DMC+: High performance small spacecraft based Earth observation at an affordable cost
- Paper number
IAC-06-B1.2.06
- Author
Dr. Adam M. Baker, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Philip Davies, Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Prof. Martin Sweeting, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom
- Year
2006
- Abstract
Following the outstanding success of the first four missions of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) success in 2002-2003, which proved the commercial and humanitarian value of cost effective small satellite Earth imaging, SSTL has been commissioning the enhanced capability DMC+4 (Beijing-1) and the TOPSAT high resolution demonstrator launched in October 2005. Together with the experience gained in building the RapidEye constellation of 5 spacecraft due to launch from 2007, the technology developed for TOPSAT and the DMC+4 is being applied to a product line of high performance Earth observation platforms. The DMC+ spacecraft including a range of possible payloads are designed to meet the needs of affordable Earth observation in the sub-2.5m resolution range, suitable for operation singly or in clusters with the potential for daily revisits and near real time tasking and data return.
The key performance improvements over the current DMC and DMC+4 are:
- An increased lifetime (7 years in LEO),
- Various panchromatic imagers able to deliver 2.5m GSD or better at an altitude of 700km are available, and are uniquely complemented by cueing from an ultra-wide swath medium resolution multi-spectral camera developed by SSTL.
- A larger on-orbit data archive using hard disk non-volatile recorders able to store up to 800Mbit/disk
- Increased image throughput, in excess of 25 scenes (PAN, 20 x 20km at 2.5m or better GSD with 8bit digitisation, or 4 band multispectral at 5m GSD) using an 80MBps X-band downlink
- Improved pointing, enabling georeferencing of images to better than 250m (1s)
The baseline platform and critical subsystems achieve full dual redundancy on a wet mass of around 250kg, allowing up to 4 platforms to be launched simultaneously into one plane from a low cost small launcher such as Cosmos. Alternative or additional payloads include a hyperspectral imager flown on ESA’s Proba mission and low cost SAR for all-weather day /night imaging.
DMC+ will further utilise SSTL’s consistently flight proven avionics which are based entirely on non-ITAR components, and are manufactured in-house at one site in Guildford, UK. Highly reliable attitude is achieved on SSTL’s smallsat wheels, now acquiring flight data from the demanding MEO orbit of GIOVE-A Control Moment Gyros are being qualified with ESA support and are expected to further enhance agility. SSTL’s spin-out company DMC Imaging International is developing a range of high quality commercial data products to maximise the utility of future DMC+ missions. DMC+ platform and payloads will be available in less than 30months from signature of contract.
SSTL is currently completing detailed design of the DMC+ platform and expects to launch the first in mid-2009. This paper will report on the detailed design and the status of production of this highly competitive, reliable platform.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-B1.2.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.