Pegasus (satellite, 2017)
| Pegasus | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Earth observation satellite |
| Country: |
 Austria
|
| COSPAR-ID : | 2017-036V |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 1,960 g |
| Size: | 10 cm × 10 cm × 20 cm |
| Begin: | June 23, 2017, 03:59 UTC |
| Starting place: | SHAR FLP |
| Launcher: | PSLV-XL C-38 |
| Status: | in operation |
| Orbit data | |
| Rotation time : | 94.6 min |
| Orbit inclination : | 97.4 ° |
| Apogee height : | 516 km |
| Perigee height : | 501 km |
Pegasus is a small satellite that was jointly developed by the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences , the Vienna University of Technology and the Space Tech Group.
prehistory
In 2013 the Institute for Aerospace Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt was invited by the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Mechanics to take part in the international project QB50 . The aim of this is to release up to 50 nanosatellites, also known as cubesats , into the thermosphere .
The scientific goal is to collect information about the prevailing conditions over a period of up to nine months. Each participating team has to choose one of three instruments on their satellite with which ions and neutral particles, atomic oxygen or electron density and temperature can be examined. To this end, it is planned to launch the satellites all together and let them fly one after the other in the same orbit like a string of pearls. The natural drifting apart when the satellites are released should create a network of sensors.
Mission objectives
- Enable as many students as possible to participate in the project
- Developed and built as many components as possible in-house.
- Construction of the satellite
- Operation of the satellite with data acquisition from the sensors
Technology and instruments
Pegasus is equipped with a needle- Langmuir probe that was developed at the University of Oslo . With this instrument, electron density , electron temperature and plasma potential can be determined. The collected data should help to better understand the plasma conditions in the upper atmosphere and their impact on the global climate.
The secondary payload is a pulsed plasma drive developed at the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences that is being tested in space. This drive consists of four miniature drives that can be controlled individually. The operation of all four drives requires less than 2.5 W (at 1 Hz discharge frequency), which is converted into a delta v of around 5.5 m / s.
Other systems that are necessary to operate the satellite include an on-board computer , position and orbit control system , global positioning system , transmitter / receiver device with two dipole antennas , position control using a magnetic torquer , temperature control system , 16 solar cells and two batteries.
In order to reduce sources of error, attempts were already made during the design to integrate important elements into the support structure of the satellite. The bus system, the position control system and the solar cells were integrated into the structure, which meant that no cables were required. Except for the antenna, the GPS and the scientific instrument, all systems were developed and built by the Pegasus team itself.
Mission flow
Pegasus was launched into sun-synchronous orbit on June 23, 2017 by a PSLV-XL launcher from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, India . 30 more satellites were on board, seven of which were also launched as part of the QB50 project. Three hours after the start, the Langenlebarn ground station (Lower Austria) received the first signals. Further ground stations are located in Wiener Neustadt and Vorarlberg .
After the tests and calibrations of the instruments in orbit, regular operation began with measurements in the thermosphere. The satellite broadcasts telemetry data on 436.670 MHz under the callsign ON03AT. The mission should be completed after two years, and about four years later the satellite will enter deeper layers of the earth's atmosphere and burn up.
In February 2020 the satellite was still in operation; most of the subsystems nominally worked. The beacon signal that should be sent every 30 seconds made difficulties. At times it wasn't broadcast. Analysis of the behavior indicated a considerable weakening of the batteries (loss of capacity). A possible explanation for this is the defective temperature control of the batteries since the beginning of the mission.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Project Info. University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt , archived from the original on October 10, 2016 ; accessed on June 1, 2017 (English).
- ^ Orbit data according to PEGASUS. N2YO, April 26, 2018, accessed April 27, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Pegasus Design. University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt , archived from the original on July 2, 2017 ; accessed on June 1, 2017 (English).
- ↑ Wiener Neustädter satellite goes into space on ORF on June 23, 2017, accessed on June 23, 2017
- ^ Space Tech Group: PEGASUS - Mission Control Center. Accessed April 27, 2018 (English).
- ^ Space Tech Group: Manual for Radio Amateurs for receiving and decoding telemetry data of the PEGASUS atellite. (PDF) May 24, 2017, accessed April 27, 2018 (English).