Session
Poster Session I
Event Website
https://www.smallsat.org/index
Abstract
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation/Reflective (RO/R) instrument collects global atmospheric data and oceanic wind speed data for weather prediction and climate researches. This paper proposes the conceptual design of the satellite constellation and the satellite to realize the GNSS-RO/R mission based on the cubesat platform, with the goal to achieve cost effectiveness and minimum deployed schedule. The cubesat considered in the study is 6U and within 10 kilogram. The proposed innovative constellation consists of 12 (minimum required) plus 6 (backup) satellites on three 500 km altitude sun synchronous planes, 6 satellites even phasing on each plane. It is expected to have 3000 profile measurements per day at minimum (3600 profiles as a goal). The payload instrument will be able to collect RO/R measurements via GPS and GLONASS. The mission lifetime is 3 years. The on-orbit redundancy, instead of redundant satellite components, is adapted to increase system reliability. The satellite design of this study faces very tough challenging to meet the 10-kg mass constraint. The proposed solutions to lower down mass include the creative payload design, the plasma thruster based reaction control subsystem and attitude control subsystem, the use of special non-space grade made-in-Taiwan components, and the creative mission scheduling among satellites to optimize daily global coverage with limited duty cycle of each satellite (the duty cycle can not be 100% because of mass saving on solar array and battery). The study demonstrates the feasibility to achieve the system design. The lessons learned of the system design study have also been introduced. The international cooperation and investment to realize this development is welcome.
Included in
The Conceptual Design of CubeSat Based System for GNSS Radio Occultation/Reflective Mission
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation/Reflective (RO/R) instrument collects global atmospheric data and oceanic wind speed data for weather prediction and climate researches. This paper proposes the conceptual design of the satellite constellation and the satellite to realize the GNSS-RO/R mission based on the cubesat platform, with the goal to achieve cost effectiveness and minimum deployed schedule. The cubesat considered in the study is 6U and within 10 kilogram. The proposed innovative constellation consists of 12 (minimum required) plus 6 (backup) satellites on three 500 km altitude sun synchronous planes, 6 satellites even phasing on each plane. It is expected to have 3000 profile measurements per day at minimum (3600 profiles as a goal). The payload instrument will be able to collect RO/R measurements via GPS and GLONASS. The mission lifetime is 3 years. The on-orbit redundancy, instead of redundant satellite components, is adapted to increase system reliability. The satellite design of this study faces very tough challenging to meet the 10-kg mass constraint. The proposed solutions to lower down mass include the creative payload design, the plasma thruster based reaction control subsystem and attitude control subsystem, the use of special non-space grade made-in-Taiwan components, and the creative mission scheduling among satellites to optimize daily global coverage with limited duty cycle of each satellite (the duty cycle can not be 100% because of mass saving on solar array and battery). The study demonstrates the feasibility to achieve the system design. The lessons learned of the system design study have also been introduced. The international cooperation and investment to realize this development is welcome.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2016/Poster1/5
