Satellite bus
A satellite bus or satellite platform is the basic framework with systems such as drive and power supply that enables the operation of a satellite or space probe . The payload of devices and instruments that are required for the specific purpose of the respective spacecraft is built into the bus.
Some manufacturers offer fully developed and mass-produced satellite buses that can be equipped with various payloads. That lowers development costs. Standardized satellite buses are used particularly frequently for communication satellites , whereas research satellites tend to be custom-made and the satellite bus is usually newly developed.
construction
A satellite bus consists first of all of the basic mechanical structure as a carrier for the various subsystems. In the case of standardized satellite buses, this largely determines the subsequent configuration of the satellite on the bus. The structure absorbs the static and dynamic loads during start-up and operation of the satellite and is also decisive for the vibration and resonance behavior of the satellite bus and, broadly speaking, responsible for its thermal behavior. The subsystems are then integrated into the primary structure, such as energy supply ( solar cells , accumulators ), the temperature control system , the drive system for position and position control (path control) . the on-board computer system for control and data management , often communication systems as well.
Technical data of various platforms
The best-known providers of standardized satellite platforms are Boeing , Space Systems / Loral , Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defense and Space . In addition to their size, performance and price, they differ primarily in terms of their service life and their focus on special tasks.
providers | designation | payload | Total mass | Electrical power |
operation area | Lifespan years | Use remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boeing | Boeing 376 (BSS or HP) | about 24 transponders | 1–1.75 t | 0.8 kW 2.0 kW |
GEO | about 10 | Various solar cell types , spin stabilized |
Boeing 601 (BSS or HP) | up to 48 (LS) or 60 (HP) transponders | 2.5-4.5 t | 4.8 kW 10 kW (HP) |
GEO / MEO | around 15 | GaAs solar cells, optional ion drive | |
Boeing 702 | 4.5–6.5 t | 7-18 kW | GEO | around 15 | GeAs solar cells, ion drive in the GEO | ||
Boeing 702 MP | 5.8-6.16 t | 13.6-18 kW | GEO | around 15 | GeAs solar cells, ion drive in the GEO | ||
Boeing 702 SP | approx. 1.8 t | 3–8 kW | GEO | around 15 | GeAs solar cells, only ion propulsion | ||
SS / L | SSL 1300 | 5-15 kW | GEO | 15? | SpainSAT | ||
LS 400 | ? | 450 kg | 1.1 kW | GEO | 7th | ||
Orbital Science | GeoStar | 200-500 kg | 5 kW | GEO | 15th | Intelsat 16 | |
OHB | SmallGEO | 300 kg | 3 kW | GEO | 15th | electric drive | |
TAS | Spacebus 3000 | GEO | |||||
Iridium NEXT | LEO | 66 + 6 satellites in series production for Iridium as a replacement for the first generation of satellites, which is still in use. | |||||
Spacebus 4000 | 3.0-5.9 t | up to 15.8 kW (up to 11.6 kW payload) | GEO | 15th | |||
Proteus | 500 kg | 0.5 kW | LEO | 5 | Jason , CALIPSO , SMOS | ||
TAS + Astrium | Alphabus | Max. 2 t | Max. 8.8 t | Max. 22 kW | GEO | 15th | chemical and electric drive |
Airbus Defense and Space | Eurostar E2000 + | 550 kg | 3.4 t | 4-7 kW | GEO | 12 | |
Eurostar E3000 | 4.8–6.0 t | 12 kW | GEO | 15th | optional electric drive | ||
Flexibus | LEO | ||||||
Gammabus | 300 kg | 1.8 kW | LEO | ||||
Astrium SAS | Pleiades | 300 kg? | 600 kg | 1.4 kW | LEO | 7th | |
Astrium SAS / CNES | myriad | 80 kg | 0.06 kW | LEO | 2 | SPIRAL , Picard , Merlin | |
Astro and precision engineering | TET | 50 kg | 120 kg | 0.07-0.16 kW (payload, short-term) | LEO | about 10 | Technology testing |
Lockheed Martin | A2100 | 2.8-6.6 t | 1-15 kW | GEO | 15th | USA 207 | |
LM700A | 689 kg | Max. 2 kW | LEO | 20th | Iridium - first generation (in commercial operation since 1998). A total of 92 pieces were made. | ||
Iss Reshetnev | Ekspress-1000 | 0.75-1.6 t | ? kW | GEO | 10-15 | Lutsch 5A, B | |
CAST | DFH-4 | Max. 488 kg | 5-5.2 t | 10.5 kW | GEO | 15th | Paksat 1R |
Mitsubishi Electric | DS-2000 | 5-5.2 t | 10.5 kW | GEO | 15th | Türksat 4A | |
Surrey Satellite Technology | SSTL-100 | 100 kg | 703 km, SSE | 5 | |||
SSTL-300 | 350 kg | 500 km, SSE | 7th | ||||
SSTL-900 | |||||||
RKK Energija | USP | 1.7 t | GEO | 15th | AngoSat-1 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hughes / Boeing: HS-376 / BSS-376 (Gunter's Space Page)
- ↑ DLR - SmallGEO platform
- ↑ Proteus on Gunters Space Page
- ↑ Proteus at CNES ( Memento of October 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Alphabus Fact Sheet ( Memento from August 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ CNES: Myriad
- ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/npopm_ekspress-1000.htm
- ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/luch-5a.htm
- ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amos-5.htm
- ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/ch__dfh-4.htm
- ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/paksat-1r.htm
- ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/melco_ds-2000.htm
- ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/turksat-4a.htm
- ↑ SSTL 100 v 3.0 ( Memento from July 15, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ SSTL 300 S1 ( Memento from June 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ AngoSat 1 - Gunter's Space Page. space.skyrocket.de, accessed on January 7, 2018 .