An investigation of tape spring fold curvature

Tape springs are being used with increasing frequency in today’s space industry to deploy small satellite aerials and array areas. However, to accurately model the deployment of an appendage mounted with tape spring hinges, it is necessary to accurately model the opening moments produced from the material strains in the tape spring fold. These moments are primarily a function of curvature. This paper uses a photographic method to study the post buckling curvatures at the fold location for both two and three dimensional tape spring folds. The results are finally compared to determine the overall data trends

Wire Driven Mechanisms for Deployable Components for Optical Payloads

Large empty volumes in optical payloads like telescopes and baffles take up significant, potentially useful space to package within a launcher volume, and can limit the minimum size of a spacecraft, having major implications on launch options and costs. Volume can be saved by using telescopic structures which can be deployed in-orbit. In previous work a light-weight wire-driven telescope was developed, which employed a constant torque spring motor with a damper to achieve a controlled deployment. This work focusses on the application of a similar deployment scheme to an optical baffle and the further development of the driving, tension-balancing and hold-down and release mechanisms required to achieve a usable sub-system package. In order to compensate for in orbit deformations, a tension balancing mechanism is proposed. A hold down release mechanism is also proposed for the launch. Preliminary FE analysis confirms the modal shapes of the deployed baffle are well beyond 100 Hz and validates the design concept. Initial functional and environmental testing has revealed minor issues, and redesign of the baffle structure will be done to conduct further tests. Future work will involve exploring other methods of manufacturing, using light absorbing materials/coatings and another round of design iteration and testing

Clear Shores: Enhancing Water Quality Monitoring

Mission goal: Improve monitoring of the quality of water in and around Aotearoa New Zealand for researchers, decision makers and the public at large through innovative space technolog

Remove Debris Mission, From Concept to Orbit

The RemoveDebris mission will be the first European Active Debris Removal (ADR) missions to give an in orbit demonstration of the viability of a series of cost effective technologies that can be used to observe, capture and destroy space debris. RemoveDebris is a low cost mission performing key active debris removal (ADR) technology demonstrations including the use of a net, a harpoon, vision-based navigation (VBN) and a dragsail in a realistic space operational environment. For the purposes of the mission two CubeSats will be ejected and used as targets for experiments instead of real space debris, which is an important step towards a fully operational ADR mission. The craft has launched to the ISS on the 2nd of April 2018, on board a Dragon capsule (SpaceX CRS-14 ISS re-supply mission). From here the satellite is to be deployed via the NanoRacks Kaber system into an orbit of around 400 km. Aglietti 2 32nd Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites This paper examines the design of the mission from initial concepts through to manufacture, AIT, testing and up to launch, and apart from a general consideration of the mission, will focus on the elements of design & testing that differ from a conventional mission

Te Pūnaha Ātea -1 (TPA-1), a Capability Development and Validation Mission From New Zealand

Operation goals: Capturing identifiable imagery of NZ landmass. Upload and use of student and researcher image processing tools. Inspecting exposed surfaces and elements of the CubeSat. Demonstrating and monitoring the deployable structures. Monitoring the thermal profile inside the CubeSat. Demonstrating timely de-orbit at end of life. Mission objectives: Commissioning and demonstration of TPA-SI facilities. Establishment and validation of mission delivery processes. Outreach, education and training in mission delivery and operations. Generation of core mission documentation set. Flight heritage for in-house spacecraft platform avionics and structures

New Zealand\u27s First Science Satellite Mission

New Zealand has been a space-faring nation since 2017. Rocket Lab USA provides access to orbit for its clients, launching from the east coast of the North island. Joining the select club of nations that can reach space has spurred significant interest in New Zealand’s economic, research and cultural spheres. As university educators we seek to provide our students with the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to contribute to local and international space economy. We present here an introduction to New Zealand’s first science satellite, APSS-I, and Te Pūnaha Ātea Auckland Space Institute

The RemoveDebris ADR Mission: Preparing for an International Space Station Launch

International audienceSince the beginning of the space era, a significant amount of debris has progressively been generated in space. Active Debris Removal (ADR) missions have been suggested as a way of limiting and controlling future growth in orbital space debris by actively sending up vehicles to remove debris. The EC FP7 RemoveDebris mission, which started in 2013, draws on the expertise of some of Europe's most prominent space institutions in order to demonstrate key ADR technologies in a low-cost ambitious manner. The RemoveDebris mission launches to the International Space Station (ISS) in late 2017 where shortly after it will be deployed via the NanoRacks Kaber system into an orbit of around 400 km. The mission will perform its core demonstrations sequentially, utilising two CubeSats as artificial debris targets: net capture, harpoon capture, vision-based navigation , dragsail de-orbiting. The mission comes to an end in 2018 with all space entities having naturally de-orbited. This paper is split into the following parts: (a) an overview of the mission segments, (b) a discussion on launch procedures, (c) an overview of the operations sequence and demonstration timelines. The second section will focus on the specifics of the launch via NanoRacks and respective the NASA safety reviews. The third section will outline the planned operational timelines for the payloads. There will be a focus on what demonstrations will be performed and what types of data will be collected. The RemoveDebris mission aims to be one of the world's first in-orbit demonstrations of key technologies for active debris removal and is a vital prerequisite to achieving the ultimate goal of a cleaner Earth orbital environment

InflateSail de-orbit flight demonstration results and follow-on drag-sail applications

The InflateSail (QB50-UK06) CubeSat, designed and built at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) for the Von Karman Institute (VKI), Belgium, was one of the technology demonstrators for the European Commission’s QB50 programme. The 3.2 kg 3U CubeSat was equipped with a 1 metre long inflatable mast and a 10m2 deployable drag sail. InflateSail's primary mission was to demonstrate the effectiveness of using a drag sail in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to dramatically increase the rate at which satellites lose altitude and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and it was one of 31 satellites that were launched simultaneously on the PSLV (polar satellite launch vehicle) C-38 from Sriharikota, India on 23rd June 2017 into a 505km, 97.44o Sun-synchronous orbit. Shortly after safe deployment in orbit, InflateSail automatically activated its payload. Firstly, it inflated its metrelong metal-polymer laminate tubular mast, and then activated a stepper motor to extend four lightweight bi-stable rigid composite (BRC) booms from the end of the mast, so as to draw out the 3.1m x 3.1m square, 12m thick polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) drag-sail. As intended, the satellite immediately began to lose altitude, causing it to re-enter the atmosphere just 72 days later – thus successfully demonstrating for the first time the de-orbiting of a spacecraft using European inflatable and drag-sail technologies. The InflateSail project was funded by two European Commission Framework Program Seven (FP7) projects: DEPLOYTECH and QB50. DEPLOYTECH had eight European partners including DLR, Airbus France, RolaTube, Cambridge University, and was assisted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. DEPLOYTECH’s objectives were to advance the technological capabilities of three different space deployable technologies by qualifying their concepts for space use. QB50 was a programme, led by VKI, for launching a network of 50 CubeSats built mainly by university teams all over the world to perform first-class science in the largely unexplored lower thermosphere. The boom/drag-sail technology developed by SSC will next be used on a third FP7 Project: RemoveDebris, launched in 2018, which will demonstrate the capturing and de-orbiting of artificial space debris targets using a net and harpoon system. This paper describes the results of the InflateSail mission, including the observed effects of atmospheric density and solar activity on its trajectory and body dynamics. It also describes the application of the technology to RemoveDebris and its potential as a commercial de-orbiting add-on package for future space missions