Parametric System Engineering Analysis of Capability-Based Small Satellite Missions

Abstract

To achieve appropriate link budget and system engineering analyses of capability-based small satellites missions, an objective assessment and computation of the component-, subsystem-, and system-levels parameters requirements must be carried out. This paper presents the measurement-derived parametric models for the system engineering analysis of communication, meteorology, planetary, and other small satellite programs with recourse to the initial mission, conceptual design, and postmission objectives. Mass and power margins are the critical resources under investigation besides the link contingencies and operational times. The case study spacecraft systems engineering analyses indicate a transmit power for data transmission uplink and downlink of at least 33 dBm for the generic communication, meteorology, and planetary missions applications. The presented parametric models also reveal a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 16 dB per radio communication link for worst case noise floor and path loss. For a 30-W power utilization, a two-power communication-overpower mode mission operates for an extra 8.3 min compared with a three-power payload-overpower mode mission. This holds a great promise for the development of adaptive subsystems for reconfigurable multiband, and multistandard transponders for multipurpose missions and postmission applications.