Low-cost Launch Research Articles

2023 State of the industry report on investment and development of space solar power

Space solar power is an old idea. From its initial suggestion in the 1940s to the first practical concept by Dr. Peter Glaser in 1968, it has been analyzed, studied, and refined many times. Multiple government institutions, including NASA, JAXA, ESA, and CAST have invested significant funds into developing direct space solar power research. In parallel to these direct studies, considerable investment has also flowed into enabling technologies that serve as the cornerstone of current space solar power development concepts, including space solar panels, space hardware manufacturing, low-cost launch, wireless power transfer, robotic assembly, and swarm monitoring/control. In the last few years, space solar power concepts and studies have received increased funding, including non-governmental funding showing a strong positive growth trend. Multiple reports in 2021 and 2022, including from this author, have found that while space solar power has been technically feasible for decades, falling launch and hardware costs have only recently made it economically viable as well. Despite these findings, translation from economic feasibility to economic reality will require additional high-value investment.Sourcing these new funds requires investment context. This technical paper will present a state of the industry report on space solar power, including the total and source distribution of historical investments. It further contextualizes the investments in space solar power with the scale of investment in key technologies and their current technology readiness levels. The methodologies developed for this report and the data sourced are intended to serve as a catalyst, alongside industry feedback, to create a template for ongoing reporting of this growing market sub-sector and ultimately drive the full deployment of this technology.

Improved Analytical Model for the Magnetic Drag of a Dual-Conductor Plate Parallel Electric Suspension and Guiding Mechanism

The Maglev launch assist system (MLAS) has been adopted as part of a reusable launch vehicle system to lower launch costs. In this paper, a dual-conductor plate parallel electric suspension and guiding mechanism (DPESGM) serving the suspension and guidance function of the MLAS is proposed. First, the MLAS and the structure of the DPESGM are introduced. Then, a DPESGM magnetic drag analysis model is established based on the multilayer theory for the fast calculation of the magnetic drag. However, its accuracy is poor at high speed. To solve this problem, an improved analytical model suitable for the full speed range is developed, which takes the equivalent conductivity replacement approach to consider the skin effect. Finally, the improved analysis model is verified by the finite element method (FEM) and prototype experiments. The results show that the improved analytical model is highly accurate in the evaluation of the DPESGM magnetic drag from low speed to high speed. As the improved analytical model takes less computational time than 3D FEM, it is an efficient tool for the DPESGM magnetic drag calculations to complete the preliminary design of the propulsion and braking systems.

Применение пьезокерамики для подавления вибраций полезной нагрузки многорежимного космического аппарата

Current trend in the spacecraft design lies in using large, complex and lightweight space structures to achieve increased functionality with the lower launch costs. Combination of large and lightweight designs results in these space structures becoming extremely flexible and acquiring the low frequency fundamental vibration modes. These modes could be used in various tasks, such as turning, guidance maneuvers and docking with the other spacecraft. Effective vibration suppression is a challenge for the spacecraft designers. One of the promising methods for solving this problem is introduction of the built-in piezoelectric elements as the actuators. The paper analyzes various control systems for the built-in piezoelectric elements to ensure the payload vibration protection. Experimental studies of these systems were carried out to determine the dynamics coefficient levels.

A Ka-Band 64-Element Deployable Active Phased-Array TX on a Flexible Hetero Segmented Liquid Crystal Polymer for Small Satellites

A <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Ka$</tex-math> </inline-formula> -band 64-element deployable active phased-array transmitter (TX) on a hetero segment liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate for small satellites is proposed. The proposed phased-array TX achieved a large array size implementation and a small form factor with integrated six-layer and two-layer LCP substrates. Antenna and transmission line designs considering hetero layer structure are presented in detail. Achieving 46.7 dBm electronically isotropically radiated power (EIRP), the proposed phased-array TX can support 256-APSK DVB-S2X. As a result, the proposed deployable active phased-array TX successfully realizes low-launch cost with a 9.65 g lightweight and large antenna aperture size with superior EVM performance.

PREREQUISITES FOR CREATING ULTRA-LIGHT LAUNCH VEHICLES WITH POLYMER BODIES

The relevance of the problem of creating new light and ultra-light launch vehicles from the point of view of the development of the modern space industry is shown. First of all, this problem is related to the expansion of the market and the scope of use of small satellites, most of which are now launched into orbit as passing load by medium and heavy launch vehicles, which is not at all prompt and too expensive. The estimated forecast of the small satellite launch market, which is presented herein, indicates a growing demand for their launch services. A low-cost launch vehicle for the launch of small satellites would greatly expand their use, development, and production. This indicates the need for creation of special-purpose cheap transport vehicles for the operative decision of tasks of launching such satellites into orbit. It is shown that the main directions for increasing the efficiency and reducing the cost of launches are reducing the cost of making a transport space system, increasing of mass the payload, increasing the multiplicity of reusable uses, and reducing one-time costs per start. World trends in solving this problem are connected with the solution problem of creating ultra-light launch vehicles. The historical review of studies on prototype rockets that use the principle of reducing the mass of a launch vehicle during flight by burning spent structural elements indicates the possibility of creating launch vehicles on this principle by using complex hydrocarbon polymers as structural materials. It is shown that polymer materials, in particular polyethylene, can become the main material for the manufacture of fuel tanks for solid rockets, which use the new principle of burning the design during flight. The use of fuel tanks as fuel will give a possibility to reduce the cost of the propulsion system, which is one of the most expensive parts of the launch vehicle. The development of such launch vehicles and the commercialization of scientific research will allow domestic aerospace companies to occupy a niche in the market of small satellite launches.

Research and Development of Fault Diagnosis Methods for Liquid Rocket Engines

Currently, considerable efforts are being focused on the development of reusable rockets and smart rockets due to the heavy requirements of future next-generation aerospace transportation. Safety, low-launching cost, and repeatability are expected from liquid rocket for fulfilling the big dreams of space transportation, exploration, and travelling. Therefore, research on fault detection of the liquid rocket engines (LRE) is critical for satisfying the above claims. Therefore, a comprehensive survey on the research and development of fault diagnosis systems and methods for the liquid rocket engines is presented. First, development history of liquid rocket engine diagnostic systems is reviewed thoroughly. Then three broad headings of the fault detection approaches of liquid rocket engines are divided through the summary and analysis of the existing methods, including approaches using signal processing, model-driven approach, and approach using artificial intelligence (AI). Then the paper discusses the concrete algorithms according to the classification features of the algorithms. In the end, the future developments of the fault detection approaches are presented, which will mainly pay attention to the reusability and intelligence of the rockets.

Parametric Optimization and Analysis of Power Efficient Magnetorquer Rod Actuator for Nanosatellite

CubeSats are popular nowadays due to their small size as well as low launch and development costs. Also, they are getting popular as an Earth observation satellite. The Earth observational satellites require a good pointing mechanism to point towards the target. Due to the requirement of an accurate pointing mechanism, a precise attitude control is required. Passive control systems are not suitable because of low pointing accuracy, hence active attitude control systems are mostly used. The attitude control mainly consists of actuators, attitude sensors and a controller. Among the various actuators, magnetic actuators are used in Nanosatellites. In magnetic actuators, magnetic field is produced when current passes through the wire, which is used to generate the torque which is then used to control the attitude of the satellite. The magnetorquer can be of various designs and among these magnetorquer rod is one of them which consists of magnetic material as a core and wire winding over it which carries the current. The magnetorquer rod can be optimized by varying different parameters such as core radius, core length, diameter of the wire and applied voltage etc. The analysis is mostly done by analyzing parameters such as torque-power ratio, magnetic field-power ratio with respect to different diameters of wire, power, generated torque, and thermal analysis. The paper also consists of a comparison of magnetorquer design with commercially available magnetorquers.

Prototype of a compact rubidium-based optical frequency reference for operation on nanosatellites

Space-borne optical frequency references based on spectroscopy of atomic vapors may serve as an integral part of compact optical atomic clocks, which can advance global navigation systems or can be utilized for earth observation missions as part of laser systems for cold atom gradiometers. Nanosatellites offer low launch costs, multiple deployment opportunities, and short payload development cycles, enabling rapid maturation of optical frequency references and underlying key technologies in space. Toward an in-orbit demonstration on such a platform, we have developed a CubeSat-compatible prototype of an optical frequency reference based on the D2 transition in rubidium. A frequency instability of 1.7 × 10 − 12 at 1 s averaging time is achieved. The optical module occupies a volume of 35 c m 3 , weighs 73 g, and consumes 780 mW of power.

Joint optimization based satellite handover strategy for low earth orbit satellite networks

Low earth orbit constellation satellite communication has the characteristics of low propagation delay, low path loss, low launch cost and wide range of applications. Due to the low orbital altitude and the short orbital period of low earth orbit satellites, the relative position between satellites and gateway stations changes fast. As a result, the links between gateway stations and satellites need to be switched continuously. Based on the minimum handover frequency algorithm, this paper considers the balance of satellite workloads, and proposes a load balanced satellite handover strategy. In the proposed handover strategy, a joint optimization algorithm is employed, and the power allocation of the satellite is optimized to improve the system capacity. In the multi-satellite connection model, an adaptive power allocation algorithm is proposed to guarantee the service quality of the system. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed satellite handover strategy.

Research on Liquid CO2 Phase Transition Ejection Technology

Due to the low temperature and clean gas, liquid CO2 phase transition ejection technology has outstanding advantages such as high versatility, low launch cost, and environmental friendliness, which will open up a new research field for the development of missile launch technology. Through the study of phase transition characteristics of liquid CO2 in this paper, a mathematical model of internal ballistics of the liquid CO2 phase transition ejection power system is established. And through simulation calculation, the launching parameters such as the pressure in the launcher, the velocity and acceleration of the missile are obtained, and they is compared with the experiment data to verify the validity of the model.

Performance Analysis of M-ary Optical Communication over Log-Normal Fading Channels for CubeSat Platforms

A CubeSat platform has become a popular choice due to inexpensive commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and low launch cost. However, it requires more power-efficient and higher-data rate downlink capability for space applications related to remote sensing. In addition, the platform is limited by the size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints as well as the regulatory issue of licensing the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. The requirements and limitations have put optical communications on promising alternatives to RF communications for a CubeSat platform, owing to the power efficiency and high data rate as well as the license free spectrum. In this study, we analyzed the performance of optical downlink communications compatible with CubeSat platforms in terms of data rate, bit error rate (BER) and outage probability. Mathematical models of BER and outage probability were derived based on not only the log-normal model of atmospheric turbulence but also a transmitter with a finite extinction ratio. Given the fixed slot width, the optimal guard time and modulation orders were chosen to achieve the target data rate. And the two performance metrics, BER and outage data rate, were analyzed and discussed with respect to beam divergence angle, scintillation index and zenith angle.

Concept of the Solar Ring mission: Preliminary design and mission profile

The Solar Ring mission, a concept to monitor the Sun and inner heliosphere from multiple perspectives, has been funded for pre-phase study by the Strategic Priority Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences in space sciences. The Solar Ring is comprised of 6 spacecraft, grouped in three pairs, moving around the Sun in an elliptical orbit in the ecliptic plane. The mission costs, including launch fee, deep-space maneuvers, and deployment time of the ring, are highly relevant to the working orbit, deep-space transfer, and phase angle within a group. The preliminary mission profile is analyzed and designed in this paper. The launch way, two spacecraft with one rocket, is adopted. The deployment time, phasing maneuvers, and C3 of launch energy are evaluated for the elliptical orbits with the perihelion between 0.7 and 0.9 AU using the rockets of Long March (LM) 3A and 3B. Numerical simulations show two candidate trajectories: fast deployment within 4 years by LM-3B, medium deployment more than 6 years by cheaper rocket of LM-3A. In order to obtain both fast deployment and low launch cost, another orbit profile is proposed by shortening the phase angle within a group. The suggested working orbits and the corresponding costs of launch, deployment time, and phasing maneuvers will strongly support the science objectives.

Optimization Strategy to Solve Transmission Interruption Caused by Satellite-Ground Link Switching

Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, an important part of the next generation of global communication systems, have the advantages of low transmission delay, low satellite cost and low launch cost. The construction of an LEO satellite network with global coverage has become the direction of future space network transmission development. Although extensive research has been conducted on the routing of LEO satellite networks, most papers focus on only space segment routing, with little attention paid to the route between the satellite and ground station. This paper introduces the transmission scenario of ground station switching with connected satellites and analyzes the problem of data packet loss caused by ground station and satellite communication link switching. Two optimization strategies based on static routing and dynamic routing are proposed as solutions to the problem of data packet loss, with software-simulated test results showing that both approaches can effectively avoid packet loss.

Flight dynamic model for low earth orbit satellites

Low Earth Orbit satellite(LEO) missions have potentially attractive features such as low launch cost, and wide remote sensing applications.There are three vital missions during the satellites life time including orbit transfer from the parking to the operating orbit, maintaining the operating orbit and de-orbiting mission to a disposal orbit at the end of the satellite lifetime according to the standard disposal orbit law. The mathematical model has been implemented to study various LEO mission orbits including the three vital missions.The mathematical model evaluates the required performance parameters, velocity budget, number of manoeuvers, duration and consumed propellant mass for each mission.The mathematical algorithm is carried out using Matlab/Simulink, the complete mathematical flight dynamic model has been verified through comparisons with the generated mission scenarios from Satellite Tool kit (STK), the graphical user interface is designed to display the model.The carried out algorithm can be applied in satellite mission design to help predicting the parameters for each mission to minimize the risks and intensive tests. it can be considered as powerful tool to design and analysis LEO satellite missions.

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Modular Design of RF Front End for a Nanosatellite Communication Subsystem Tile Using Low-Cost Commercial Components

In recent years, the development market for low-cost nanosatellites has grown considerably. It has been made possible due to the availability of low-cost launch vectors and the use of “commercial off-the-shelf components” (COTS). The satellite design standardization has also helped a great deal to encourage subsystem reuse over a number of space missions. This has created numerous opportunities for small companies and universities to develop their own nanosatellite or satellite subsystems. Most COTS components are usually not space qualified. In order to make them work and withstand the harsh space environment, they need extra effort in circuit redesign and implementation. Also, by adopting the modularity concept and the design reuse method, the overall testing and nonrecurring development cost can be significantly reduced. This can also help minimize the subsystem testing times. The RF front-end design presented in this paper is also considered one of the better and feasible choices based on the above approach. It consists of an S-band transceiver that is fully implemented using COTS components. In the transmit chain, it is comprised of the transmitting CC2510 RF matching network and a power amplifier (PA) with an RF output power of up to 33 dBm which connects to an antenna using two RF switches. The receive chain starts from the antenna that is connected through two RF switches to the low-noise amplifier (LNA) that further connects to the receiving CC2510 via the RF matching network. The receiver sensitivity is -100 dBm. This is a half-duplex system using the same antenna for transmitting and receiving. The receiver and transmitter chains are isolated together using two RF switches which together provide an isolation of up to 90 dB at 2.4 GHz. The concept behind using two RF switches is to provide better isolation from the transmit chain to the LNA. The matching network of CC2510 has been designed in a symmetric fashion to avoid any delays. All the RF COTS used have been selected according to link budget requirements. The LNA, PA, and RF switches were tested individually for compliance. The passive components used in the overall design of the matching network are chosen on the basis of minimum dimension, least parasitic behaviour, and guaranteed optimum RF matching. Also, the RF COTS used are non-CMOS which makes them more robust against space radiations associated with the LEO environment and enables them to provide a radio communication data rate of up to 500 kbps in both uplink and downlink. The vacant spaces on the implemented PCB are shielded with a partial ground plane to avoid RF interference.

Low cost small-satellite access to space using hybrid rocket propulsion

Increased demand for smallsat launch capabilities drives on the search for low-cost launch vehicles. Hybrid rocket technology has been pushed forward in the recent years and is now ready to meet the demand of this low-cost rocket development. With intrinsic safety and reliability the development and production cost of hybrid rocket engines can be a small fraction of bi-liquid propulsion systems. At the German Aerospace Center DLR a hybrid rocket engine is developed in cooperation with the German start-up company HyImpulse Technologies GmbH in order to advance launcher technology in Germany. A concept for a mini-launcher has been designed by HyImpulse and the development of a 75 kN (SL) hybrid rocket engine is on-going with a test campaign foreseen in 2019. This engine will be the largest hybrid rocket engine ever tested in Europe. It takes advantage of the long development and research history of paraffin-based hybrid rockets at the DLR Lampoldshausen. Since 2010 paraffin-based fuels have been analyzed and improved. Additives have been found to greatly improve the mechanical properties of the paraffin solid fuel. At the same time the regression rate has been modulated to adapt the fuel for use in launcher applications. The concept of the HyImpulse mini-launcher includes eleven engines of this type, which will result in large scale serial production for the foreseen launch rate of twelve launches per year. This further reduces production costs of the hybrid rocket engine. The advantage of paraffin-based fuel lies in the simple geometry of the grain caused by the high regression rate. A cylindrical fuel grain will have a much lower manufacturing cost compared to classical wagon wheel fuel grains with HTPB. Hybrid launchers are often used within pressure fed propulsion systems, but in order to increase the payload of the launcher, this is replaced with a gas generator and turbo pump driven propulsion system for this launcher concept.

The Miniature Optical Communication Transceiver—A Compact, Power-Efficient Lasercom System for Deep Space Nanosatellites

Optical communication is becoming more prevalent in orbit due to the need for increased data throughput. Nanosatellites, which are satellites that typically weigh less than 10 kg, are also becoming more common due to lower launch costs that enable the rapid testing of technology in a space environment. Nanosatellites are cheaper to launch than their larger counterparts and may be a viable option for communicating beyond Earth’s orbit, but have strict Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) requirements. The Miniature Optical Communication Transceiver (MOCT) is a compact optical transceiver designed to provide modest data rates to SWaP constrained platforms, like nanosatellites. This paper will cover the optical amplifier characterization and simulated performance of the MOCT amplifier design that produces 1 kW peak power pulses and closes three optical links which include Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Earth, LEO to LEO, and Moon to Earth. Additionally, a benchtop version of the amplifier design was constructed and was able to produce amplified pulses with 1.37 W peak power, including a 35.7% transmit optics loss, at a pump power of 500 mW. Finally, the modulator, seed laser, amplifier, receiver, and time-to-digital converter were all used together to measure the Bit Error Ratio (BER), which was 0.00257 for a received optical peak power of 176 nW.

On Board Computer Module for Cubesat Compatible with QB50

This paper presents the design and implementation at the hardware level of the OBC-OBDH subsystem (On-Board-Computer On-Board Data Handler) to meet the requirements of the CubeSat QB50 project, in addition, different tasks are performed at the software level to simplify the subsequent development (the implementation of the FreeRTOS real-time operating system has been carried out, and a simple example has been prepared that involves the use of all the necessary modules). The development of this module is justifiable at an academic level, since the QB50 project impacts on different aspects the academy (development of satellite systems), it must be taken into account that the QB50 challenge is presented to all the universities of the world and has a great impact on third world countries, providing the possibility of massive development and low launch costs.

The deployable telescope: a cutting-edge solution for high spatial and temporal resolved Earth observation

Abstract The increase of spatial and temporal resolution for Earth observation (EO) is the ultimate driver for science and societal applications. However, the state-of-the-art EO missions like DigitalGlobe’s Worldview-3, are very costly. Moreover, this system has a high mass of 2800 kg and limited swath width of about 15 km which limits the temporal resolution. In this article, we present the status of the deployable space telescope (DST) project, which has been running for 6 years now at the Delft University of Technology, as a cutting-edge solution to solve this issue. Deployable optics have the potential of revolutionising the field of high resolution EO. By splitting up the primary mirror (M1) of a telescope into deployable segments and placing the secondary mirror (M2) on a deployable boom, the launch volume of a telescope can be reduced by a factor of 4 or more, allowing for much lower launch costs. This allows for larger EO constellations, providing image data with a much better revisit time than existing solutions. The DST specification baseline, based on Wordview-3, aims to provide images with a ground resolution of 25 cm (panchromatic 450–650 nm) from an orbital altitude of 500 km. In this paper, the current status of the optical, thermo-mechanical, and active optics systems design are described. The concurrent design approach combined with a strict bottom-up and top-down compliant systems engineering approach show that the DST is a healthy system concept.