کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
8055400 1519904 2018 15 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
CubeSat constellation management using Ionic Liquid Electrospray Propulsion
موضوعات مرتبط
مهندسی و علوم پایه سایر رشته های مهندسی مهندسی هوافضا
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
CubeSat constellation management using Ionic Liquid Electrospray Propulsion
چکیده انگلیسی
The Space Propulsion Laboratory (SPL) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is developing the Ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS), designed to address a current need in CubeSat technology: miniaturized electric thrusters. These could be used for different applications, ranging from attitude control to interplanetary flights. In this work, performed together with the Space Systems Laboratory of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (SETEC Lab), we explore a case study in which the iEPS is used for constellation management in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) when integrated in a 3U CubeSat. We analyze how a 180° separation in the Right Ascension of the Ascending Node (RAAN) between two CubeSats (SatA and SatB) starting in the same orbit can be achieved by modifying one of the spacecraft's orbital altitude, resulting in a difference in their rate of nodal precession (defined as the drift rate) due to the J2 effect, and therefore a difference in their relative RAAN. The method consists of SatB increasing its semi-major axis, drifting in a higher orbit with a lower drift rate, and returning to the original semi-major axis once the desired difference in RAAN in achieved relative to the other spacecraft. SatA will stay in its original orbit, using its thruster to compensate for orbital energy loss due to atmospheric drag, therefore demonstrating another application of iEPS for constellation management. Three different simulations were studied, defined as the minimum time trajectory, minimum propellant trajectory and a hybrid trajectory, consisting of reaching a higher altitude orbit, but actively changing the RAAN using the propulsion system instead of drifting. It was observed that the difference in this orbital element could be achieved using 85 g of propellant in as little as 164 days for the minimum time trajectory. The same difference could also be achieved using only 44 g of propellant in 245 days for the minimum propellant trajectory. Furthermore, the results of the hybrid trajectory showed that the goal could be achieved in 161 days, but using 158 g of propellant mass, demonstrating the benefit of using a drift orbit. The results proved the feasibility of implementing iEPS for constellation management using 3U CubeSats in LEO.
ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Acta Astronautica - Volume 151, October 2018, Pages 243-252
نویسندگان
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