Micro-satellites or small-satellites have the capability to perform a variety of missions to meet reconnaissance and surveillance needs. They require, however, dedicated launch vehicles to meet the need on demand. A typical approach for launching the micro-satellites has been to rideshare with a larger primary payload. Alternatively, airborne launch vehicles have been proposed for launch on demand.
What is needed is an integrated micro-satellite system capable of being deployed via rideshare or airborne launch vehicle while still delivering high quality surveillance directly to the user.
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.
In the following detailed description of example embodiments of the invention, reference is made to specific examples by way of drawings and illustrations. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and serve to illustrate how the invention may be applied to various purposes or embodiments. Other embodiments of the invention exist and are within the scope of the invention, and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the subject or scope of the present invention. Features or limitations of various embodiments of the invention described herein, however essential to the example embodiments in which they are incorporated, do not limit the invention as a whole, and any reference to the invention, its elements, operation, and application do not limit the invention as a whole but serve only to define these example embodiments. The following detailed description does not, therefore, limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims.
As noted above, micro-satellites are used for reconnaissance and surveillance. It can be necessary to launch such satellites with little or no warning.
The Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA) program launched in 2012 by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is aimed at getting satellites in the air quickly, cheaply, and from anywhere rather than from a limited number of launch sites. It is anticipated that airplane-based launch systems could get satellites into space on a 24-hour turnaround.
A dedicated launch of small satellites on airborne launch vehicles creates a paradigm shift in space utilization. Airborne launching of satellites has several advantages, including the ability to launch within hours of call-up, an increase in orbit accessibility (via the availability of multiple launch sites), and the ability to adapt the launch parameters to achieve the best orbit utilization for the given mission. However, in order to effectively utilize the airborne launch vehicle the micro-satellite must meet size, weight and power constraints. These constraints can be met via an integrated payload and bus configuration that fits within the launch vehicle while also meeting mission performance requirements at the lowest possible cost.
An integrated micro-satellite design can also be launched effectively in a rideshare mode on currently available launch vehicles. In one example embodiment, the micro-satellites are scalable; the satellite selected for launch is a function of the quality of surveillance imagery desired or expected.
Some such micro-satellite systems are shown in
One embodiment of a micro-satellite system capable of meeting the aforementioned requirements is shown in
In one example embodiment, incoming radiation arrives approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis. Parabolic aperture 102 receives the incoming radiation and focuses it on focal plane array 104.
In the example shown, bus 106 is located in front of aperture 102. In one example embodiment, bus 106 includes an attitude control subsystem (ACS) 108, a propulsion subsystem 110, a command and data handling subsystem 112, a data processing and storage subsystem 114 and a power subsystem 116.
In the example embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, bus 106 is miniaturized to impart minimum obstruction to radiation collection. As can be seen in
In one such embodiment, the cylindrical structure of the bus 106 as well as the back side of the parabolic aperture 102 allow direct mounting of solar arrays (122 and 124) such that a portion of the solar array is always pointed towards the Sun. In the example embodiment shown in
In one example embodiment, communications antenna 115 .of
Another embodiment of a micro-satellite system 100 capable of air launch is shown in
In one example embodiment, communications antenna 115 of
In yet another embodiment of micro-satellite system 100, as shown in
In one embodiment, micro-satellite is scaled to fit into the ESPA ring for a rideshare launch. Such an embodiment is shown in
In cone example embodiment, ring 302 is 1.5 meters in diameter while clamp mechanisms 304 have an internal diameter of approximately 38 cm. In such one embodiment bus 106 is designed to fit within clamp mechanism 304. In the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, the primary reflector (or the parabolic aperture) is designed to be deployable in space such that very large aperture may be employed to achieve even better imaging quality while being able to stow the micro-satellite in the launch vehicle occupying much smaller volume.
The micro-satellites described above provide a totally integrated solution of the payload and the bus functions that is scalable to fit in different air launch vehicles. It is capable of accommodating much larger apertures and, therefore, delivers superior imaging capability with better resolution. As is illustrated in
The nadir-pointed, axially symmetric profile of the satellite results in. lower drag and better stability for extended life. In addition, mounting a solar array on an axially symmetric surface removes the requirement for articulation for Sun pointing of the solar array. Furthermore, the micro-satellites described above demonstrate better imaging resolution with lower system mass, with imaging in some example embodiments to NIIRS 5 level or above.
To date, there is no scalable means of integrating the payload and the bus into an airborne launch vehicle while effectively utilizing the shape and volume of the launch vehicle and, at the same time maximizing the overall mission imaging capability. The present system and method provide such a scalable means. Also, to date, there is no scalable means of integrating the payload and the bus into a micro-satellite which can be scaled as needed for a rideshare launch. The present system and method provide such scalable means.
The micro-satellites described above are scalable to fit inside a variety of air launch vehicles and tailorable to meet specific need. The integrated approach makes it so that a satellite can be launched at any time, and in some cases, within an hour of call up. They also can be launched from a variety of launch sites via a variety of airborne launch vehicles, which further increases flexibility of launch angle and launch altitude.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. The invention may be implemented in various modules and in hardware, software, and various combinations thereof, and any combination of the features described in the examples presented herein is explicitly contemplated as an additional example embodiment. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the example embodiments of the invention described herein. It is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims, and the full scope of equivalents thereof.