Session
Weekend Session I: Advanced Technologies Research & Academia 1
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
VERTECS (Visible Extragalactic background RadiaTion Exploration by CubeSat) is a 6U CubeSat conceived to elucidate the star-formation history along the evolution of the universe by conducting several observations of the visible extragalactic background light (EBL) using a 3U size telescope mounted on the CubeSat. The observation strategy is done by capturing four images of the extragalactic background with a 60-second exposure time, shifting the observed field four times by 3° increments to cover a 6°x6° field of view, and stacking the acquired images afterward to perform photometry in the four bands in the ground. The satellite is designed to operate the telescope payload in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km and 8:00 ~10:00hrs local time of descending node to observe the EBL on the eclipse phase to avoid stray light from the Sun and Earth. Such an observation strategy requires a pointing stability of 10 arcsec (1 sigma) over 1 minute and alignment of the deployable solar panels to the Sun during nominal operations to optimize the power generation capacity. To meet these pointing requirements, the attitude determination and control system (ADCS) includes a set of 3 reaction wheels and a star tracker for precise pointing maneuvers. This work describes the development and testing strategies to verify the pointing requirements of the VERTECS ADCS and the observation strategy. The stability and mission feasibility analysis are conducted through numerical and processor-in-the-loop simulations, where the observation method and sun-tracking mode are simulated along one orbit. Through our table-sat setup and ground station equipment, we verify the nominal and observation modes by operating the ADCS in in-orbit operation conditions. Our target is to verify the pointing maneuvers through hardware-in-the-loop simulation methods in a simulated space environment on the ground with our EM and FM models. The FM model will be completed by the end of the fiscal year in 2024 and launched by FY 2025.
Development and Testing Methods of the Attitude Determination and Control System for the Astronomical 6U CubeSat VERTECS
Utah State University, Logan, UT
VERTECS (Visible Extragalactic background RadiaTion Exploration by CubeSat) is a 6U CubeSat conceived to elucidate the star-formation history along the evolution of the universe by conducting several observations of the visible extragalactic background light (EBL) using a 3U size telescope mounted on the CubeSat. The observation strategy is done by capturing four images of the extragalactic background with a 60-second exposure time, shifting the observed field four times by 3° increments to cover a 6°x6° field of view, and stacking the acquired images afterward to perform photometry in the four bands in the ground. The satellite is designed to operate the telescope payload in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km and 8:00 ~10:00hrs local time of descending node to observe the EBL on the eclipse phase to avoid stray light from the Sun and Earth. Such an observation strategy requires a pointing stability of 10 arcsec (1 sigma) over 1 minute and alignment of the deployable solar panels to the Sun during nominal operations to optimize the power generation capacity. To meet these pointing requirements, the attitude determination and control system (ADCS) includes a set of 3 reaction wheels and a star tracker for precise pointing maneuvers. This work describes the development and testing strategies to verify the pointing requirements of the VERTECS ADCS and the observation strategy. The stability and mission feasibility analysis are conducted through numerical and processor-in-the-loop simulations, where the observation method and sun-tracking mode are simulated along one orbit. Through our table-sat setup and ground station equipment, we verify the nominal and observation modes by operating the ADCS in in-orbit operation conditions. Our target is to verify the pointing maneuvers through hardware-in-the-loop simulation methods in a simulated space environment on the ground with our EM and FM models. The FM model will be completed by the end of the fiscal year in 2024 and launched by FY 2025.
