Session
Session 3: Propulsion
Abstract
Orbit control capabilities are essential to enable future formation flying of pico-satellites, offering potential for placing efficient sensor networks in orbit. UWE-4 will demonstrate the application of electric propulsion for attitude and orbit control in the 1U CubeSat class by employing the NanoFEEP thrusters developed by TU Dresden. The satellite will be equipped with four thruster heads located in its rails and two central power processing units. The CubeSat is built according to the UNISEC Europe electrical interface standard and extends its previous demonstration with UWE-3. It features full redundant sets of power storage, on-board computers, and UHF communication systems. The attitude determination and control system can access several inertial measurement units (IMUs) and six high precision sun-sensors. UWE-4 will control its attitude with magnetic torquers and with the help of the electric propulsion system. For thrust estimation, an algorithm based on the exact measurement of the excited torque on the satellite will be used which previously has been developed within the UWE-3 mission. With this it is possible to measure the full thrust range of the NanoFEEP thrusters of 0μN – 20μN and estimate their performance in terms of thrust-to-power ratio. Prototype production has begun and details about the architecture and the current state are presented.
Presentation
UWE-4: Integration State of the First Electrically Propelled 1U CubeSat
Orbit control capabilities are essential to enable future formation flying of pico-satellites, offering potential for placing efficient sensor networks in orbit. UWE-4 will demonstrate the application of electric propulsion for attitude and orbit control in the 1U CubeSat class by employing the NanoFEEP thrusters developed by TU Dresden. The satellite will be equipped with four thruster heads located in its rails and two central power processing units. The CubeSat is built according to the UNISEC Europe electrical interface standard and extends its previous demonstration with UWE-3. It features full redundant sets of power storage, on-board computers, and UHF communication systems. The attitude determination and control system can access several inertial measurement units (IMUs) and six high precision sun-sensors. UWE-4 will control its attitude with magnetic torquers and with the help of the electric propulsion system. For thrust estimation, an algorithm based on the exact measurement of the excited torque on the satellite will be used which previously has been developed within the UWE-3 mission. With this it is possible to measure the full thrust range of the NanoFEEP thrusters of 0μN – 20μN and estimate their performance in terms of thrust-to-power ratio. Prototype production has begun and details about the architecture and the current state are presented.
