Operational Challenges and Experience Learnt from Operating a Satellite with High-Thrust Electric Propulsion

Operational Challenges and Experience Learnt from Operating a Satellite with High-Thrust Electric Propulsion

Utah State University, Logan, UT

THE MISSION

Launch date: 07 November 2021

Object name: R2

NORAD-ID: 46913

Platform: design based on the M6P platform

Size: 6U

Manufacturer: NanoAvionics

Payloads: from Exotrail - a high-thrust, electrical Hall Effect Thruster - and a RF payload

LAUNCH PARAMETERS

Altitude: 571 km - Inclination: 36.9° - Eccentricity: 0.001

GROUND STATION NETWORKS

• Due to the low inclination, NanoAvionics-owned stations do not have visibility
• Leaf Space provided communication through their Leaf Line GSaaS with stations in Italy and in New-Zealand

MISSION OBJECTIVES FOR THE THRUSTER PAYLOAD

• Main objective: configure the thruster for a firing and perform an ignition with nominal parameters.
• Bonus: Perform altitude change significant enough to validate orbit phasing and plane change.