An Experimental and Theoretical Study of Spatial Langmuir Probe Plasma System for a Small Lean Satellite Called Ten-Koh

Abstract

Ten-Koh is a small lean satellite developed by Kyushu Institute of Technology which was launched in piggyback with GOSAT2 and KhalifaSat on 29thOctober 2018, at 13:08 Japan Standard Time through the H-IIA-202 rocket of Tanegashima space center of Japan, that exploits different progress techniques to accomplish less cost growth and rapid delivery. One of the significant primary mission of satellite is double Langmuir probe system, this process incorporates a ground-validated system to observe the LEO space plasma environment. Several approaches were developed to estimate plasma density by using the single probes which is more difficult to use in nanosatellite because of the high saturation current flow. Double Langmuir probes coated by gold were designed and tested in plasma chamber, where an RF source generates Xenon gas with a 1.05×10-2 Torr pressure and an average plasma density of 1010 to 1012 m-3 for subtracting the current flow between both installed probes. Numerous simulations and ground experiments were conducted using SLP and DLP to measure space plasma parameters as current-voltage characteristics, electron density and electron temperature. The ground outcomes plasma data of Ten-Koh satellite, which is 23 kg of mass and 50 cm hexagonal shape, were analyzed and compared with ground and orbital measurements probes data of the launched satellite (Horyu IV).