Session
Weekday Poster Session 4
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
In the recent years, the very low earth orbit (VLEO) mission concepts are getting popular owing to the advantages it brings. VLEO is considered to be below 400 km in general, and as the satellites orbit closer to the surface, the earth observation data can be more accurate than the data from LEO. The image resolution can be better for the same camera technology, the radio wave applications will experience lower ionospheric disturbances, and the scientific data collection in those altitudes can help to improve the atmospheric models. However, there a significant challenge in orbiting at such altitudes, which is the atmospheric drag. Atmospheric drag increases exponentially in the atmosphere as the altitude decreases, and in those regimes, the drag forces are significant enough to shorten the lifetime of the satellite orbit exponentially. The higher drag also challenges the attitude control systems' ability to keep the satellite stable. This paper discusses the system design of small satellites for performing a VLEO mission. The discussion is drawn by comparing the satellites with various form factors and mass with different solar panel configurations. Concept design process of propulsion system, attitude control system, power system, and communication system is conducted, and trade-offs are considered to safeguard the system. Finally, three cases studies are shown for a 3 kg nanosatellite, 30 kg micro-satellite, and a 100 kg micro-satellite.
System Design for Small Satellites in Very Low Earth Orbit
Utah State University, Logan, UT
In the recent years, the very low earth orbit (VLEO) mission concepts are getting popular owing to the advantages it brings. VLEO is considered to be below 400 km in general, and as the satellites orbit closer to the surface, the earth observation data can be more accurate than the data from LEO. The image resolution can be better for the same camera technology, the radio wave applications will experience lower ionospheric disturbances, and the scientific data collection in those altitudes can help to improve the atmospheric models. However, there a significant challenge in orbiting at such altitudes, which is the atmospheric drag. Atmospheric drag increases exponentially in the atmosphere as the altitude decreases, and in those regimes, the drag forces are significant enough to shorten the lifetime of the satellite orbit exponentially. The higher drag also challenges the attitude control systems' ability to keep the satellite stable. This paper discusses the system design of small satellites for performing a VLEO mission. The discussion is drawn by comparing the satellites with various form factors and mass with different solar panel configurations. Concept design process of propulsion system, attitude control system, power system, and communication system is conducted, and trade-offs are considered to safeguard the system. Finally, three cases studies are shown for a 3 kg nanosatellite, 30 kg micro-satellite, and a 100 kg micro-satellite.
