Projects / Programmes
FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A REMOTE SENSING MICRO-SATELLITE WITH INNOVATIVE PROPULSION FOR PRECISE MANOEUVRING OF THE ORBITAL PLATFORM
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.04.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Materials science and technology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| P170 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Computer science, numerical analysis, systems, control |
Micro-satellite, remote sensing, propulsion, micro-thrusters, numerical modeling, finite element method
Researchers (29)
Organisations (5)
Abstract
The proposed project will develop an advanced concept for a Slovenian Earth observation microsatellite. The motivation for this initiative steams from the recent advances in the area of micro- and nano-satellite technologies which enable cost effective acquisition of local and global data from space. In the first work package a feasibility study of missions that offer the highest potential for remote sensing in Slovenia will be performed. This includes observation of vegetation, crop prediction, drought detection, monitoring of forest state, human vegetation stress, ecological damage and urban development, detection of legal and illegal dumps, production of digital elevation models, mapping, water body observation, flood detection and following, natural disaster monitoring and predictions as well as damage estimation. For the most feasible and beneficial missions, the micro-satellite concepts will be developed in the second work package to achieve desired property combinations with respect to short revisit time, sensor orientation possibility and spectral bands in conjunction with low construction, launch and operation costs of the satellite. This will require careful harmonisation of all subsystem components including electro-optics, telemetry, tracking, commanding, stabilization, orientation, energy, thermal control and communication as well as platform structure and materials. The third work package will focus on the innovative design of a micropropulsion system to achieve high pointing accuracy and attitude control that are required for advanced remote sensing. The priority will be given to micro-thrusters based on hot gas MEMS technology which is expected to deliver specific impulse around 100 s in the thrust range 10 N – 1 mN. This goal represents a radical (100%) improvement from the current state-of-the-art and would enable end-users to double the mission service life (v) or alternatively halve the propellant mass which would consequently reduce satellite weight and launch costs. In the fourth work package the legal aspects of space missions (radio frequencies, launch, de-orbiting conditions, etc.) will be assessed in addition to cost benefit and risk analyses. The multidisciplinary consortium comprises Slovenian institutions and individuals that cover all main fields of the project and maintain strong links with partners from USA, Russia, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, Austria, Italy and UK who have extensive experience in the development and exploitation of satellites and will provide necessary guidance and support.
Significance for science
Project consortium has achieved excellent S&T potential to streamline the prospective RTD niche areas of individual laboratories into a unique close loop solution for the development of enabling technologies for advanced formation flying as well as for high precision remote sensing in Earth observation. In October 2008 the consortium has organized a workshop on micro and nano satellites in Ljubljana with strategic partners SSC, Nanospace, ISIS and TUB and representatives of ESA and Slovenian ministries. One of the objectives of the workshop was to identify potential micro/nano satellite applications where Slovenian researchers can participate in the state-of-the art space developments. Strategic roadmap was result of collaboration between Slovenian researchers who presented their research potentials and strategic partners who presented state of the art and future on wide range of research activities and technologies in field of nano and micro satellites. Strategy is fully in line with ESA roadmap which was presented by dr. Koehler and particularly with the objectives of the NEOMEx mission which represents one of the ESA main development challenges in field of micro and nano satellites. Established contacts with strategic partners have provided intensive exchange of knowledge and information. Through the contacts that were established between project consortium and the developers of Lapan TUBSAT from Technical University of Berlin it became possible to perform first interactively navigated space flight over Slovenia with the remote sensing targets in the area of Koper. Advanced technology of attitude and control system facilitates interactive control of satellite during the flight while transmitting the video signal of the target region. With establishment of appropriate ground station Slovenian researchers will gain access to several RTD satellites which would act as a source of remote sensing data and as a study platform. As a result of collaboration with SSC the consortium will obtain the data from attitude and control system from PRISMA platform which will allow training of their control algorithms on data from real case missions.
Centre of excellence that originates from this project has started its activities in 2010 and its objective is to establish the fundamental infrastructure for space related research in Slovenia and to become the focal point for space related research and technology in the region. The programme includes the strategy for unlocking the research potential in the region on filed of nano and micro satellites which resulted from the October’s workshop and establishment of multidisciplinary laboratory for space research within University of Ljubljana. Such a project represents excellent starting point for progress of space research and it is therefore very important for Slovenia as a region.
Significance for the country
Large number of Slovenian scientists and engineers dedicated their efforts to space related activities. They participated in foreign satellite projects, published books on satellite technologies and remote sensing applications as well as interdisciplinary projects in microgravity. This intellectual potential was never really activated in the Slovenian region, because the access to space related RTD was for a long time reserved predominantly to large entities from economically powerful nations. This situation is radically changing with the newly emerging micro and nano satellite technologies. We strongly believe that now it is the right time for Slovenia to join European space RTD. This is because many positive trends are coinciding - the enabling technologies are emerging, the human potential in the region is high, the new markets for micro and nano satellite systems and missions are opening, the socio-economic and environmental needs are large. Research activities within this project considerably contribute to activation of research potential in area of space technologies. By joining forces of partner laboratories and institutions the consortium supports enlargement of critical mass required for multidisciplinary space research. Analysis of remote sensing requirements which was performed during the project has indicated large interest of users in products of remote sensing. Results of the analysis are showing that a large part of user requirements can be covered by technologies which are already available for micro satellite platforms. Data acquired by such a platform would be very important for Slovenian users since they would enable the monitoring of vegetation and its development through time (seasonal, yearly), agricultural crop estimation and draught effects observation, monitoring of forest state, overgrowing and clearings, observation of human activity impact on vegetation, assessment of environmental damage, monitoring of urban development, observation of legal and illegal waste dumps, production of digital elevation or relief models, mapping, production and rapid updating of topographic and thematic maps, observation of land and maritime waters, floods, natural and human disasters, damage assessment. Project has strongly supported Slovenian efforts to establish collaboration with foreign space agencies, especially the European Space Agency (ESA), a vital symbolical and factual supplement in the moment of Slovenia’s process to join the organization. Accordance of the strategic roadmap with ESA roadmap will support Slovenian researcher entering the research programmes supported by ESA.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
