NEMO-AM: A High Performance Nanosatellite for Autonomous Aerosol Monitoring
- Paper number
IAC-14,B1,P,38,x27266
- Author
Mr. Najmus Ibrahim, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada
- Year
2014
- Abstract
The Nanosatellite for Earth Monitoring and Observation Aerosol Monitor (NEMO-AM) is a high performance multispectral Earth observation nanosatellite currently under development at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Its primary goal is to detect aerosols over geographic regions across the Earth. A number of interdependent subsystems must work in unison to execute this overall mission objective. The structure is built using advanced lightweight materials which allow a payload allocation of 35% of the total satellite mass. Passive thermal control strategies are employed to ensure components do not exceed their thermal limits. The imager used to observe aerosols has outputs in three bands of interest (blue, red, NIR). A minimum optical SNR of 80 and polarization measurement accuracy of better than 1% was achieved across all of the outputs. A distributed On-Board Computer (OBC) architecture allows for the execution of real-time applications operating under SFL’s in-house developed operating system, CANOE. The attitude and orbit control subsystem leverages the OBC architecture to autonomously construct a guidance and navigation trajectory, and track this trajectory even during states of high orbit knowledge uncertainty. NEMO-AM will operate in the S-Band with a variable data rate downlink through the ISRO Tracking Network (ISTRAC), using SFL's ground software. The nominal configuration downlinks image data at 2Mbit/s while the spacecraft tracks the Earth station with its body-mounted antenna. Overall, a flexible power distribution system consisting of triple junction solar cells generating 54W and a 108 W-h Li-ion battery is used to support the changing power loads and high-power components through the different phases of the mission. In this paper, the design of the overall NEMO-AM system which enables autonomous Earth observation on a small satellite platform is presented. In addition, the expected mission operational sequence and ground architecture are also overviewed. NEMO-AM is anticipated to be finished its development and be ready for launch at the end of 2014.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)