Study and Structural Analysis of a New Configuration for a Micro/Nano/Picosatellite Dispenser for the VEGA Launcher

Paper number

IAC-05-C2.P.17

Author

Dr. Manuel De Benedetti, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy

Year

2005

Abstract

In recent years, the extensive growth of small satellite market imposed the development of a new class of launchers allowing more cost-effective missions. At the beginning, ex-Inter Continental Ballistic Missile have been used, because the international START treaty obliged both USA and USSR to destroy a large number of them. In recent times, following the market needs, some projects about new small launchers have been developed. In the design of these class of launchers for small satellites, the spacecraft dispenser is a new important and characteristic structural system, requesting an important design effort. The presence of this structure is due to the particular reduced size of spacecrafts, and the disposition of them under the launcher fairing must be different from the typical stack disposition of two or three large communications satellites. Engineers involved in the design of launchers can not dramatically reduce the diameter of their launchers because the diameter of a launcher is related to propulsion constraints. This research is aimed to the structural study of this system.
The considered stress environment is composed by: quasi static, sinusoidal and random vibration loads. The scheme of the project is represented by a trade-off, followed by a project design of various configuration for the dispenser, leading to the choice of the better one using systemistic analysis rules. A particular attention has been focused on the possibility of using off-the-shelf-technologies, parts and devices (Commercial Off The Shelf). The last part is an analytic and numerical structural analysis of the selected configuration. The numerical analysis has been performed by FEA software MSC NASTRAN/PATRAN. The modal, buckling, static analysis have been performed, determining Von Mises Stress, inter-laminar shear stress and failure indices, the dynamic analysis for sinusoidal vibration and random vibrations yield acceleration RMS values and PSD responses. Either the design project and the analyses have been performed according to design and environmental requirements from Vega User’s Manual. All the performed analysis gave satisfying results, allowing to conclude the compliancy of the system with respect to the specification.
  
Scheme of the spacecraft dispenser and related FEM model with payloads

A comparative performance evaluation concludes the paper. The conclusions are focused to either mechanical and systemistic evaluations. As a future development, it is foreseen to approach also the thermal, electro-magnetic-compatibility, acoustic and shock environments. 

Abstract document

IAC-05-C2.P.17.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-05-C2.P.17.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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