STRIVING – In-Orbit Validation As A Service

Paper number

IAC-19,B5,3,4,x53169

Author

Mr. Francesco Morsillo, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Alessandro Avanzi, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Alberto Corbelli, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Davide Cinarelli, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Valentino Fabbri, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Daniele Filippetto, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Gilles Mariotti, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Nicola Melega, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Gianni Pellegrini, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Dr. Pierpaolo Pergola, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Ms. Beatrice Sabbatinelli, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Leonardo Amoruso, Italy, Planetek Italia

Coauthor

Dr. Luca Cinquepalmi, Italy, Planetek Italia

Coauthor

Dr. Cristoforo Abbattista, Italy, Planetek Italia

Coauthor

Mr. Giovanni Cucinella, Italy, IMT

Coauthor

Mr. Andrea Negri, Italy, IMT Srl

Coauthor

Mr. Giuseppe Martinotti, Italy, Scuola di Ingegneria Aerospaziale

Coauthor

Dr. Marco MOLINA, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Vincenzo Stanzione, Italy, Sitael Spa

Coauthor

Mr. Fabio Nichele, Italy, Politecnico di Torino

Year

2019

Abstract

The satellite market is constantly requiring capability improvement in two opposite directions: the need for higher reliability and higher performances services/technologies and, on the other hand, the reduction of the overall development costs and the minimization of the qualification process duration. The natural connection between these two opposite requirements lies in offering the opportunity to demonstrate newly proposed technologies directly in the space environment: there is a need for a dedicated service able of providing regular, sustainable, cost-effective and responsive In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation (IOD/IOV).

Despite the number of flight opportunities that are currently available, an IOD/IOV service that satisfies the specific technical, budgetary and programmatic requirements at an acceptable risk for the technology is currently missing in the European space market.

Under the ESA ARTES Pioneer initiative, SITAEL set up a fully Italian team (SITAEL, Planetek, IMT, Tyvak) with the aim to provide a regular and cost-effective solution for IOD/IOV needs in the form of the end-to-end service named STRIVING. Able to leverage on a multitude of different satellite platforms ranging from 3U cubesats up to 200kg small satellites, the STRIVING service also includes (multi) P/L integration, spacecraft manufacturing and testing, launch, ground segment and operations, data delivery, covering a wide range of use cases: from new Telecom technologies demonstration to innovative Earth Observation strategies, from cutting-edge ground segment solutions to new or future downstream services.

STRIVING goal is to reduce the time-to-market, overcoming the lack of funds for specific development phases and, at the same time, to demonstrate key performances and reliability of the candidate technologies and services.

The paper describes the innovation introduced by the STRIVING service merging into an integrated infrastructure all activities needed to plan, organise, schedule and execute an IOD/IOV mission. The end user will only be responsible for the demonstration and validation of the proposed technology or service, while STRIVING selects the most suitable combination of S/C platforms, communication interfaces, launch services and ground segment resulting in the most efficient and cost-effective IOD/IOV opportunity.

Abstract document

IAC-19,B5,3,4,x53169.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-19,B5,3,4,x53169.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.