Session
Technical Session IX: The Horizion-- New Small Satellite Missions or Sensors to Broaden Our Understanding of Space: Section II
Abstract
I-Cone® is an innovative approach to providing payload launch opportunities while at the same time taking advantage of the excess launch vehicle performance available with the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV). The genesis of the I-Cone® concept is the integration of a standard set of space vehicle subsystems into a standard conical launch vehicle adapter, in effect creating an “intelligent cone: or I-Cone. The I-Cone® is capable of providing payloads and small satellites a Fast, Frequent, Flexible and Affordable (F3A) access to space. The I-Cone® concept is designed for use with the Delta IV and Atlas V (EELV) and is compatible with Delta II and Sea Launch Vehicles. The main I-Cone® structural components are derived from flight heritage payload adapters and separation systems, developed by Saab Ericsson (SE) Space, which minimizes the development risks and production costs. I-Cone® space vehicles can be essentially transparent to the Primary payload of a typical EELV manifest. The launch site processing flow for an I-Cone® has a “no impact” approach on the standard EELV Primary payload processing flow. The I-Cone® space vehicle concept is suited for a wide variety of technology demonstration and short term operational missions. The baseline concept features typical payload resources of a 100 kg of mass, with 150 Watts of orbit average power, and a standard downlink data rate of 2.0 Mbps. The baseline I-Cone® Space Vehicle is capable of providing a pointing accuracy of 10-50 arc·sec, a propulsion system with 90 kg of mono-propellant Hydrazine, and a mission life exceeding one year. The use of I-Cone® for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions is emphasized in this paper, although Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) launch can also be accommodated by the I-Cone®. The modular approach to the I-Cone® space vehicle structure permits an extraordinary level of flexibility for meeting emerging specialized launch requirements. Micro-and nano-satellites can also be accommodated in an I-Cone® variation that incorporates a dispenser. Variations on the I-Cone® dispenser theme include a passive dispenser that provides additional propulsion and attitude control after separation from the launch vehicle. The I-Cone® concept can argument the potential return on investment for any EELV launch as it provides a cost effective and flexible solution particularly for Technology demonstration missions. This paper will first present what needs the I-Cone® design addresses for access to space. This paper will also provide the generic mission requirements for the I-Cone® design, describe baseline I-Cone® implementation architecture, discuss payload accommodations and provide baseline implementation. Finally this paper will discuss potential mission designs for which I-Cone® can be applied to. This paper is derived, in part, from a study performed in Reference 1.
I-CONE® For Rapid Response and Low Cost Access to Space
I-Cone® is an innovative approach to providing payload launch opportunities while at the same time taking advantage of the excess launch vehicle performance available with the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV). The genesis of the I-Cone® concept is the integration of a standard set of space vehicle subsystems into a standard conical launch vehicle adapter, in effect creating an “intelligent cone: or I-Cone. The I-Cone® is capable of providing payloads and small satellites a Fast, Frequent, Flexible and Affordable (F3A) access to space. The I-Cone® concept is designed for use with the Delta IV and Atlas V (EELV) and is compatible with Delta II and Sea Launch Vehicles. The main I-Cone® structural components are derived from flight heritage payload adapters and separation systems, developed by Saab Ericsson (SE) Space, which minimizes the development risks and production costs. I-Cone® space vehicles can be essentially transparent to the Primary payload of a typical EELV manifest. The launch site processing flow for an I-Cone® has a “no impact” approach on the standard EELV Primary payload processing flow. The I-Cone® space vehicle concept is suited for a wide variety of technology demonstration and short term operational missions. The baseline concept features typical payload resources of a 100 kg of mass, with 150 Watts of orbit average power, and a standard downlink data rate of 2.0 Mbps. The baseline I-Cone® Space Vehicle is capable of providing a pointing accuracy of 10-50 arc·sec, a propulsion system with 90 kg of mono-propellant Hydrazine, and a mission life exceeding one year. The use of I-Cone® for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions is emphasized in this paper, although Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) launch can also be accommodated by the I-Cone®. The modular approach to the I-Cone® space vehicle structure permits an extraordinary level of flexibility for meeting emerging specialized launch requirements. Micro-and nano-satellites can also be accommodated in an I-Cone® variation that incorporates a dispenser. Variations on the I-Cone® dispenser theme include a passive dispenser that provides additional propulsion and attitude control after separation from the launch vehicle. The I-Cone® concept can argument the potential return on investment for any EELV launch as it provides a cost effective and flexible solution particularly for Technology demonstration missions. This paper will first present what needs the I-Cone® design addresses for access to space. This paper will also provide the generic mission requirements for the I-Cone® design, describe baseline I-Cone® implementation architecture, discuss payload accommodations and provide baseline implementation. Finally this paper will discuss potential mission designs for which I-Cone® can be applied to. This paper is derived, in part, from a study performed in Reference 1.
