Hard disk drives for spacecraft application

Paper number

IAC-06-B5.6.02

Author

Dr. Guglielmo Aglietti, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Coauthor

Mr. Luis Gomes, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom

Coauthor

Mr. Alex da Silva Curiel, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom

Year

2006

Abstract

Accurate resolution imaging from Satellites involves large amounts of data that has to be downloaded to Earth. As these spacecraft are most often in Low Earth Orbits there is a very limited amount of time available for the downlink, and therefore the large amount of data containing the pictures information has to be stored on board the spacecraft waiting for the next pass and opportunity to downlink. 
In normal terrestrial applications a computer Hard Disk Drive (HDD) would be used to store the information, as these devices have large memory capabilities and relatively low cost. Moreover, compared to other devices such as tape recorders (which have been considered in the past to store data on board spacecraft) HDDs can be easily interfaced with the on board computer. However, HDDs are relatively delicate, in terms of resistance to harsh vibration environments and require atmospheric pressure to operate correctly as they their functioning exploits an air cushion effect. Therefore survival to the mechanical environment existing during the spacecraft launch and to the space environment during satellite operations are two major challenges in the use of HDDs for spacecraft applications. 
This paper describes the design of a vessel that has allowed conventional Personal Computer’s HDDs to be successfully flown on board the SSTL spacecraft BEIJING-1, launched on the 27th Oct 2005. 
The challenges for the design of the pressure vessel to guarantee atmospheric pressure for the HDDs to operate correctly during the whole  mission, and the suspension system to isolate the HDDs from the harsh vibration environment during launch are described. Various vibration control strategies (e.g. suspension of the HDDs vs suspension of the whole pressure vessels) are investigated and their advantages and shortcomings discussed. The extensive test campaigns carried out to assess the vibration resistance of various HDDs are described, together with the tests carried out to validate the mathematical model and qualify the hardware for flight. Finally the successful design strategy will be briefly outlined.

Abstract document

IAC-06-B5.6.02.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-B5.6.02.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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