Session
Technical Session IX: The Year In Retrospect
Abstract
BILSAT-1 is an enhanced micro satellite designed and manufactured in the framework of a KHTT programme between SSTL (UK) and TUBITAK-BILTEN (Turkey). The satellite was launched by a COSMOS 3M launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia on September 27, 2003. After being injected in a sun synchronous orbit at a 686 km altitude, it was commissioned successfully via ground control station at TUBITAK-BILTEN. After commissioning, the operations have started. Many images have been taken over Turkey and over various locations around the world. In contrast to large national Earth Observation satellites such as LANDSAT, EO-1 and Terra, BILSAT addresses similar applications, with an emphasis on temporal resolution. BILSAT is a member of DMC (Disaster Management Constellation) that is an international consortium of which the member countries are UK, Algeria and Nigeria. The DMC satellites share the same orbit and separated from each other with a phase angle of 90 degrees. BILSAT as well as other DMC satellites has an on board propulsion and GPS navigation system by means of which the phasing of the DMC satellites have been managed by the end of first half of February, 2004. BILSAT also accommodates some experimental payloads on board, including A multi-band Earth imager, an image compression processor, a GPS attitude receiver and a Control Moment Gyro. Two of these payloads are Turkish payloads designed and developed by BILTEN engineers at TUBITAK BILTEN. As well as these experimental payloads, BILSAT also hosts some new technologies such high capacity solid state data recorders and star trackers. These experimental payloads and new technologies are being operated and in orbit performances are being tested. Since this is the very first LEO satellite that BILTEN has ever operated, some very valuable experience has been gained by BILTEN engineers about the LEO satellite operations. This paper aims to describe what happened after launch, commissioning and during operations of BILSAT-1. It will detail the experiences gained by the experimental payloads, operations and the lessons learned.
Presentation Slides
BILSAT-1: First Year in Orbit- Operations and Lessons Learned
BILSAT-1 is an enhanced micro satellite designed and manufactured in the framework of a KHTT programme between SSTL (UK) and TUBITAK-BILTEN (Turkey). The satellite was launched by a COSMOS 3M launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia on September 27, 2003. After being injected in a sun synchronous orbit at a 686 km altitude, it was commissioned successfully via ground control station at TUBITAK-BILTEN. After commissioning, the operations have started. Many images have been taken over Turkey and over various locations around the world. In contrast to large national Earth Observation satellites such as LANDSAT, EO-1 and Terra, BILSAT addresses similar applications, with an emphasis on temporal resolution. BILSAT is a member of DMC (Disaster Management Constellation) that is an international consortium of which the member countries are UK, Algeria and Nigeria. The DMC satellites share the same orbit and separated from each other with a phase angle of 90 degrees. BILSAT as well as other DMC satellites has an on board propulsion and GPS navigation system by means of which the phasing of the DMC satellites have been managed by the end of first half of February, 2004. BILSAT also accommodates some experimental payloads on board, including A multi-band Earth imager, an image compression processor, a GPS attitude receiver and a Control Moment Gyro. Two of these payloads are Turkish payloads designed and developed by BILTEN engineers at TUBITAK BILTEN. As well as these experimental payloads, BILSAT also hosts some new technologies such high capacity solid state data recorders and star trackers. These experimental payloads and new technologies are being operated and in orbit performances are being tested. Since this is the very first LEO satellite that BILTEN has ever operated, some very valuable experience has been gained by BILTEN engineers about the LEO satellite operations. This paper aims to describe what happened after launch, commissioning and during operations of BILSAT-1. It will detail the experiences gained by the experimental payloads, operations and the lessons learned.
