Small satellites for real operational missions in Earth Observation
- Paper number
IAC-06-B5.3.01
- Author
Mr. Alex da Silva Curiel, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Luis Gomes, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Prof. Martin Sweeting, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The TOPSAT and Beijing-1 spacecraft were launched at the end of 2005. Since their launch, the spacecraft have been commissioned and have started routine operations. Beijing-1 carries out a high resolution mapping mission. It comprises a small 168kg satellite carrying an imaging instrument providing 4-metre Ground Sampling Distance and 24km swath. This is in addition to a wide angle camera with 32-metre GSD and 600km swath as carried by the other DMC satellites. The spacecraft provides a large data storage capacity with solid state storage augmented by hard drives modified for use in space, allowing the instrument to map long 3000km swaths with a 600km field of regard. A software configurable image compressor and high speed X-band downlink permit both store and forward, as well as real-time downlinking. TOPSAT is a 112kg small satellite, and carries a 2.5m imaging instrument with 10km swath. It includes sophisticated attitude manoeuvring capabilities, allowing it to dwell over targets. The paper will discuss the spacecraft and mission in more detail, provides some of the early mission results, and will conclude that small earth observation satellites have moved from technology demonstrators to being put to use as real operational tools.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-B5.3.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.