The protoMIRAX Hard X-ray Imaging Balloon Experiment

The protoMIRAX hard X-ray imaging telescope is a balloon-borne experiment developed as a pathfinder for the MIRAX satellite mission. The experiment consists essentially in a coded-aperture hard X-ray (30-200 keV) imager with a square array (13$\times$13) of 2mm-thick planar CZT detectors with a total area of 169 cm$^2$. The total, fully-coded field-of-view is $21^{\circ}\times 21^{\circ}$ and the angular resolution is 1$^{\circ}$43'. In this paper we describe the protoMIRAX instrument and all the subsystems of its balloon gondola, and we show simulated results of the instrument performance. The main objective of protoMIRAX is to carry out imaging spectroscopy of selected bright sources to demonstrate the performance of a prototype of the MIRAX hard X-ray imager. Detailed background and imaging simulations have been performed for protoMIRAX balloon flights. The 3$\sigma$ sensitivity for the 30-200 keV range is ~1.9 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ for an integration time of 8 hs at an atmospheric depth of 2.7 g cm$^{-2}$ and an average zenith angle of 30$^{\circ}$. We have developed an attitude control system for the balloon gondola and new data handling and ground systems that also include prototypes for the MIRAX satellite. We present the results of Monte Carlo simulations of the camera response at balloon altitudes, showing the expected background level and the detailed sensitivity of protoMIRAX. We also present the results of imaging simulations of the Crab region. The results show that protoMIRAX is capable of making spectral and imaging observations of bright hard X-ray source fields. Furthermore, the balloon observations will carry out very important tests and demonstrations of MIRAX hardware and software in a near space environment.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

The ITASAT – The Lessons Learned from the Mission Concept to the Operation

The ITASAT Project was initiated as an effort of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA) and the National Institute of Space Research (INPE) to train human resources to the Aerospace sector due to the lack of experience of the students in practical projects in the aerospace segment in Brazil. In this effort students were challenged to design, build and operate a satellite in a hands-on project. Along the project years several changes happened on the satellite configuration, going through a 100 kg satellite to a 6U CubeSat and this last configuration was designed, assembled and tested. In December ITASAT was launched and since its launch has been tracked and operated by the ground operation team. In this paper we will discuss the lessons learned during the project, since the decision to change the satellite size and re-thinking the scope of the project objectives, focusing on system engineering, Assembly Integration and Testing (AIT), Verification and Validation (V&V) and ground operations. The paper will present the challenges of the group of students in this hands-on project, the mistakes and hits along the project phases

O Sistema Nacional de Dados Ambientais e a coleta de dados por satélite

Since 1993, INPE operates the Brazilian Environmental Data Collection System based on SCD-1 and SCD-2 satellites. By 2010, INPE reorganized its data collection system moving the data collection mission center in operation at Cachoeira Paulista, SP to Northeast Regional Center in Natal, RN. The goal was to establish a center of excellence in data collection services and applications. This paper focus on the description and evaluation of the National Environmental Data System, called SINDA in operation since 2010. The SINDA manages the data collection platform catalog (users, platform identification, location), processes the data files transmitted by the receiving ground station and converts data into engineering units, stores raw and processed data into data base and provides dissemination functions through web services. Today SINDA can process, store and distribute data transmitted not only by satellites, but by other means such as GPRS and internet. The hardware and software architecture is discussed. New design efforts have been concentrated in the improvement of the data dissemination to the users by web pages and data format according to World Meteorological Organization standards (meteorological, oceanographic and hydrological data formats). The tools used to monitor the SINDA quality of services are discussed. New demanding for environmental data especially for disaster monitoring with shorter system response time will guide the future development to strength the redundant hardware architecture as well as processing capability to improve the data validation according to the users needs.Pages: 9116-912

A Brazilian software industry experience in using ECSS for space application software development

This paper presents the tailoring of ECSS software product assurance requirements aiming at the development of scientific satellite payload embedded software by a Brazilian software supplier. The software item, named SWPDC, developed by DBA Engenharia de Sistemas LTDA within Software Factory context, is part of an ongoing research project, named Quality of Space Application Embedded Software - QSEE, developed by National Institute for Space Research INPE, with FINEP financial support. Among other aspects, QSEE project allowed to evaluate the adherence of a Software Factory processes to INPEs embedded software development process requirements. Although not familiar with space domain, the high maturity level of such supplier, CMMI-3 formally evaluated, facilitates the Software Factory to comply with the requirements imposed by the custumer. Following the software verification and validation processes recommended by ECSS standards, an Independent Verification and Validation - IVV approach was used by INPE in order to delegate the software acceptance activities to a third party team. ECSS standard tailored form contributions along the execution of the project and the benefits provided to the supplier in terms of process improvements are also presented herein.Pages: 163-17

Designing Fault Injection Experiments using Statebased Model to test a Space Software

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