Geostationary Satellite lifetime maximization by controlling propellant tank temperatures - an operational case.
- Paper number
IAC-19,B6,IP,13,x53274
- Author
Mr. Henrique Oliveira da Mata, Brazil, Comando de Operações Aeroespaciais
- Year
2019
- Abstract
The Space Operations Center (COPE) as part of the Brazilian Air Force - Aerospace Operations Command (COMAE) is currently responsible to operate the Defense and Strategic Communication Geostationary Satellite (SGDC). The SGDC is a geostationary communication satellite based on a Thales Alenia Space (TAS) Spacebus 4000C4 with an Unified Propulsion Subsystem. Its lifetime is mainly limited by its propellant capacity and is required to be greater than 15 years. During its operation, the SGDC propellant management showed the real mixture ratio applied at the Station Keeping maneuvers may shorten its lifetime due to a bigger than expected propellant residual. The paper at hand shall give an overview of the theoretical basis needed to address this issue and shall present the procedure implemented at SGDC to maximize its lifetime. It is shown how propellant tanks temperatures play a major role at the propellant mixture ratio. But operational constraints limits the possible tanks temperatures, so compromises must be made to ensure a maximum lifetime. To evaluate the final results, a simple lifetime predictor is developed and compared with TAS High Precision Lifetime Predictor. Both predictors shows a good convergence, allowing the optimization method to maximize lifetime by changing tanks temperature using a SGDC model.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)