Development of an In-Orbit High-Voltage Experimental Platform: HORYU-4

Abstract

HORYU-4 is a 12-kg satellite currently under development at the Kyushu Institute of Technology. Its main mission is to perform an in-orbit high-voltage technology demonstration to evaluate state-of-the-art arc mitigation technologies in real space environments. The main objective is to perform a similar experiment as those on the ground for the validation of existing test methods. The obtained data (arc current waveforms, in particular) will be utilized to evaluate testing methods, as the waveforms on the ground must have some resemblance to those in space. To perform such an experiment in orbit, we have outfitted this satellite with typical laboratory equipment, such as oscilloscopes and video cameras and a high-voltage source (i.e., Sphelar solar cells, also used on HORYU-2). In fact, this satellite is a miniaturized in-orbit laboratory for high-voltage experiments. An oscilloscope and video camera have been designed and developed using commercial off-the-shelf components that provide sufficient measurement capabilities with a limited size and power range.