TY - GEN
T1 - DISCOVERER – Making Commercial Satellite Operations in Very Low Earth Orbit a Reality
AU - Roberts, Peter C.E.
AU - Crisp, Nicholas H.
AU - Oiko, Vitor T.A.
AU - Edmondson, Stephen
AU - Haigh, Sarah J.
AU - Huyton, Claire
AU - Livadiotti, Sabrina
AU - Lyons, Rachel
AU - Smith, Katherine
AU - Sinpetru, Luciana
AU - Straker, Alastair
AU - Worrall, Stephen D
AU - Becedas, Jonathan
AU - Domínguez, Rosa María
AU - Gonzalez, David
AU - Cañas, Valentin
AU - Hanessian, Virginia
AU - Mølgaard, Anders
AU - Nielsen, Jens Cosedis
AU - Bisgaard, Morten
AU - Boxberger, Adam
AU - Chan, Yung An
AU - Fasoulas, Stefanos
AU - Traub, Constantin
AU - Garcia-Almiñana, Daniel
AU - Rodriguez-Donaire, Silvia
AU - Sureda, Miquel
AU - Kataria, Dhiren
AU - Outlaw, Ron
AU - Belkouchi, Badia
AU - Conte, Alexis
AU - Perez, Jose Santiago
AU - Villain, Rachel
AU - Heißerer, Barbara
AU - Schwalber, Ameli
PY - 2019/10/25
Y1 - 2019/10/25
N2 - DISCOVERER is a €5.7M European Commission funded Horizon 2020 project developing technologies to enable commercially-viable sustained-operation of satellites in very low Earth orbits. Why operate closer to the Earth? For communications applications latency is significantly reduced and link budgets improved, and for remote sensing improved link budgets allow higher resolution or smaller instruments, all providing cost benefits. In addition, all applications benefit from increased launch mass to lower altitudes, whilst end-of-life removal is ensured due to the increased atmospheric drag. However, this drag must also be minimised and compensated for. One of the key technologies being developed by DISCOVERER are materials that encourage specular reflection of the residual atmosphere at these altitudes. Combined with appropriate geometric designs these can significantly reduce drag, provide usable lift for aerodynamic attitude and orbit control, and improve the collection efficiency of aerodynamic intakes for atmosphere breathing electric propulsion systems, all of which are being developed as part of DISCOVERER. The paper provides highlights from the developments to date, and the potential for a new class of aerodynamic commercial satellites operating at altitudes below the International Space Station.
AB - DISCOVERER is a €5.7M European Commission funded Horizon 2020 project developing technologies to enable commercially-viable sustained-operation of satellites in very low Earth orbits. Why operate closer to the Earth? For communications applications latency is significantly reduced and link budgets improved, and for remote sensing improved link budgets allow higher resolution or smaller instruments, all providing cost benefits. In addition, all applications benefit from increased launch mass to lower altitudes, whilst end-of-life removal is ensured due to the increased atmospheric drag. However, this drag must also be minimised and compensated for. One of the key technologies being developed by DISCOVERER are materials that encourage specular reflection of the residual atmosphere at these altitudes. Combined with appropriate geometric designs these can significantly reduce drag, provide usable lift for aerodynamic attitude and orbit control, and improve the collection efficiency of aerodynamic intakes for atmosphere breathing electric propulsion systems, all of which are being developed as part of DISCOVERER. The paper provides highlights from the developments to date, and the potential for a new class of aerodynamic commercial satellites operating at altitudes below the International Space Station.
UR - https://iafastro.directory/iac/archive/browse/IAC-19/
M3 - Conference publication
BT - 70th International Astronautical Congress
PB - International Astronautical Federation, IAF
T2 - 70th International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2019
Y2 - 21 October 2019 through 25 October 2019
ER -