REGULUS Electric Propulsion Module IoD in UniSat-7 Mission

T4i is a propulsion system company founded in 2014, originated from the Space Propulsion Group of University of Padua, Italy, and active in the market of small satellites. In the last decade T4i has been developing REGULUS, a cutting-edge electric propulsion system for in-space mobility fed with iodine propellant. REGULUS has been specifically designed for Cubesats and micro satellite platforms and it is based on a RF Magnetically Enhanced Plasma (MEP) thruster. Thanks to its standard interfaces it is conceived to be easily “plugged&played” into the satellite, without complex engineering procedures

UNISAT-7: A Flexible IOD Platform with Orbital Maneuvering Capabilities

New Space technology for Small Satellites has greatly advanced in the past five years. These progresses shall match with a swift integration and testing phase, to be readily marketable, therefore IOD missions are essential to expedite project outcomes. GAUSS has started working on Small Satellites since 1990s, with its first satellite, UNISAT, launched in 2000. In 2013, UNISAT-5 was the first platform to accomplish in-orbit-release of third-party satellites, with UNISAT-6 following in less than one year. UNISAT-7 is the latest addition to the UNISAT series: a 32kg microsatellite designed and manufactured by GAUSS Srl (a spin-off company of Scuola di Ingegneria Aerospaziale, Sapienza University of Roma), built from scratch thanks to the extensive experience gained with past missions. Launch is scheduled in in Q1 2021. It is the most complex mission ever flown by GAUSS, and it includes several original GAUSS subsystems developed for Earth Observation, sat-to-ground optical links, navigation, power, RF, and Smallsat in-orbit-deployments. All these subsystems are tested in orbit in specific IOD missions. Moreover, UNISAT-7 integrates a precise ADCS solution and a newly developed low-thrust, electric propulsion system named REGULUS, from Italian Company Technology for Propulsion and Innovation (T4i), which will allow the satellite to modify its final orbit, as well as to execute housekeeping maneuvers for drag compensation. REGULUS is a propulsive unit based on MEPT (Magnetically Enhanced Plasma Thruster) technology developed inside the propulsion laboratory of the University of Padua. T4i, born as a Spin-off of the University of Padua, industrialized this technology in order to make it fly. REGULUS is T4i very first product that has ever flown into space. Its envelope is 1.5 U of volume, it is equipped with solid iodine propellant and its main features are a thrust level of 0.55 mN and Isp of 550 s at 50 W of input power, and wet mass of 2.5 kg at 3000 Ns of Itot. REGULUS is designed to serve nanosatellite platforms from 6U to 24U and CubeSat carriers. The integration took place in GAUSS white chamber in Rome in late 2020 and the launch is scheduled in March 2021 from Baikonur as a secondary payload of Soyuz-2-1a/Fregat. Performances of REGULUS propulsion system are evaluated after the initial commissioning of UNISAT-7. This key IOD mission paves the way to next UNISAT programs, where GAUSS microsatellites will be able to execute orbital maneuvers before any single CubeSat deployment, in order to efficiently shape customized constellations by using UNISATs as autonomous vehicles for in-orbit-deployment. Provide an informative abstract of no more than 500 words. The abstract should stand alone as a summary of the paper, not as an introduction (i.e., no numerical references). Type the abstract across both columns and fully justified

Novel Multifunctional Magnetic Inorganic Composites: Synthesis and Characterization

We report the preparation of a series of new magnetic inorganic composites (MICs) with tuneable magnetic and mechanical properties. In the field of power inductive components and inductive heating, they could transfer energy with high robustness and excellent performances. Moreover, they may mitigate electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the LF and MF band. The MICs have been prepared using an alkaline or acidic activation process carried out in the presence of commercial magnetic micrometric particles made of anisotropic and isotropic Sr-ferrite. Three different matrices have been prepared, varying the type of activator, slag addition, water content, and aggregates

Novel Multifunctional Magnetic Inorganic Composites: Synthesis and Characterization

We report the preparation of a series of new magnetic inorganic composites (MICs) with tuneable magnetic and mechanical properties. In the field of power inductive components and inductive heating, they could transfer energy with high robustness and excellent performances. Moreover, they may mitigate electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the LF and MF band. The MICs have been prepared using an alkaline or acidic activation process carried out in the presence of commercial magnetic micrometric particles made of anisotropic and isotropic Sr-ferrite. Three different matrices have been prepared, varying the type of activator, slag addition, water content, and aggregates

REGULUS CubeSat Propulsion System: In-Orbit Operations

A robust, versatile, and cost-effective propulsion system to provide wide mobility to small satellite platforms and nanosatellite deployers. A Plug&Play propulsion system designed to be easily integrated into different satellite platforms and to match customer\u27s requirements, with minimal customization efforts and costs

Experimental Investigation of a H2O2 Hybrid Rocket with Different Swirl Injections and Fuels

Hybrid rockets have very interesting characteristics like simplicity, reliability, safety, thrust modulation, environmental friendliness and lower costs, which make them very attractive for several applications like sounding rockets, small launch vehicles, upper stages, hypersonic test-beds and planetary landers. In recent years, advancements have been made to increase hybrid motor performance, and two of the most promising solutions are vortex injection and paraffin-based fuels. Moreover, both technologies can be also used to tailor the fuel regression rate, in the first case varying the swirl intensity, and in the second case with the amount and type of additives. In this way, it is possible not only to design high-performing hybrid motors, but also to adjust their grain and chamber geometries to different mission requirements, particularly regarding thrust and burning time. In this paper, the knowledge about these two technical solutions and their coupling is extended. Three sets of experimental campaigns were performed in the frame of the Italian Space Agency-sponsored PHAEDRA program. The first one investigated a reference paraffin fuel with axial and standard vortex injection. The second campaign tested vortex injection with low values of swirl numbers down to 0.5 with a conventional plastic fuel, namely polyethylene. Finally, the last campaign tested another, lower regressing, paraffin-based fuel with the same low swirl numbers as the second campaign

REGULUS Iodine Electric Propulsion System Integration in CubeSats’ Platforms and Testing

REGULUS is an electric propulsion (EP) system for CubeSats at TRL8 and now waiting for the IoD flight in late 2020. REGULUS system is provided for integration with all electronics, fluidic line, iodine tank and structures for total mass below 3 kg. Thanks in particular to the Magnetically Enhanced RF Plasma Thruster (MEPT) technology and the use of iodine propellant, the system can provide 3000Ns of total impulse in a 93.8 x 95.0 x 150.0 mm volume performance, fitting in a 1.5U Cubesat. REGULUS includes the whole propulsion package for integration in CubeSats and MicroSats as well as small CubeSat carriers. The system is composed by the thruster, the electronics (PPUs and PCU) the fluidic line and the tank. The main features of REGULUS are the presence of a simple architecture, a thruster with no neutralizer and grids, no high DC-voltage PPU and the use of solid iodine as propellant, that can be substituted with Xenon fluidic line and tank when required. Its first mission will be onboard of Unisat-7 by GAUSS. The flight will take place in late 2020 in a Soyuz flight. During the mission, REGULUS will allow Unisat-7 to perform an orbit descending maneuver, drag compensation in VLEO and decommissioning

Swarm of lightsail nanosatellites for Solar System exploration

This paper presents a study for the realization of a space mission which employs nanosatellites driven by an external laser source impinging on an optimized lightsail, as a valuable technology to launch swarms of spacecrafts into the Solar System. Nanosatellites propelled by laser can be useful for heliosphere exploration and for planetary observation, if suitably equipped with sensors, or be adopted for the establishment of network systems when placed into specific orbits. By varying the area-to-mass ratio (i.e. the ratio between the sail area and the payload weight) and the laser power, it is possible to insert nanosatellites into different hyperbolic orbits with respect to Earth, thus reaching the target by means of controlled trajectories in a relatively short amount of time. A mission involving nanosatellites of the order of 1 kg of mass is envisioned, by describing all the on-board subsystems and satisfying all the requirements in terms of power and mass budget. Particular attention is paid to the telecommunication subsystem, which must offer all the necessary functionalities. To fabricate the lightsail, the thin films technology has been considered, by verifying the sail's thermal stability during the thrust phase. Moreover, the problem of mechanical stability of the lightsail has been tackled, showing that the distance between the ligthsail structure and the payload plays a pivotal role. Some potential applications of the proposed technology are discussed, such as the mapping of the heliospheric environment

Global model of Hydrogen Discharge

Internal Publication, University of Padova, Reg. Tribunale P