Multicaptor Formation Flying Based on a Swarm of Microsatellites
- Paper number
IAC-05-B1.2.06
- Author
Mr. Didier Alary, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Gérard Carrin, EADS Astrium, France
- Year
2005
- Abstract
By the end of 2004, Ariane 5 successfully launched the Essaim demonstrator. EADS Astrium and Thales Airborne Systems developed this demonstrator under a French MoD contract, with the objective to prove the feasibility of electro-magnetic signal measurement from space, and the performance of a swarm of satellites in formation flying. The Essaim demonstrator is based on four 120kg microsatellites, flying in a \"swarm\" configuration. All were launched simultaneously as piggyback payload on Ariane 5. The system makes use of identical satellites, each performing individual measurements that are processed on ground to provide an enriched synthetic measurement, which would have required a much larger single satellite to yield an equivalent performance. The related techniques are well known for years, but the advent of high performance microsatellites can now turn them into actually affordable systems. The microsatellites are built around the Myriade bus developed by CNES in cooperation with EADS Astrium. Several months of life and operations in-orbit confirm the proper performance of the Myriade platforms, including the implementation of the formation flying that took place as predicted. Several years of experimentation are planned under the contract. This demonstrator paves the way to other missions based on the same principle, including the future operational systems dedicated to electro-magnetic characterisation.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-05-B1.2.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.