December 15, 2000

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December 15, 2000
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Introduction

• ISU Small Satellite Interdisciplinary Survey
• Small Satellite Overview Ana Bolea-Alamanac
• Business Opportunities Paulo Milani
• Political and Legal Aspects Virginie Rusyn
• Application Investigation Jason Hair
• Technology Advancements Gregory Kennedy
• Conclusions Mila Pavek
• Question time

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Satellite Classification

• Small satellites can be classified based on
  several criteria
• Mass, cost, size, program development time
• Mass classifications small (lt 500 kg),
• mini (100-500 kg)
• micro (10-100 kg)
• nano (lt 10 kg).
• Program cost less than 10 million for focused
  LEO missions to 150 million for interplanetary
  probes
• Development cycles of less than three years
• For this survey, a small satellite is defined as
  one with an on orbit mass of less than 500 kg.

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Satellite Size Comparison

• EO-1
• Small satellite
• Mass 500 kg

• Landsat-7
• Large satellite
• Mass 2200 kg

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Historical trends

• Increasing number of small satellites during last
  two decades.
• Universities and research institutions as
  pioneers.
• Change in NASA policy in early 90s
• Mass Trend toward a lighter spacecraft.
• First nano-satellite in the late 90s
• Users From military uses towards civilian and
  commercial utilization.
• Applications Science, remote sensing, education
  and political demonstration.

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Current and Future Programs

• CNESs microsatellite program
• Low-risk opportunities for testing and
  demonstrating new project design and management
  methods.
• SSTL in the UK
• Significant success in standardizing small
  satellite buses.
• NASA's New Millennium Program
• Virtual human presence in space through
  communications links to numerous small
  spacecraft.
• Other countries

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Why use small satellites?

• Low cost
• Short time to scientific results
• Versatile
• Relatively short development period
• Revitalized scientific community
• International cooperation
• Developing nations

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Why not?

• Limited capacity (payload, resources)
• Relatively short lifetime (in general)
• Limited positioning and control
• Not adapted to applications which just require
  big satellites
• May small satellites add up to the problem of
  space debris?
• Generally reduced reliability
• Questionable profitability

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Small Sat. Business Players
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Manufacturers
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Market Growth

• LEO constellations
• Supplement to GEO services
• Limited telephony, potential for Internet, demand
  for data packet store-and-forward (messaging)
• Firms must choose value, sell the product, and
  communicate value
• Limited brand loyalty/Easy substitution
• High barriers to entry from capital needs
• Much progress remains to be made
• Market expansion had been hurt by Iridium

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Costs
Satellites

• Lower costs associated with simpler spacecraft
• Costs (and savings) reflected in entire
  programsystems engineering, payload, bus,
  integration testing
• Technology development remains a key cost
  component
• Competition internationally

Launchers

• Launch costs can add significantly to overall
  cost
• Many new entrants in the 1990s
• Increased level of international cooperation
• Development of re-usable launchers?
• Consolidation in industry likely

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Where We Stand

• Limited potential for commercial exploitation
• Strong reliance on government contracts in near
  future
• Main foci for commercial exploitation
• Telecommunications
• Internet/Messaging
• Remote Sensing
• To further analyze why or why not small
  satellites
• Find applications for users
• Political and legal aspects

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Political Evolution

• Scientific community
• One of the first who receives benefits from small
  satellites
• Military purposes
• Test and demonstrate new technologies
• University programs
• Gain experience with low risk programs
• Private companies
• Small satellites open a new space business
• Emerging space countries
• New countries can develop their own space
  activities

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International Co-operation

• Cooperation between space faring nations
• NASA, ESA
• European cooperation
• Cooperation between space faring and non-space
  faring nations
• Technology transfer
• Independence of non-space faring countries
• United Nations Sub-Committee on Small Satellites
  for Developing Nations

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National and Regional Perspectives

• Space agencies
• ESA SMART move
• NASA  back to basics 
• NASDA-ISAS
• Developing countries
• Current situation
• Potential small satellite use

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Legal Aspects Space Debris

• Small satellites contribute to the problem
• Interagency Space Debris Committee
• UNCOPUOS dual position
• Decisions hard to implement
• Increasing threat to space activities

Near-Earth Space Debris
Result of Space Debris
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Application Investigation

• Investigate applications for users in business
• Focused investigation on the miniaturization of
  satellites
• Five main segments
• Telecommunications
• Earth Science
• Space Science
• Technology Demonstration
• Engineering Training
• Navigation not included because no expansion into
  this sector as of yet

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Applications

• Telecommunications
• Store and Forward, Real Time Data Relay
• Vehicle, Animal, and Property Tracking
• Packet Messaging (E-mail, Paging)
• Broadband
• Tele-education and medicine
• Telephony
• Earth Science
• Atmosphere and Meteorology
• Land
• Ocean
• Near-Earth Environment
• Solid Earth

Globalstar satellite
CHAMP
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Applications

• Space Science
• Deep Space Probes
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Microgravity Science
• Technology Demonstration
• Space Qualifying Existing Hardware
• Experimenting with New Technologies
• Engineering Training
• Satellite Development, Production, and Operations
  Training
• Low Cost, Simple Payload Integration

Deep Space 1
Tubsat - B
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Applications

• Military
• Remote Sensing
• Telecommunications
• Signal Intelligence
• Other Applications
• Inspection and Servicing Satellites
• Public Participation Missions
• Time Capsules
• Orbiting of Human Remains

Cerise French Signal Intelligence Satellite
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Constellations and Formations

• Allow continuous global coverage
• Formation Flying allow measurement comparison for
  EO
• Simulate very large apertures for Interferometry

LEO Constellation
Formation Flying (Landsat-7 and EO-1)
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The Way Forward

• Many applications for users
• Space Science, Earth Science, Telecommunications
  have had most advancement and shows best
  prospects
• Continued use for technology demonstration
• LEO constellations and formation flying
• Developing countries
• Task specific payloads
• Key small satellites to advance, need technology
  improvements

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Engineering Advancement

• Small Spacecraft(lt500kg) primary design drivers
• Reduction in mass
• Reduction in cost
• Increase in reliability
• Increase in system integration
• Increase in capabilities for equivalent mass
• Reduction in power requirements
• Resulted in change of design and operational
  philosophy of spacecraft systems.

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Engineering Subsystems

• Eight areas to be discussed
• Launcher and Launch Method
• Power
• Propulsion
• Thermal
• Attitude Determination and Control, Guidance
  and Control
• Communication
• On-Board Computer and Data Handling
• Structure
• Systems Engineering Approach

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Subsystems

• Launcher and Launch Method
• New launch vehicles are being developed for
  faster, better, cheaper spacecraft
• Sharing a launch vehicle is common practice
• For developing countries the use of new small
  lift launchers or possibly converted Inter
  Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) is foreseen
• For larger launchers adapt for dispenser and
  multiple spacecraft launch method

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Subsystems

• Attitude Determination and Control, Guidance
  and Control
• Largest level of development
• Compact, light weight, sensors and components
• Integration of components (GPS attitude
  sensors)
• Complete spacecraft autonomy
• Reliability and capabilities matching present
  large spacecraft
• Power
• Inflatable rigidizable solar arrays
• Optical concentrators(NASA SCARLET mission)
• Primary battery systems predict no further
  advancements in performance in the near future
• Rechargeable lithium batteries seen as future

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Subsystems

• Propulsion
• Up to 50 total spacecraft mass
• Electric systems (Ion, Solar Electric etc.) seen
  as the future, particularly for Interplanetary
• Future development of chemical systems
• Advanced concepts such as tethers, solar sails,
  chip sized thrusters etc.

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Subsystems

• Thermal
• Thermal management carried out via passive
  devices such as radiators, heaters and
  insulation.
• Capillary fluid loop systems could be used,
  though mechanical systems (e.g. pumps) create
  vibrations harmful to small satellites.
• Requirement for more efficient thermal systems.
• Communication
• Solid-State systems preferred (TRAILBLAZER)
• Custom designed Antennas (some off the shelf
  possibility)
• New Integrated Concepts the driver for future
  developments (SOLANT)

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Subsystems

• On-Board Computer and Data Handling
• Development of unique and powerful systems
• Unable to avail of most tape, optical and
  hard-disk technologies
• Extensive use Solid-State memory
• Non-Mission specific software
• Structure
• Greater use of composite materials
• Structural commonality
• Inexpensive small satellites may require new,
  simpler, yet reliable, deployable designs.
• Present thrusts of development efforts involves
  the use of inflatable structures
• Smart structures

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Advanced Engineering Processes

• Success in achieving successful implementation of
  design drivers through extensive use of
  Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
• Result in visible shrinking of spacecraft

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Systems Engineering

• Three key differences from larger satellite
  projects
• Shortened life-cycle
• Designed with the Faster, Better, Cheaper
  principles
• Less phases and reviews
• Mass production
• Spacecraft operated in constellations and
  formation-flying systems
• Selective spacecraft testing to ensure
  reliability and reduce costs
• Concurrent engineering
• More efficient due to higher levels of
  integration

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Small Spacecraft Engineering

• Main impacts
• Several new innovative technologies and systems
  hatched
• Higher levels of systems integration
• Higher levels of system capabilities
• Primary developments in the area of MEMS and
  SolidState devices
• Lower dependence on development of custom
  components as systems become commercially
  available

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Final Conclusions

• Growing segment of space arena. Highly dynamic
• Move towards private industry from government,
  though government involvement remains
• Cost, technical restraints remain problems
• Benefits that help overcome limitations in
  relation to larger satellites
• Improved technology, increases performance and
  capabilities
• Potential for developing countries

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Possible Future Directions

• Standardization of small satellite production
• Identification of emerging applications
• Improvement of communications and high-speed data
  transmission services for developing nations
• Utilization of small satellites to de-orbit space
  debris
• Exploration of a planet or moon using a
  constellation of small interplanetary probes
• Production of a marketable skill-base as
  foundation for a consulting firm by further
  studying the policy, technology, market, and
  applications involving small satellites
• Development of inspector/servicing satellites