Session
Technical Session IV: On the Horizon
Abstract
The AsteroidFinder mission, the first mission in the DLR-Kompaktsatellit program, will help characterize the unknown Inner Earth Object population in terms of mass, size and distribution. The satellite shall operate for a period of one year, aiming to detect faint objects down to an apparent magnitude of 18.5 Vmag (under a sky background of 20.3 Vmag). The space segment of the AsteroidFinder mission consists of a small satellite with a mass between 150-200kg. The design of the AsteroidFinder satellite bus and instrument has been driven by a trade-off between conflicting performance parameters and shows that it is feasible to design a small satellite with high performance in terms of agility, stability and data volume to support a mission with a substantial scientific return. In order to achieve the required performance of the satellite, the satellite has been designed using a mixture between COTS hardware and own developments. The design method has implemented state-of-the-art engineering methods and has been based on tailoring of already existing standards. The AsteroidFinder project conducted the PDR in May 2011, and phase C/D is expected to be initiated before the end of 2011.
Presentation Slides
AsteroidFinder: A Small Satellite to Characterize the IEO Population
The AsteroidFinder mission, the first mission in the DLR-Kompaktsatellit program, will help characterize the unknown Inner Earth Object population in terms of mass, size and distribution. The satellite shall operate for a period of one year, aiming to detect faint objects down to an apparent magnitude of 18.5 Vmag (under a sky background of 20.3 Vmag). The space segment of the AsteroidFinder mission consists of a small satellite with a mass between 150-200kg. The design of the AsteroidFinder satellite bus and instrument has been driven by a trade-off between conflicting performance parameters and shows that it is feasible to design a small satellite with high performance in terms of agility, stability and data volume to support a mission with a substantial scientific return. In order to achieve the required performance of the satellite, the satellite has been designed using a mixture between COTS hardware and own developments. The design method has implemented state-of-the-art engineering methods and has been based on tailoring of already existing standards. The AsteroidFinder project conducted the PDR in May 2011, and phase C/D is expected to be initiated before the end of 2011.
