Yubileiny new generation Small Satellite An Introduction.
In December 2004, the Russian Federal Space Agency (FSA), Space
Forcesof Ministry of Defense and Army,Air Force and Navy assistance society (AAN
AS) came to the decision to create a jubilee radio amateur satellite and launch
it in 2007 as to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the space era.
The aerospace vehicle laboratory (Russia,Kaluga)
was entrusted with creation of the satellite. In order to provide the satellite
project interface control there was established a public committee comprising
representatives from FSA, Space Forces, AAN AS, strategic rocket forces, Russian
science academy, Moscow Aviation University, Russian space and space forces
veteran associations.
At first NPO PM took no part in the project
but later, in 2007 the Committee Chairman addressed to NPO PM general designer
and general director Nickolay Testoedov asking for NPO PM assistance in
developing and creating the satellite’s attitude control system and solar arrays
and provide the launcher adaptation.
NPO PM agreed and in May 2007 its
representatives - the project manager Sergey Galochkin and the engineering
manager Andrey Yakovlev visited the aerospace vehicle laboratory in Kalu-
“Yubileiny” is a next generation small satellite Project
The ISS-Reshetnev Company (the former NPO PM)
has created a new small satellite Yubileiny to date the 50th anniversary of the
launch of the first Russi(URSS) artificial earth satellite. Among other missions
the satellite will solve a wide range of educational, research and technological
tasks. Information Satellite S16 ystems ga, and Khrunichev State Cosmic Research
and Production Center in order to study the satellite technical basis and to
review the issues related to its further development and launch. By that time
the aerospace vehicle laboratory had created the DOKA (onboard control
equipment) and developed the spacecraft layout design.
During their visit to Khrunichev State Cosmic
Research and Production Center the representatives of both companies reached an
agreement to launch the Yubileiny satellite with other spacecraft built for the
Russian Ministry
of Defense.
In July 2007, the administrative board of FSA
and Space Forces approved the terms within which the
«Yubileiny» should undergo final operations and be launched. Reshetnev NPO PM
was entrusted with the spacecraft designing, building and testing activities.
The satellite was created on a tight almost unprecedented schedule. Spacecraft
design efforts began
in July 2007. In August, the design documentation was completed and the
manufacture started. At the same time they constructed a full-scale model of the
satellite to examine its vibration strength and the rocket separation
reliability, and the satellite mass simulator was provided as well. According to
the schedule the satellite was built by October and next month was undergoing
electric tests. In six months the satellite was ready for transportation to the
spaceport.
The financial issue of the project was not
«traditional» yet. Since the satellite had to be created on a voluntary basis it
had no special funds. Thus, the satellite was developed, built and would be
launched at the expenses of the companies-co-contractors of the project. Being a
head company of the Corporation, NPO PM took responsibility for every stage of
work from releasing the design documentation up to spacecraft tests.
While creating Yubileiny (Jubilee) the
company’s specialists developed and built a multifunction unpressurized
platform, which would be the baseline one for the future 30-100 kg satellites
developed by NPO-PM. Russian space companies and organizations contributed a lot
to creation of the Yubileiny spacecraft. In particular, the NPP Geofizika-Cosmos
company created the satellite’s Sun and Earth sensors, the Saturn Company
developed and built solar arrays, Lavochkin NPO provided gallium arsenide cells,
the Ramensk instrument
building company created a small magnetometer MA-6. The Siberian State Aerospace
University (SSAU) research workers and students developed RADEK - devices
covered with recently developed nanocoatings to protect the spacecraft
electronic components
against radiation impact.
Merging of scientific, educational and manufacturing issues favoured to creation of a state-of-art multifunction and structurally complicated satellite though at first it was planned as an analogue of the first artificial earth satellite with only 10 kg mass and low power capacity.
Satellite mission and structure
The satellite «Yubileiny» is dedicated to
educational, scientific research and experimental missions. First, the satellite
launch will help to fulfill the Information Program foreseeing solutions of the
major tasks of space exploration (voice messages, SSTV slides, signal imitation
of the first artificial earth satellite); secondly it will help to establish
conditions under which the Russian universities could study the data transmitted
by the small satellite; and thirdly, it’ll help to carry out
science-and-technologic experiments: Prospective Sun and earth sensors
flight proficiency; Receiving data related to the Earth’s planetary
emission within infrared wavelength band; Researches of spatiotemporal emissions
of the Earth atmosphere day and night radiation within visible spectral range;
Testing the estimation methods of the satellite attitude control concerning the
data provided by the experimental solar sensors and small magnetometer MA-6;
Proving efficiency of the nano-coatings developed by the SSAU to protect the
spacecraft electronic components against radiation; Providing flight
qualification for a prospective multifunction unpressurized platform intended
for the 30-100 kg satellites; Testing the piggy-back injection (3 in a cluster)
technology using the «Rokot» launcher.
Structurally the satellite represents an
unpressurized instrument module formed by a hexagonal frame with attached solar
arrays and three lateral webs: top, bottom and central ones. The onboard
equipment is installed inside the instrument module as well on the outer surface
of the top panels. The top panel of the satellite that faces the Earth during
the satellite operation is equipped with attitude control system devices, in
particular, magnetometer and diagonal balancer booms, receiving and transmitting
antennas and research equipment including three Earth sensors to receive data on
the Earth’s planetary emission within infrared wavelength and spatiotemporal
researches of the Earth atmosphere day and night radiation within visible
spectral range.
Information Satellite Systems
The spacecraft central panel carries the DOKA-B equipment comprising the onboard
computer; receiving equipment
operating in 145 MHz band; transmitting equipment operating in 435 MHz band as
well as the onboard radio navigation
equipment.
The spacecraft bottom panel is equipped with magnetic and gravity attitude
control system ensuring the satellite X-axis orientation towards the Earth in a
nominal operation mode, navigation equipment antenna, experimental Sun sensors
and the RADEK equipment, which is to prove efficiency of the nano-coatings
developed by the SSAU to protect the spacecraft electronic components against
the radiation impacts.
Solar arrays panels installed on the
satellite’s frame are made of the three junction gallium arsenide cells. The
solar arrays will supply power to the onboard equipment when in the illuminated
orbits. The frame design allows the required size of the solar array effective
area with the satellite being in different positions relative to the Sun.
During the orbital eclipse periods the
equipment is powered with the nickel metal hydride battery. The EPS battery is
not an individual element. Its components are incorporated into the command and
power unit where all power supply automatics is installed, these are the DOKA-B
equipment components.
The peculiarity of the «Yubileiny» lies in its
passive thermal control subsystem: the necessary temperature is provided by the
uncontrolled ratio of optical coefficients characteristic for the surfaces of
spacecraft structural elements, MLI, electric heaters and heat
pipes that ensure the thermal mode for the DOKA-B equipment.
The DOKA-B software ensures electric heaters
control which is as follows: if the temperature sensors indicate temperature
fall till 0°C then the electric heaters are switched on, if the temperature
rises up to 5°C, the electric heaters are switched off. The flight software
estimates an average temperature according
to data of the three temperature sensors. The electric heaters are controlled
considering the average temperature.
Spacecraft nominal operation mode
The satellite Yubileiny is injected in a
cluster with satellites developed for the Russian Ministry of Defense. In 30
seconds after the satellite separation from the ascent unit the initial
preparation mode is switched on. Above all, the DOKA-B powers the pyro cartridge
to deploy the145.8 MHz antennas, makes the receivers ready to get the ground
control commands, and supplies power to the magnetometer coil. Then the attitude
determination and control system undergoes damping and magnetic orientation.
In total, it takes no more than 4 days to
accomplish all operations. After conformation of the stable magnetic orientation
mode within the radio visibility range the Satellite Control Center sends the
commands «current coil off», «HDM release» and «moving out» the diagonal booms.
The gravity boom is passively moved
out, the diagonal booms are deployed and the spacecraft comes into 3-axes
gravity orientation mode.
It takes 1 day to damp the satellite till it
reaches the stable gravity orientation after moving out the gravity boom. After
checking the satellite systems, the data related to the first artificial
satellite launch is downloaded. The transmission lasts for 4 minutes. Within
this time the following data is downloaded: a call signal and TM-data (10
seconds); a voice message (1 minute); a pause (50 seconds the first artificial
satellite imitated signals (10 seconds); an image (1
minute); a pause again (50 seconds).
The onboard spacecraft data is transmitted via
a radio channel in the 435 MHz international frequency band of experimental and
radioamateur communications, in cyclic mode, in narrowband FSK mode.
Voice messages and images can be received in
any place of the Earth when the satellite floats above within the radio
visibility ranges. Any standard radio equipment can receive the signal in this
frequency band requiring no additional technical means.
The onboard navigation equipment is switched
on once a day for 10 minutes to determine, without the ground support, the
parameters of the spacecraft motion along the near earth orbit. The onboard
equipment meant for the satellite-based navigation can use the signals of
GLONASS and NAVSTAR (GPS) systems in
any combination.
Sergey Galochkin – the «Yubileiny» Project
Manager, Svetlana Male Yeva – the design manager
The satellite Yubileiny - is the first among other small satellites of a new generation developed by NPO PM and based on unpressurized platform.
As the project was successfully realized
the company managed to start a new production line of small satellites. Every
company participating in the satellite’s development and creation benefited in a
substantial scientific and technological basis for their future work, also made
their own contribution to training of highly qualified personnel for the Russian
companies of rocket
and space industry.
Data Source. NPOPM