Session
Technical Session I: Small Satellites - Missions
Abstract
The VIKING Scientific Satellite launched piggyback on Ariane in February 1986 collected magnetospheric data for 444 days. The project was highly successful and of low cost. The key to low cost and high performance lies in a careful formulation of mission requirements. Costly increases often come from secondary or derived requirements, i.e. requirements which optimize performance or scientific return. To squeeze out a few more per cent of science data may perhaps double the cost. The paper describes examples of how such cost traps were avoided in the VIKING project. MAILSTAR is a low-orbit store-and-forward satellite communications system conceived by the Swedish Space Corporation. Phase B studies have just been completed and show that it is possible to provide a high reliability public telecommunications service by using small satellites. The satellite concept is described as well as different launching concepts, including a piggyback arrangement on the Chinese Long March 2 rocket.
VIKING and MAILSTAR: Two Swedish Small Satellite Projects
The VIKING Scientific Satellite launched piggyback on Ariane in February 1986 collected magnetospheric data for 444 days. The project was highly successful and of low cost. The key to low cost and high performance lies in a careful formulation of mission requirements. Costly increases often come from secondary or derived requirements, i.e. requirements which optimize performance or scientific return. To squeeze out a few more per cent of science data may perhaps double the cost. The paper describes examples of how such cost traps were avoided in the VIKING project. MAILSTAR is a low-orbit store-and-forward satellite communications system conceived by the Swedish Space Corporation. Phase B studies have just been completed and show that it is possible to provide a high reliability public telecommunications service by using small satellites. The satellite concept is described as well as different launching concepts, including a piggyback arrangement on the Chinese Long March 2 rocket.
