Mission Assurance Framework for Small Satellite Missions

Mission Assurance Framework for Small Satellite Missions

Small satellites organized as a constellation have the potential to offer mission capabilities comparable to traditional large satellites at a significant cost savings. In order to evaluate the viability of using a constellation of small satellites for any given mission, we investigate how system performance and cost relate to mission assurance. In this paper, we compare three satellite mission architectures to a global satellite communications reference mission. The three satellite mission architectures include (1) large constellation of low-cost small satellites (15 kg), (2) medium-sized constellation of medium-sized satellites (800 kg) and (3) small constellation of large satellites (3000 kg). Mission assurance is assessed for each architecture, with performance risk factors including individual satellite life expectancy, operating environment, and other external factors affecting mission performance. We also consider resiliency as it relates to a system’s ability to degrade gracefully. This aspect of resiliency is particularly relevant to a system consisting of a large number of small satellites.