Mechanical and Thermal Design of the Payload Module of the French – Indian SARAL Satellite
- Paper number
IAC-07-C2.1.08
- Author
Mr. Pierre W. Bousquet, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France
- Coauthor
Mr. C. Alphonse Prabhakar, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Year
2007
- Abstract
SARAL, an ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) satellite, will be carrying a CNES payload with the following mission objectives: • Realisation of precise, repetitive global measurements of sea surface height, significant wave heights and wind speed, • Continuity of high accuracy, high resolution, near-real time observations of ocean surface topography, • To fill the dawn- dusk orbital slot of the Argos location and data collection constellation. The proposed payload integrates: • a high-resolution AltiKa altimeter, working in Ka-band at 35 GHz, • the Doris precise orbitography system, in association with a laser retroflector (LRA), • an Argos location and data collection system. The launch of this mission to a 6AM – 6PM sun-synchronous 800 km circular orbit is planned for the end of 2009, with a mission life of 3 years (2 years for the nominal phase, and one year for the extended phase). This mission is a cooperation between CNES, which supplies the payload, and ISRO, which provides both launcher (PSLV) and platform (the new Small Satellite Bus, SSB). The SARAL payload module represents a number of challenges in terms of mechanical and thermal design, analysis and implementation. Various antennas with aperture requirements need to be implemented on the earth face of the satellite. The payload must have simple interfaces with the bus, in order to enable its integration and testing in France before shipment to India for satellite level activities. The payload also needs to be modular to make parallel activities possible on the AltiKa, Doris, and Argos equipment sets, while the main platform is realised at ISRO. The high thermal dissipation of the payload equipment, and the high stability requirements of the 35GHz antenna reflector of the altimeter, are also a challenge for thermal and structural design After a general description of the satellite and of the SSB bus, this paper will show in details the phase B mechanical and thermal design of the SARAL payload module. It will emphasise the technical and organisational solutions which have been defined to ensure a successful collaboration between CNES and ISRO, and a fruitful mission The contents of this paper correspond to the current state of the mechanical and thermal design of a spacecraft not previously presented at a conference. The participation of the main author to the 2007 IAC has been budgeted by CNES.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-C2.1.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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