Session
Technical Session I: National Needs & Objectives
Abstract
The Topsat mission is designed to demonstrate the capabilities of small satellites for classically high value remote sensing missions. Conceived by the UK’s Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), it will produce 2.5 m resolution panchromatic imagery and 5 m resolution multispectral imagery in three visible wavebands and allow direct transmission of the image data to a local mobile ground station. The Topsat programme is jointly funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and by the British National Space Centre’s Mosaic small satellite initiative and includes provision for the spacecraft, ground segment, commercial launch and one year of planned operations. The mission will meet the national needs of the UK in two areas. The UK MoD will use Topsat to investigate the utility and issues of providing data acquisition and tasking resources to local command levels. BNSC are supporting the programme as a demonstration of an enhanced capability for UK small satellites leading to sales of similar systems and to allow the development of lower cost markets for remote sensing products producible from such systems. The Topsat mission is a collaboration between four UK partners. DERA are leading the mission and providing the data handling unit, high rate downlink, mobile ground station and operations. Surrey Satellites (SSTL) are providing the spacecraft bus and command and telemetry links. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) are developing a near diffraction limited wide field of view camera which, when combined with a pitch compensation manoeuvre, allows the highly demanding optical performance characteristics to be achieved. Infoterra are responsible for developing potential markets for Topsat and future derivatives.
Topsat – High Resolution Imaging from a Small Satellite
The Topsat mission is designed to demonstrate the capabilities of small satellites for classically high value remote sensing missions. Conceived by the UK’s Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), it will produce 2.5 m resolution panchromatic imagery and 5 m resolution multispectral imagery in three visible wavebands and allow direct transmission of the image data to a local mobile ground station. The Topsat programme is jointly funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and by the British National Space Centre’s Mosaic small satellite initiative and includes provision for the spacecraft, ground segment, commercial launch and one year of planned operations. The mission will meet the national needs of the UK in two areas. The UK MoD will use Topsat to investigate the utility and issues of providing data acquisition and tasking resources to local command levels. BNSC are supporting the programme as a demonstration of an enhanced capability for UK small satellites leading to sales of similar systems and to allow the development of lower cost markets for remote sensing products producible from such systems. The Topsat mission is a collaboration between four UK partners. DERA are leading the mission and providing the data handling unit, high rate downlink, mobile ground station and operations. Surrey Satellites (SSTL) are providing the spacecraft bus and command and telemetry links. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) are developing a near diffraction limited wide field of view camera which, when combined with a pitch compensation manoeuvre, allows the highly demanding optical performance characteristics to be achieved. Infoterra are responsible for developing potential markets for Topsat and future derivatives.
