Session
Session 2: Delivering Mission Success
Abstract
The Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) is considered one of the most critical subsystems of a spacecraft, and must be carefully calibrated and monitored to ensure mission success. Many emerging small satellite missions feature large constellations, creating a need for new design philosophies and operational approaches to accommodate the management of many ADCS subsystems simultaneously. Planet currently operates approximately 190 Dove Cubesats for Earth Observation, with only a small team of ADCS engineers and satellite operators responsible for the performance of the entire constellation. Since Planet’s first launches in 2013, on-orbit data and diverse experiences have contributed to the evolution of techniques and tools to support a fleet of this size. Today, Planet’s ADCS engineers and operators rely on automated systems to enable on-orbit calibration, nominal operations, performance monitoring, and anomaly detection. The systems are intended to minimize the need for humans-in-the-loop, but where it is required they are designed to enable agile decision making. This paper shares techniques, insights and lessons learned from calibrating and monitoring ADCS subsystems at scale.
ADCS at Scale: Calibrating and Monitoring the Dove Constellation
The Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) is considered one of the most critical subsystems of a spacecraft, and must be carefully calibrated and monitored to ensure mission success. Many emerging small satellite missions feature large constellations, creating a need for new design philosophies and operational approaches to accommodate the management of many ADCS subsystems simultaneously. Planet currently operates approximately 190 Dove Cubesats for Earth Observation, with only a small team of ADCS engineers and satellite operators responsible for the performance of the entire constellation. Since Planet’s first launches in 2013, on-orbit data and diverse experiences have contributed to the evolution of techniques and tools to support a fleet of this size. Today, Planet’s ADCS engineers and operators rely on automated systems to enable on-orbit calibration, nominal operations, performance monitoring, and anomaly detection. The systems are intended to minimize the need for humans-in-the-loop, but where it is required they are designed to enable agile decision making. This paper shares techniques, insights and lessons learned from calibrating and monitoring ADCS subsystems at scale.
