Session
Session II: Bold New Missions Using "Breakthrough Technologies" I
Abstract
Several missions are currently proposed that require very close formation flying. Missions such as IRSI -Darwin and Xeus will require the development of new techniques and equipment to achieve the stringent performances required. Both these missions will be preceded by demonstration missions, aimed at validating concepts of formation flying and generating a European capability in this field. These precursor mis sions will very much be standard missions, using a classical “large project” approach. This has lead ESA to consider the procurement of an innovative mission, which would demonstrate some aspects of Formation Flying, using microsatellite class spacecraft, with a mass around 120kg, based on the Advanced Microsatellite Platform (AMP). The FFDEM mission uses two microsatellites in LEO, to perform advanced formation flying, down to distances of 50m, using a cutting edge set of sensors, actuators and control algorithms. These include a GPS pseudolite, LASER ranging units, optical position estimator, FEEPs, etc. The mission proposed could be implemented in the next few years, although some aspects of it will require innovative solutions.
FFDEM: Demonstrating Formation Flying with Small Spacecraft
Several missions are currently proposed that require very close formation flying. Missions such as IRSI -Darwin and Xeus will require the development of new techniques and equipment to achieve the stringent performances required. Both these missions will be preceded by demonstration missions, aimed at validating concepts of formation flying and generating a European capability in this field. These precursor mis sions will very much be standard missions, using a classical “large project” approach. This has lead ESA to consider the procurement of an innovative mission, which would demonstrate some aspects of Formation Flying, using microsatellite class spacecraft, with a mass around 120kg, based on the Advanced Microsatellite Platform (AMP). The FFDEM mission uses two microsatellites in LEO, to perform advanced formation flying, down to distances of 50m, using a cutting edge set of sensors, actuators and control algorithms. These include a GPS pseudolite, LASER ranging units, optical position estimator, FEEPs, etc. The mission proposed could be implemented in the next few years, although some aspects of it will require innovative solutions.
