Session
Year in Review Research & Academia
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
Interest in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) for small satellite applications has surged in the past half-decade, from industry, scientific, and governmental institutions. Operating at VLEO altitudes is incredibly challenging. The density of the residual atmosphere, and therefore the drag force experienced, grows exponentially as the orbital altitude decreases. The high-drag environment complicates orbit determination, minimizes anomaly response time, increases momentum management requirements, and may require significant re-concepting of operations. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) SmallSat Operations (SMOPS) group had the unique opportunity to partner with the University of Colorado Boulder National Security Initiatives (CU NSI) and the University of Colorado Boulder Smead Aerospace Department to conduct VLEO research. Two LASP CubeSats, the Compact Solar Irradiance Monitor (CSIM) and the Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE), were near-deorbit and set to travel through the VLEO flight envelope. This provided LASP with the opportunity to develop a more cohesive understanding of the challenges facing a low-altitude CubeSat explorer. CSIM, having been decommissioned in 2022 was brought back into operations to conduct VLEO experiments to better categorize the high-drag environment. This paper highlights a set of lessons learned, best practices, and an analysis of challenges and solutions during operation of these two CubeSats at low altitudes. These include the design considerations of a stable low-drag pointing mode for the CSIM and CUTE geometries, the challenges of positioning and orbit determination following GNSS unit failures, and an analysis of momentum management. Lessons learned are synthesized into recommendations for the successful operation of a VLEO CubeSat.
Document Type
Event
Operational Challenges and Lessons Learned for Very Low Earth Orbit CubeSats
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Interest in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) for small satellite applications has surged in the past half-decade, from industry, scientific, and governmental institutions. Operating at VLEO altitudes is incredibly challenging. The density of the residual atmosphere, and therefore the drag force experienced, grows exponentially as the orbital altitude decreases. The high-drag environment complicates orbit determination, minimizes anomaly response time, increases momentum management requirements, and may require significant re-concepting of operations. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) SmallSat Operations (SMOPS) group had the unique opportunity to partner with the University of Colorado Boulder National Security Initiatives (CU NSI) and the University of Colorado Boulder Smead Aerospace Department to conduct VLEO research. Two LASP CubeSats, the Compact Solar Irradiance Monitor (CSIM) and the Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE), were near-deorbit and set to travel through the VLEO flight envelope. This provided LASP with the opportunity to develop a more cohesive understanding of the challenges facing a low-altitude CubeSat explorer. CSIM, having been decommissioned in 2022 was brought back into operations to conduct VLEO experiments to better categorize the high-drag environment. This paper highlights a set of lessons learned, best practices, and an analysis of challenges and solutions during operation of these two CubeSats at low altitudes. These include the design considerations of a stable low-drag pointing mode for the CSIM and CUTE geometries, the challenges of positioning and orbit determination following GNSS unit failures, and an analysis of momentum management. Lessons learned are synthesized into recommendations for the successful operation of a VLEO CubeSat.
