Highly efficient Cubesat platform. Project OPTOS
- Paper number
IAC-08.B4.6.A3
- Author
Mr. Guillermo Albaladejo, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA), Spain
- Coauthor
Mrs. Eva Vega, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA), Spain
- Coauthor
Mr. César Martinez, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA), Spain
- Year
2008
- Abstract
The Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Engineering (INTA) has focused a great deal of resources for over a decade in the development of small satellite platforms and technologies (Minisat, Nanosat…). The latest development following this line of production is based on a small platform (3U Cubesat) that counts with state of the art technologies serving its subsystems, enabling a high efficiency low cost multipurpose satellite, which will allow industrial/agency level research applications at manageable budgets.
Small platforms following the Cubesat standard have been of great use to allow space access to academic institutions; however most of these small platforms do not provide enough reliability or operability for larger purposes such as Earth observation, scientific research or communications. Due to this, there has been identified the need to develop a space system that counts with the benefits of size and budget of nano/pico-satellites, but with improved payload capacity, system reliability and mission life time for more ambitious projects. Such system is under design currently, and its demonstrator will be launched in Q1 2009 under the name of OPTOS.
OPTOS is managed, engineered and designed under ESA standards (ECSS) and counts with advanced subsystems for satellites of its kind, such as:
- ADCS: Redundant attitude control and determination providing an accuracy suitable for Earth observation purposes
- OBCOM: Includes an innovative on boards communication system by use of light emitting diodes and sensors which allows communications between boards simultaneously, fast and wireless by means of light, hence optimizing space and integration of the overall system
- OBDH: Distributed data handling CAN based subsystem counting with programmable devices such as CPLDs and FPGAs
- TTC: Communication system developed by Thales-Alenia
The platform was engineered seeking to decrease notably bottle necks in the design. The demonstrator will count with a wide range of payloads for scientific research, improving significantly the value of such platforms for industry or agency based research. The payloads on board are:
Magnetism:
- Giant Magneto Resistance sensors for magnetic field measurement
Radiation:
- Evaluation of total radiation dose using commercial RadFET
Optics:
- Microphotonic devices for temperature measurement
- Athermalized camera using CMOS technology
This project will be a milestone in space platform design philosophy as it will enable state of the art features with the low cost, size and development time intrinsic to Cubesat missions. This will allow further development into fields such as Cubesat satellite constellations (early warning, mapping, communications…) and fast chain production capabilities for space access.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.B4.6.A3.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.