FORTUNA – first Ukrainian students nanosatellite
- Paper number
IAC-06-B5.2.08
- Author
Prof. Valery Korepanov, Lviv Centre of Institute of Space Research, Ukraine
- Coauthor
Dr. Ludmila Kozak, Ukraine
- Coauthor
Dr. Georgy Lizunov, Ukraine
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The goal of the proposed project FORTUNA is to unite the efforts and qualification of both Ukrainian specialized institutions such as “Yuzhnoye” Design Office and Institute of Space Research and students from leading universities to create a nanosatellite for the fundamental scientific research in the branch of ionospheric physics. The first stage of feasibility study is completed. As the result, scientific tasks are formulated and discussed. All of them are united by the main idea – study of the terragenic activity reflection in the ionosphere, i. e. correlation of small-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances with meteorological, seismic and technogenic activity. These effects are poorly investigated both in theoretic and experimental sense. The most difficult problem is the identification of specific sources of ionospheric perturbations, as well as selection of peculiar types of disturbances at the ionospheric variations background of other nature. In the majority of known observations of natural ionospheric variations their connection with the events “above” or “below” was mostly hypothetic. It is evident that in situ study of all these events with the help of LEO spacecrafts orbiting as close as possible to the F layer maximum – at last at the orbits with height ~400-450 km – is the most efficient. The nanosatellite structure is preliminary designed and scientific payload substantiated in the following composition: • three-component flux-gate magnetometer; • wave probe; • electric field sensors; • kinetic plasma parameters sensor; • data collection and processing system. Besides this, the new nanosatellite attitude control/determination methodology will be tested with the use of one three-component magnetometer and GPS positioning system. Using the data of these devices and International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) model the nanosatellite orientation may be controlled or at least determined with the error below 3°. The ground support program is also proposed which includes synchronous operation of sub-satellite electromagnetic, meteorological and acoustic polygons in Ukraine and abroad. The proposed polar circular orbit of the nanosatellite FORTUNA with as low height as possible – 450 km is expected - will allow to study the influence on the auroral ionosphere of powerful heating stands EISCAT and at Alaska. The launch of nanosatellite FORTUNA is scheduled for 2009. The details of the project and parameters of the instrumentation are discussed in the report. This study was partially supported by NSAU Contract No 1-02/03 (1274).
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-B5.2.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.