Speaker
Description
e.Inspector, a GSTP smallsat mission, successfully closed its phase B in July 2024. The mission is developed by a consortium composed by Leonardo SpA, T4i, Leaf Space and led by Politecnico di Milano. The mission will flyaround with increasing proximity from 1km to 100m a debris, taking images in the visible and thermal bands to adequately reconstruct its status and test multispectral image based relative navigation. The IR bands is crucial to better exploit the on orbit time, complement the lack of infosand relax the illumination constraints the VIS imaging has. At the closest approach, more than 1 cm resolution is achievable with the two on board cameras, both already successfully flew in LEO. To comply with the new reentry regulations the updated baseline target is Proba I ESA satellite. Together with the first VIS_IR imaging for relative navigation, e.Inspector, 12U size, will embark the enhanced Regulus 50-I2, produced by T4i, as main thruster which gives the mission the needed flexibility to get to the debris orbit against the launcher's availability and release conditions.
During phase B, intensive experimental campaigns allowed securing both the technologies: from virtual modeling to processor and to hardware in the loop tests were performed consolidating the sw\hw chain of the thermal\visible image processing exploiting the GNC ASTRA Team facilities at PoliMi; characterisation and endurance tests started for the Regulus enhanced version at T4i labs.
The space segment is designed to be robust to any last minute target and launcher changes, in a properly large domain. e.Inspector wants contributing paving the way for Europe in exploiting smallsats to fruitfully support future regular IOS logistic of larger spacecraft.
