Speaker
Description
In Orbit Services is a rising potential market, both in GEO and in LEO orbits, creating baseline technologies for active debris removal (ADR) missions. Life extension, repair and inspection, refueling and transport are a few of the ideas that have been mentioned. The business feasibility is reflected in the new Satellite Servicing Vehicle Concept within ESA‘s Clean Space Initiative.
Effective Space, headquartered in the UK, is designing, deploying and operating the SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft to provide services such as station-keeping and attitude-control, relocation, orbit correction and inclination correction, deorbiting and Bringing-Into-Use (BIU). Its Phase One deployment will provide life-extension services to satellites in GEO. First commercial contract will see two SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft serving two host satellites starting 2020.
The SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft has a launch mass of 400 kg and deploys a highly efficient electric propulsion system. The SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft is designed to be a semi-autonomous, with multiple docking/undocking operations using four docking arms, and to provide full orbit and attitude control for the joint stack. A total mission life time of 15 years is offered by the SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft for a typical 2 ton GEO satellite.
By incorporating some innovating technologies and operational solutions the SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft can service host satellites ranging from 1500kg to 4000kg of dry mass. A non-intrusive (patent pending) docking system was developed allowing the SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft to dock to the launcher adapter ring of the host satellite.
System constraints, such as maintaining station-keeping while handling the SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft and the host satellite shadowing on each other have been incorporated in the design. Joint operations of joint stack have been designed. Method for station-keeping (patent pending) using four electric propulsion thrusters to be mounted on four deployable thruster arms provides all orbit maneuvers with high efficiency.
The SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft can be adapted for providing orbit services in LEO orbit, servicing Post Mission Disposal for LEO satellites and Mega constellations. The SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft can provide orbit disposal and orbit re-location for stranded satellites due to launch errors. With minor changes, the satellite can be also used for Active Debris Removal, utilizing many of the previously developed technologies and lessons learned.
In this presentation the SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft design and system constraints will be presented. Analysis done towards joint stack operations will be shown as well as the different mission concepts that can be performed using the SPACE DRONE™ spacecraft concept.
