can act in unison to achieve objectives. Incorporating autonomy allows these missions to act cooperatively with minimal oversight from the ground. Autonomy ensures that a mission continues to perform through periods when communications with a spacecraft from the ground is temporarily unavailable because of distance or location. Spacecraft swarms operating at great distances from the Earth must act more autonomously due to the delays in time communicating with Earth ground stations.

Clustering satellites into a swarm requires planning and executing multiple maneuvers for each spacecraft. Managing these operations from the ground becomes impractical as the size of the swarm grows or the time delay in communicating with the spacecraft increases. The Starling mission will test technologies that traditionally run ground-oriented operations but are now shifted to operate onboard the spacecraft.

Having the spacecraft in a swarm operate autonomously is essential to making distributed spacecraft missions affordable and highly scaleable. Starling is a first step in developing this new mission architecture that could eventually allow for autonomous swarms of many spacecraft and at greater distances from Earth.

The four 6-unit CubeSats (each about the size of two stacked cereal boxes) will fly in a Sun-synchronous orbit more than 300 miles above Earth and no more than 170 miles apart from each other. The spacecraft will fly in two formations. First, they will begin in line, or in-train, like a string of pearls. Then, the CubeSats will move out of the in-train configuration and into a set of stable relative orbits known as passive safety ellipses.

The following four technologies will be tested:

Reconfiguration and Orbit Maintenance Experiments Onboard (ROMEO): In each phase, cluster flight control software will initially operate in shadow mode, autonomously planning maneuvers while the CubeSats are controlled from the ground. Once validated, ROMEO will demonstrate execution of swarm maintenance maneuvers from aboard the spacecraft without ground intervention. The performance of those maneuvers will then be evaluated.

Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET): The CubeSats will be able to communicate with each other via two-way S-band crosslink radios/antennas, adapting a ground-based network protocol for reliable space communication across any spacecraft node within the swarm. If one spacecraft communications node fails, the communications route automatically reconfigures to maintain full communication capabilities for the remaining operational swarm of spacecraft.

Starling Formation-Flying Optical Experiment (StarFOX): Using commercial star trackers, which are onboard cameras that measure the position of stars, each spacecraft determines its own orientation relative to the stars. An advanced navigation algorithm utilizes this orientation data and star tracker images to visually detect and track the other three spacecraft within the swarm to perform relative-position knowledge tests. The goal is for each spacecraft to achieve onboard awareness of its location as well as the location of the other three spacecraft.

Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA): This experiment will demonstrate autonomous monitoring of Earth’s ionosphere, the layer between our atmosphere and the beginning of space, with a spacecraft swarm. This is intended as a representative measurement to demonstrate autonomous reactive operations for future missions. Starling’s dual-band GPS receivers are used to measure the density of atmospheric regions. Each orbiting Starling spacecraft constantly changes position relative to the atmospheric phenomenon and the GPS satellites. Therefore, the most interesting source of information changes over time, requiring changes to the monitoring strategy in response to observations. DSA onboard software will autonomously coordinate the selection of the best GPS signals, across all Starling spacecraft, to accurately capture regions of higher or lower ionospheric density. This is accomplished by first sharing information over the crosslink network to maintain a consistent state, then selecting the GPS signals to prioritize and share in the future. The ability to evaluate data as it is collected, balance promising observations with coverage to ensure other interesting information is not missed, and autonomously coordinate measurements, is an enabling technology for future science missions.

It’s important to note that although Starling is being tested in low-Earth orbit, the technologies apply equally as well to deep space applications. In the future, constellation-like swarms of autonomously operating CubeSats could provide NASA and commercial missions in deep space with navigation services akin to GPS and communications relays provided by Earth’s network of communications satellites. Distributed spacecraft can also work together to collect multi-point science data and prepare for exploration missions by positioning multiple small spacecraft to function as one very large observation instrument. This could support the identification of resources for long-term presence on the Moon. Another example of this cooperative work might include telescopes mounted on multiple small spacecraft and trained on a particular observation target, creating a larger field of view than possible with a single telescope.

Video credit: NASA’s Ames Research Center

 

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Slashdot
  • Reddit
  • Live
  • TwitThis

 

 

Today we are joined by Yasunori Yamazaki, Chief Business Officer at Axelspace. Axelspace are pioneers of microsatellite technology advancing the frontiers of space business, reimagining traditional ways of using space, and creating a society where everyone on our planet can make space part of their life.

Orbital Hub: Axelspace’s goal is to advance the frontiers of space business. How is Axelspace making space more accessible?

Yasunori Yamazaki: Our vision is to bring the space technology down to earth for universal access, empowering everyone with actionable earth observation data to make smart decisions.

O.H.: Could you share any details about innovative technologies used by Axelspace when designing and building satellites?

Yasu: We have been developing satellites for more than 11 years now, experimenting with various methods and implementing new technology to constantly improve and innovate. This trial and error itself is a new concept in our industry as the cost of making a mistake is prohibitive from an investment perspective.

O.H.: What is the approach used by Axelspace for microsatellite design? Do you use custom designs specific to each mission or a modular design that allows reuse and minimal mission specific customization?

Yasu: The designing process depends on the mission. For unique purposes, we will start with a whiteboard, deep diving into the problem and figuring out the most efficient and effective way of delivering the solution. We are also in the process of constructing an orbital infrastructure, based on proprietary modulated satellite, GRUS, to bring down the cost of manufacturing, thus passing on the savings to the users of the data.

O.H.: What payload types can be integrated with Axelspace microsatellites?

Yasu: Most anything can be carried by our microsatellites, as we can build from small to large satellites. The largest we have successfully deployed into space is a 200 kg satellite, which is a fantastic platform to carry most any payloads, but in a radically cost effective way.

O.H.: What type of stabilization is used by Axelspace microsatellites?

Yasu: We don’t comment on specific internal technology.

O.H.: What type of propulsion systems are integrated with Axelspace microsatellites? Are they mission specific?

Yasu: We don’t comment on specific internal technology.

O.H.: Is Axelspace designing and manufacturing only remote sensing microsatellites?

Yasu: We have been focusing on perfecting our expertise on remote sensing microsatellites. As we are market driven company, our limitation is not technology, but true market demand. Our business team is constantly monitoring the trends in the market and ready to dive into any direction when the time is ripe.

O.H.: Any plans for deep space exploration missions? Could the current bus be repurposed for a deep space mission?

Yasu: We are open for any mission, as long as there is a concrete market and sustainable paying clients. The company never works on a technology, without concrete business visibility.

O.H.: Remote sensing satellites are usually deployed on Sun-synchronous polar orbits. This leads to crowded LEO and increased collision risks above the polar regions. What end-of-life strategies are Axelspace missions using?

Yasu: As a constellation player, we are conscious of EOL operation and complies with the international guidelines on securing the sustainable usage of our orbits.

O.H.: What is AxelGlobe?

Yasu: AxelGlobe is a web based platform to access earth observation data from our proprietary satellite, GRUS, to empower anyone with actionable data to make smart decision.

O.H.: Launching and managing a fleet of 50+ microsatellites in LEO must be a challenging endeavour. Can you elaborate on some of these challenges? How is Axelspace tackling them?

Yasu: Absolutely! There is no shortcut in implementing space technology. To be successful in this business, these are the 4 most important simple, yet critical points to cover:

1. Transformational IDEA to bring value to the market
2. Proven Engineering to bring IDEA into product
3. Solid Financial Resource to bring product into reality
4. Paying clients to have a sustainable business model

To achieve the above, we have inspiring leadership team that brings IDEA to the table, experienced engineer team that can convert anything into a product, insightful finance team to secure the funding and powerful business team to generate revenue for the TEAM.

O.H.: What does the future hold for Axelspace holding? Any exciting plans to share with our readers?

Yasu: When we started the company 11 years ago, no one believed that a startup can actually do anything meaningful in the space industry. Now, after years of hard work, we have 5 operating satellites in space. Next year, we have 4 more confirmed launches and will continue to deploy every year. As a pioneer in the commercial microsatellite world, we will keep working hard and focus on engineering for good.

 

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Slashdot
  • Reddit
  • Live
  • TwitThis
January 23, 2018

Miniaturized Weather Satellite

Posted by

 

 

NASA dixit:

“Behind every weather forecast—from your local, five-day prediction to a late-breaking hurricane track update—are the satellites that make them possible. Government agencies depend on observations from weather satellites to inform forecast models that help us prepare for approaching storms and identify areas that need evacuating or emergency first responders.”

Elizabeth Willaman (Willaman Creative): Lead Producer

Andrea S. Martin (SGT): Producer

Kerri Cahoy (MIT): Scientist

Video credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

 

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Slashdot
  • Reddit
  • Live
  • TwitThis

 

 

NASA dixit:

“NASA scientists and engineers named their new CubeSat after the mythological Norse god of the dawn. Now, just days from launch, they are confident the shoebox-sized satellite Dellingr will live up to its name and inaugurate a new era for scientists wanting to use small, highly reliable satellites to carry out important, and in some cases, never-before-tried science. Dellingr will study how the ionosphere, a region in Earth’s upper atmosphere, interacts with the Sun. Before launch, Dellingr is required to visit to the Magnetic Test Facility at NASA Goddard to test the spacecraft’s magnetometers – key instruments for measuring the direction and strength of the magnetic fields that surround Earth. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch this August aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station where it will be deployed later into a low-Earth orbit.

Music credit: ‘Cycle of Life’ by Philippe Lhommet [SACEM] from Killer Tracks”

Video credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Joy Ng

 

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Slashdot
  • Reddit
  • Live
  • TwitThis
September 10, 2017

Cubesats

Posted by

 

 

NASA dixit:

“NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative provides opportunities for small satellite payloads built by universities, high schools and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches. Through innovative technology partnerships NASA provides these CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware development experience.

Each proposed investigation must demonstrate a benefit to NASA by addressing aspects of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations relevant to NASA’s strategic goals. This initiative provides NASA a mechanism for low-cost technology development and scientific research to help bridge strategic knowledge gaps and accelerate flight-qualified technology.”

Video credit: NASA Kennedy

 

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Slashdot
  • Reddit
  • Live
  • TwitThis
June 21, 2017

EO-1

Posted by

 

 

Wikipedia dixit:

“Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) is a NASA Earth observation satellite created to develop and validate a number of instrument and spacecraft bus breakthrough technologies. These will enable the development of future Earth imaging observatories that will have a significant increase in performance while also having reduced cost and mass. The spacecraft is part of the New Millennium Program.

Its Advanced Land Imager (ALI) measures nine different wavelengths simultaneously, instead of the seven measured by the imager in Landsat 7. This permits a greater flexibility in false-color imagery. Another improvement is that instead of having an imaging spectrometer that sweeps from side to side, the ALI has a linear array of spectrometers that each scan a strip of ground parallel to that of adjacent spectrometers. In order to compare the two imagers, EO-1 follows Landsat 7 in its orbit by exactly one minute. Other new technologies include: Hyperion imaging spectrometer recording more than 200 wavelengths; phased array communications antenna; optical fiber cables connect the data logger with the two IBM RAD6000s; teflon-fueled pulsed plasma thruster; lightweight, flexible solar panel; carbon-coated radiators for thermal control; Linear Etalon Imaging Spectrometer Array equipped with a new atmospheric correction device.

EO-1 has also been used to test new software, like the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment. This allows the spacecraft to decide for itself how best to create a desired image. It is only limited by a priority list of different types of images, and by forecasts of cloud cover provided by the NOAA.

It was expected to function for twelve months and was designed to function for eighteen months. Those expectations were greatly exceeded however the hydrazine fuel was mostly depleted in February 2011. Small maneuvers have been successful for debris avoidance but long duration burns for orbit maintenance are not being performed due to insufficient fuel. EO-1 was deactivated on 30 March 2017. At its current altitude, it is estimated that the satellite will remain in orbit until the 2050s, when it will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.”

Video credit: NASA Goddard

 

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Slashdot
  • Reddit
  • Live
  • TwitThis