launching nanosats affordably, problems and solutions

8/12/2019 Launching Nanosats Affordably, Problems and Solutions

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LAUNCHING NANOSATS AFFORDABLY,

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Mr Alan Webb

Commercial Space Technologies Ltd., United Kingdom, [email protected]

Mr. Abe Bonnema

Innovative Solutions In Space B.V., The Netherlands, [email protected]

Dr. John Paffett

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., United Kingdom,[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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CST CORPORATE PAGE(coming to a slide near you!)

CONSULTANCY

space technology and planningInsurance

UK government

CST Services

COMMERCE

marketing and tradingrepresentation and logistics

management/facilitation of international projects

LAUNCHERS

launcher services brokeringlaunch solutions provision


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CST Launching History

YEAR DATE LAUNCHER

(MODE)

SATELLITE(S)

1995 August 31 Tsyklon (1 piggy-back) Fasat Alpha

1998 July 10 Zenit (2 piggy-back) Fasat Bravo + TM Sat

1999 April 21 Dnepr (1 dedicated) Uo Sat 12 (first commercial use of SS-18)

2000 June 28 Cosmos (2 piggy-back) Tsinghua 1 +Snap (first SSO flight of Cosmos)

2000 September 26 Dnepr (1 piggy-back) Tiung Sat

2002 November 28 Cosmos (main in

cluster)

Alsat-first Disaster Monitoring Constellation

(DMC)2003 September 27 Cosmos (cluster) NigeriaSat-1, BilSat-1 and UK-DMC (all

DMC)

2004 June 29 Dnepr (main in cluster) Demeter (CNES, first SSO flight of Dnepr)

2005 October 27 Cosmos (cluster) TopSat, ChinaSat (DMC), SSETI Express+ 3

cubesats

2008 August 29 Dnepr (cluster) RapidEye constellation

2009 July 29 Dnepr (cluster) UK-DMC2 + DEIMOS-1 (both DMC)

2009 September 17 Soyuz/Fregat (1 piggy-back)

SumbandilaSat (first piggy-back from thislauncher combination)

2010 June 15 Dnepr (1 of a pair) Picard (CNES, paired with Prisma)

2011 August 17 Dnepr (cluster) NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X

2012 July 22 Soyuz/Fregat (1 piggy-

back)

ADS-1B


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ISIS Company Overview

ISIS is a Nanosatellite Mission Specialist

Spin-off of Delfi-C3 nanosatellite project of TU Delft

Office locations in Delft, NL, and South Africa

ISIS offers systems, platforms, missions and applications

Also specialized in launch services for nanosatellites

Developer of innovative launch deployment systems

Multiple nanosatellites launched on various launch vehicles

Industrial partner for the QB50 Mission and Launch


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TRITON-1:AIS DemonstratorA highly innovative payload, receiving the AIS position

messages that are broadcasted by virtually all ocean

going vessels.

This miniaturized, and low-power payload runs

advanced signal processing algorithms in order to be

able to correctly receive such messages in areas of high

vessel density, where most current satellite AIS

detection systems are blinded by the overlap ofsignals and the resulting interference.

www.ISILaunch.com Our mission is to launch yours


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Surrey Satellite Technology - a history of success

7

HERITAGE: Flight proven - low risk

41 Satellites completedc.200 satellite

years on-orbit experience

40 Low Earth Orbit, 1 Medium Earth

Orbit

RESULTS: All projectsfixed price, delivered on-timeand

on-budget

SUCCESS: Very high mission success >95% in last 10

yearsproven equipment and fullredundancy

CUSTOMERS: Variety of customers including many blue

chip operators as well as

15 successful training programmes

Mission

Definition &

Design

Subsystem

Design &

Manufacturing

Assembly

Integration &

Test

Spacecraft

Testing

Environmental

Test

Mission

Commission &Operations

Launch

Procurement,

Management,

Integration &Support

Cradle-to-grave

capability from

mission definition

through to launch,

commissioning and

operations.


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The CubeSat Launching Dilemma CubeSat benefits:

Modular design of uniform dimensions (1U = 10cm X 10cm X 10cm)

Off the shelf components (thus cheap and easy to design and build)

Good training platform for satellite engineers

Attracts a large and diverse range of technical experience (from university

groups to companies well established in industry) Inspires ingenuity

CubeSat shortfalls:

The stimulation of numerous engineers with limited capital and experience forlaunch procurement (mainly students and start-ups formed by youngprofessionals)

Creates a significant number of very small payloads looking for launchopportunities at minimal cost

Overwhelms commercial launch service providers (LSPs) with enquiries

Offers minimal return for LSPs efforts

LSPs perturbing CubeSat developers with inflated launch prices

CubeSat launch assurance becomes unpredictable, challenging and costly


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What Does the Average CubeSat Customer

Require?

An experienced launch procurement andmanagement team

Predictable, reliable and regular launchopportunities

Affordable launch prices

BUT... launch management fees that do not scale down with

satellite size often outweigh the cost developmentand are not budgeted for


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CST and SSTL NanoSat History

TopSat, DMC, SSETI

Express, plus three

CubeSats launched

on COSMOSOctober 27th2005

(bottom right).

SNAP-1 launched on COSMOS June 28th2000 (left & top right).


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Developing an Alternative CubeSat

Launching Model

STRaND-1 launched on PSLV February 25th2013 (top left) and Ukube-1 to be

launched on Soyuz-Fregat late in 2013 (top right)

ISIPOD CubeSat dispensers (bottom left) and the QB50 deployment systemprovided by ISIS (bottom right)


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An Alternative Model


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Individual Company Roles

ISISworks directly with the customer, integrating theirCubeSat payload (alongside others) into a designateddispenser.

SSTLarranges for reliable and frequent piggy-backopportunities for aggregated Cubesat packages in conjunctionwith their own missions. The launch campaign team can alsobe leveraged to support the management and integrationactivities. This reinforces an already well established

relationship between SSTL and the LSP.

CST - interacts with and supports SSTL in the negotiation withand management of the LSP, and provides much needed in-country support for the launch campaign activities.


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CubeSat Dispenser Integration

Aggregated package of CubeSats of

about 50 kg, with its own

deployment sequencer system

6U and 12U CubeSats and their relevant

ISIPOD deployer types


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Conclusions CubeSat developers from academic institutions or fledgling companies

often have constrained budgets

Lacking available dedicated nanosat launchers force these CubeSatdevelopers to approach several LSPs

Overwhelmed by CubeSat customers offering little return for the effortrequired, LSPs attempt to discourage through increased launch prices.

CubeSat customers take advantage of the experience and reputation ofCST, ISIS and SSTL in the launcher market

Multiple CubeSats are integrated into one ISIS dispenser, sharingmanagerial, logistical and launch costs

CST arranges piggy-back launches on frequent SSTL missions Cost advantages are obtained by combining launch contracts presented to

the LSP

ISIS dispensers are handled as one payload, easing pressure off the LSPresulting in reasonable launch quotes.

The end result is affordable, reliable and frequent launch opportunities for

the CubeSat customer.

launching nanosats affordably, problems and solutions

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