Global network operations of CubeSats constellation

Transcription

1 Global network operations of CubeSats constellation Mengu Cho and Apiwat Jirawattanaphol Laboratory of Spacecraft Environment Interaction Engineering Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu, Japan Naomi Kurahara Infostellar Inc., Tokyo, JAPAN March 8, st IAA Latin American symposium on small satellites

2 Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) A national university founded in ,200 Undergraduate students 1,300 Graduate students 360 Faculty members Engineering, Computer science, Life-science Located in the Kitakyushu region Population of more than 1million ~1000km Tokyo Kitakyushu 2

3 Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) Space Engineering International Course (SEIC) Started in April 2013 at Graduate School of Engineering, Kyutech Research toward a Master or Doctoral degree On-the-job training such as space environment testing workshop Project Based Learning (PBL) through a space project Lectures in English Space Systems Engineering, Satellite Engineering, Space Environment, Environment Testing, Power System, Structure and Material, Dynamics, Propulsion, Plasma, Semi-conductor, and more 3

4 SEIC Student Composition Graduated Current (as of December 2016) 4 As of December 2016, 20 countries (19 Japanese, 42 foreign students)

5 Kyutech Space Heritage HORYU-1 (1U) Not launched HORYU-II (30cmx30cmx30cm) Launched on May 18, 2012 Shinen Launched on December 3, 2014 HORYU-IV Launched on Feb. 17, 2016 AOBA VELOX-III Launched on Dec.9, 2016 BIRDS constellation AOBA VELOX IV To be launched in April 2017To be launched in 20185

6 Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds (JGMNB), a satellite program for non-space faring countries. Shortly called as BIRDS Project JAPAN GHANA MONGOLIA NIGERIA BANGLADESH THAILAND TAIWAN Mission Statement By successfully building and operating the first national satellite and making the foremost step toward indigenous space program at each nation. Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 6

7 1U CubeSat constellation of 5 satellites by Bangladesh*, Ghana*, Japan, Mongolia*, and Nigeria * First satellite for the country Made by students at Kyutech 2 years from concept design to disposal To be released from ISS in 2017 Earth observation, Outreach, Space environment measurement Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 7

8 BIRDS Satellite Missions On-board Mission Take a picture of participating countries (CAM) Digi-singer mission (SNG) Measure Single Event Latch-up in orbit (SEL) Ground Based Mission Determination of Satellite Precise Location (POS) Atmospheric Density Measurement (ATM) Demonstrate Ground Station Network for CubeSat Constellation (NET) 0.3 M Pixel Camera 5 M Pixel Camera BIRDS Satellite Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 8

9 Educational aspects A short-tem goal Build and operate satellites Give the students confidence they can do it Long-term goal Students initiate their own space program in home countries The full mission success The former students successfully build and operate the second satellite in their home countries Let students learn the entire processes of a satellite program from beginning to end Witness each decision process and make decisions by themselves Fit the project within the degree timeline. 2 years longest Selected 1U CubeSat and ISS launch as a platform 9

10 Modularized and less harness configuration Easy assembly and disassembly Deployable UHF_9600bps Patch UHF_1200bps VHF Patch Antennas; Battery (3 series 2 parallel) Ni-MH batteries, 10 solar cells; Passive attitude control system hysteresis damper and permanent magnet; International Workshop on Lean Satellite Standardization, Tokyo 17th, January

11 Capacity building aspect BIRDS program aims at fostering university space programs in non-space faring countries Often a national space program suffers disruption because of political and economical disturbance University space program is immune to the external disturbances. To start with the minimum budget, a university is an ideal place. CubeSat chosen as a training platform. Affordable enough at university budget level The university space program cannot grow forever. Need to hand over the national space program to the government or companies Even after handing over the big projects to the outside body, the university still can continue its own space research and education 11

12 Lean Satellite Approach The BIRDS project experiments the lean satellite approach Lean satellites seek to deliver value to the customer (the enduser or the purchaser) or the stakeholder at minimum cost and in the shortest possible schedule by minimizing waste. When the students continue the space program in their home country, they have to adopt a lean approach so that the program can run with a small team and a minimum cost. In the BIRDS project, the overall satellite development activity can be done within a radius of 30 m. The students are encouraged not to use unless they need to broadcast to all the team members. For lean satellite concept, see IAA SG4.18 report 12

13 Waste minimization Minimize waste of waiting and moving GS Office & work room (3F) Clean room 3F) Radius 30m Test facility(1f) 13

14 Ground station network

15 BIRDS Communication System Uplink VHF (145 MHz) AFSK/FM at 1200 bps Downlink UHF at MHz GMSK/FM at 9600 bps High Resolution Image Data (OV CAM) AFSK/FM at 1200 bps Image Data (SCAMP) Housekeeping Data, Satellite log Digi-Singer (Voice FM) CW Morse code BIRDS CubeSats Ground Station (GS) Kyushu Institute of Technology 15

16 Mission Challenge Limit of Communication Time Window Average 50 minutes/day communication time Long time to download image Kyutech 5 pass/day Average 10 min/pass Total: 50 min/day Kyushu Institute of Technology 16

17 Solution Method Increase the number of ground station Install ground station at different location Connect ground stations together By connecting more ground station Communication Time Window Increase! Kyushu Institute of Technology 17

18 BIRDS Ground Station Network 7 Ground Stations in 7 countries across the world. All satellites use same frequency (VHF/UHF). All Ground Station connected by Internet and timesynchronized by a GPS clock BIRDS GS Network Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 18

19 Merit 1 GS 1 Satellite with 1 GS minutes / day GS Network 1 Satellite with 7 GS 2.4 Hours / day The First GS Network for CubeSats Constellation Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 19

20 BIRDS Ground Station Network Members Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 20

21 Kyutech Ground Station UHF VHF Ground Station Equipment Ground Station Antenna Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 21

22 Other Ground Stations Taiwan Thailand Ghana Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 22

23 System Architecture and Configuration BIRD CubeSat RF Ground Station Network Devices RF BIRDS partner Ground Station Internet BIRDS partner Ground Station Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project Central Server 23 Mission Control Center

24 GS Network Device Front Panel of the GSN Device Data Transfer Module AR2300 SDR Functions - Receive the satellite signal and convert to IQ signal - Transfer IQ signal data to save in Central Server - Remotely control the local GS equipment from Central Server Co-developed with Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 24

25 Ground Station Hardware Configuration Network Operation Local GS Power TCP/IP RF RS-232 Audio Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 25

26 Integration Test Configuration Objectives - To verify that the GSN Device will not cause interference to local GS hardware - To test the data transfer function of GSN Device - To verify the local GS hardware remote control function of GSN Device Power TCP/IP RF RS-232 Audio Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 26

27 Integration Test Configuration GSN Device Rotator Interface GS PC Radio Transceiver Rotator Controller Rotator Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 27

28 Integration Test Configuration Result BIRD CubeSat RF BIRDS partner Ground Station Remote Control the Transceiver Frequency and Mode GSN Devices GS Hardware Internet Central Server Remote Control the Rotator Central Server can remote control the local GS hardware Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 28

29 Integration Test Configuration Result Receiving Horyu-4 Satellite CW Beacon Signal Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 29

30 Conclusion The mission success criteria of BIRDS project After graduation, students succeed in developing and operating the second satellite in their home country Human network and ground station network built during intensive two years project Enable Cross-border inter-university space research Assist the infant space programs survive the hard time Ground station network The backbone of the inter-university network Enable constellation operation in future Space research using a small satellite constellation lead to scientific outputs BIRDS-I flight models delivered to JAXA awaiting for launch to ISS in Spring

31 Future tasks Demonstrate the ground station network by operation of 5 BIRDS-I satellites BIRDS-II project started October 2016 Following BIRDS-I one year behind Bhutan, Malaysia, Philippine BIRDS-III project to be started October 2017 Calling for new partners Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 31

32 Thank you Kyushu Institute of Technology, BIRDS Satellite Project 32