EPSILON: an Innovative Fast Development Satellite
- Paper number
IAC-07-D1.I.05
- Author
Prof. Fabio Santoni, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Fabrizio Piergentili, University of Bologna, Italy
- Year
2007
- Abstract
In early nineties the Group of Astrodynamics of University of Roma “La Sapienza” (GAUSS), established the UNISAT program at School of Aerospace Engineering of Roma with the aim to design, manufacture and launch small educational satellites involving students, researchers and professors in a real space project. In the framework of this program four satellites have already been launched (respectively in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006) from Baykonour Cosmodrome using DNEPR launch vehicle. The efforts in reducing costs as well as weight and volume have always been directed to adapt innovative, terrestrial commercial off-the-shelf technologies to the space environment. The UNISAT experience showed that it is possible to use terrestrial technologies in orbit (UNISAT -3 launched in June 2004 is still operative), including solar cells, electronic components and sensors.Recent advances in rapid prototyping industrial techniques allow for fast development of structure configuration that could be suitable for the realization of low cost microsatellites fleets. The paper deals with the design of a microsatellite (EPSILON, Experimental Plastic Satellite: Innovative, Light, Off-the-shelf, Nano), with weight lower than 10 kg and structure completely manufactured by rapid prototyping technique. The rapid prototyping is a quite innovative technique to manufacture plastic parts, by overlaying 0.3 mm melted plastic layers (plastic melting temperature is about 330 °C). It permits to manufacture in short time (about ten hours) and with reduced costs a complete structure capable to hosts all subsystems that a small satellite requires, from electronic board to antennas and solar cells. Moreover, it permits to obtain almost any shape and mechanical detail with 0.3 mm accuracy (the height of the single layer). The chance to manufacture almost any part which is possible to draw, without usual metal constraints due to processing procedure and without any additive costs for small accurate details provides best performances in small satellites which are usually very difficult to assemble and cannot easily be processed in internal parts. Small satellite structure, in virtue of its compactness seems capable to withstand static and vibrational launch loads and it can survive Low Earth Orbit radiation and thermal environment for times compatible with usual low cost satellite lifetime. The paper depicts the design of a microsatellite completely manufactured with rapid prototyping, cubic shape with 15-20 cm side dimension. Electronic boards, Li-Ion batteries, attitude control components, magnetometers and sun sensors for attitude determination are hosted in plastic cradles, which are part of the satellite main body. In the paper emphasis is given to the interface of all subsystems components with main body plastic structure and to solutions adopted to host any components on board. In the last a satellite survivability analysis is given.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-D1.I.05.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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