Transcript Rene Laufer (Baylor University, United States) and Scott Madry (Global Space Institute, United States): Small Satellite Challenges around the World

www.baylor.edu/casper
Small Satellite Challenges Around The
World
René Laufer1, Scott Madry2
1Associate
Research Professor, CASPER, Baylor University / Co-Chair, IAA Permanent Committee on Small
Satellite Missions
2Executive Director, Global Space Institute (GSI) / Research Associate Professor, University of North Caroline,
Chapel Hill
www.baylor.edu/casper
Small Satellites: A Success Story
• 1st small satellite: UoSat-1, University of Surrey, UK, 1981
(or: Sputnik 1, USSR, 1957 – with 84 kg a micro satellite )
• Enabled wider access to space and its applications
• Small satellite categories (e.g. proposed by IAA in the
1990s):
mini satellites: up to 500 kg, micro satellites: up to 100 kg,
nano satellites: up to 10 kg, pico satellites: up to 1 kg, femto
satellites: up to 0.1 kg
• A proven tool in education and workforce development,
engineering (e.g. technology demonstration), science (e.g.
Earth observation) and business – at affordable cost and
Laufer, Madry: Small Satellite Challenges Around The
risk.
World
UoSat-1, 52 kg
(1981)
CanX-1, 1 kg
(2003)
2
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Small Satellites: Some Key Features
Small spacecraft mass, low space
segment cost and short
development time create low
barriers to market entry – ground
segment (investment) cost might
be significant higher.
More complex missions in any
class increase cost and time.
Nevertheless: the cost/time ratio
creates a small satellite paradigm
enabling new types of missions.
Laufer, Madry: Small Satellite Challenges Around The
World
Image Source: R. Sandau, K. Briess, and M. D'Errico,
“Small satellites for global coverage: Potential and limits,”
ISPRS J PHOTOGRAMM, vol. 65, no. 6, pp. 492–504, Oct.
2010, doi:10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2010.09.003
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• Distributed Small Satellite Systems (Swarms,
Constellations, Formations) are reality.
• Federated and Fractionated Small Satellite Systems are
the next logical step.
Image Source: Wired.com
Example: Massive Small Satellite Missions
• Some challenges:
Global ground resource sharing, shared on-board
resource utilization, global frequency allocation,
middleware distribution
Laufer, Madry: Small Satellite Challenges Around The
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• Low cost, short duration development enables the
willingness to perform very short duration or high risk
missions
• Short duration and/or high risk small satellite missions:
atmospheric entry/sample return, space debris removal,
very low altitude orbits
• Some challenges:
Global ground resource sharing, global frequency
allocation, space debris risk, atmospheric entry areas
Laufer,
Madry:landing
Small Satellite sites
Challenges Around The
and
World
Image Source: CAPE - Univ. Stuttgart/Ksat Stuttgart
Example: Short Duration/High Risk Mission
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• Missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) – high Earth orbit or
interplanetary missions to cis-/trans-lunar space, small
bodies, planets, moons or deep space
• Low cost/low mass design offer “do-one-thing-well” (one
payload per spacecraft) type of piggy-back add-on missions
carried by larger probes
Image Source: INSPIRE – NASA/JPL
Example: Missions beyond Low Earth Orbit
• Some challenges:
Global ground resource sharing, space debris, global
frequency allocation
Laufer, Madry: Small Satellite Challenges Around The
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Thank you for your attention!
• E-mail contact:
– Rene Laufer: [email protected]
– Scott Madry: [email protected]
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