Aalto-1 is a 4 kg, three-cube nanosatellite based on CubeSat standards developed by Aalto University, carrying three different payloads, and with a planned mission lifetime of more than two years. The satellite is designed for a sun synchronous orbit. The main payload of the satellite is a Earth Observation instrument, a novel tiny Fabry-Perot imaging spectrometer, developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland. The main scientific goal of the mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of Fabry-Perot spectrometers for spaceborne Earth Observation applications. A miniature radiation detector RADMON, developed by the University of Helsinki and University of Turku, will be a secondary payload, and has the goal to demonstrate its technology in space as well as to map the LEO radiation environment. In addition, the satellite will carry an electrostatic plasma brake developed by Finnish Meteorological Institute, with which in a separate part of the science phase, the force caused by LEO plasma on the brake will be measured, and eventually the satellite will be slowed down enough to re-enter the atmosphere instead of remaining as space debris
2. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Aalto-1
The Finnish Student Satellite
Talk: David Fernández,
Department of Radio Science and Engineering,
Aalto University
Animations: Pekka Laurila, Aalto University
The satellite: Aalto-1 team and partners
12. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
2010
7 Aalto University students made Special Assignment Work on Space Technology
under topic ”Feasibility study for a nanosatellite” and proposed a realistic plan for
first Finnish nanosatellite mission
13. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Starting with wild ideas
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Nanosatellite with adjoint picosatellites
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Biological material in the satellite
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Synthetic aperture radiometer as satellite
swarm
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Mobile phone in space
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Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
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Deep space mission
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Asteroid mission
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Cosmic file server
14. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Refinement of the goal
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Realistic preliminary design for first
Finnish nanosatellite
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Constrains:
– Realistic design
– Student work (thesis + special
assignments)
– Instruments should be made in Finland
– Main payload and mission →
department research & teaching topics
16. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Main Concept
Requirements
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The satellite has to accommodate hyperspectral camera
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The satellite has to be stabilized
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The best orbit is sun synchronous mid-day orbit
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The satellite has to be affordable
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The satellite has to be usable in education
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The satellite should have high speed data link
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Common standards for cooperation and continuity
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Some subsystems should be available
CubeSat standard based nanosatellite design
28. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Current model for UAVI
Major specifications of the spectral camera
Spectral range: 500 – 900 nm
Spectral Resolution: 9..45 nm @ FWHM
Focal length: 9.3 mm
F-number: 6.8
Image size: 5.7 mm x 4.3 mm, 5 Mpix
Minimum total exposure time: 30 ms
Field of View: 32° (across the flight direction)
Ground pixel size: 3.5 cm @ 150 m height
Weight: 350 g (without battery)
Size: 62 mm x 61 mm/76mm x 120 mm
Power consumption: 3 W
30. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Imaging Spectrometer will use
Piezo Fabry-Perot Interferometer
and therefore their space
qualification is critical.
The random and sine sweep
vibration tests were carried out
on 1.12.2011 with VTT Expert
Services Electrodynamic shaker
LDS V875
– Max force: 40 kN (sine and
random)
– Max acceleration:1000 m/s2
– Max amplitude:50 mm
Vibration tests for PFPI
31. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
RADMON
Radiation detector
Dimensions: 10x10x4 cm
Mass: 500 g
Si detector and CsI(Tl) scintillator
Electrons > 60 keV (5 energy channels)
Protons > 1 MeV (7 energy channels)
Counting rate up to 1 MHz
32. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Plasma Brake
deorbiting device
Dimensions: 10x10x2,5 cm
Mass: 300 g
Tether: 10-100 m
Tether material: Aluminium
Tether dimeter: 50 μm
Negative and positive tether charge
Cold cathode electron guns
Voltage source for negative mode
42. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Software
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OS: GNU/Linux
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Client-server architecture for payloads
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ASM / C / C++ (μlibc)
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Really tiny and tested
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Designed to run in user space
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Dispensable
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Extensible from Earth (re-programming)
45. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Kernel & OS
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Highly customized: focused in I2C and process scheduling
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Real-time patches (
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/projects/rt/)
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OpenEmbedded as basement for the distro
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Deterministic system
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Autonomous: non human-interaction needed
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Inter-process communication: D-Bus
64. Aalto-1The Finnish Student
Satellite
Project based teaching
Learning engineering documentation
Project management
Project working
System design
Interaction with R&D and companies
Innovation skills
Public Relations