Ceas Space Journal 

About: Ceas Space Journal is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Propulsion & Aerospace engineering. It has an ISSN identifier of 1868-2502. Over the lifetime, 360 publications have been published receiving 2183 citations. The journal is also known as: Council of European Aerospace Societies space journal (Internet) & Council of European Aerospace Societies space journal (Print).

Antennas for multiple spot beam satellites

Abstract: Ka-band payloads are becoming more and more popular for satellite communication. The wider band width in Ka-band allows a better satisfaction of the increasing demand for capacity. In addition to the use of more resources, a more efficient use of the available resources will become key for a successful development of satellite communication services. Modern antenna concepts allow a high frequency reuse scheme and, therefore, an extreme efficient use of the most rare resource in satellite communication, the frequency band width. In this paper, we describe the design and the use of different types of such antennas.

Space gravitational wave antenna DECIGO and B-DECIGO

Abstract: Since the direct detection of gravitational wave will give us a fruitful insight about the early universe or life of stars, laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors with the strain sensitivity of higher than 10−22 have been developed. In Japan, the space gravitational wave detector project named DECi-hertz Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO) has been promoted which consists of three satellites forming equilateral triangle-shaped Fabry–Perot laser interferometer with the arm length of 1000 km. The designed strain sensitivity of DECIGO is 2 × 10−24/√Hz around 0.1 Hz whose targets are gravitational waves originated from the inspiral and the merger of black hole or neutron star binaries and from the inflation at the early universe, and no ground-based gravitational wave detector can access this observation band. Before launching DECIGO in 2030s, a milestone mission named B-DECIGO is planned which is a downsized mission of DECIGO. B-DECIGO also has its own scientific targets in addition to the feasibility test for DECIGO. In the present paper, DECIGO and B-DECIGO projects are reviewed.

Study of mechanical architectures of large deployable space antenna apertures: from design to tests

Abstract: The technical assessment of large deployable reflector structures covering a diameter range from 4 to 50 m and RF frequencies up to Ka-Band is presented from the conceptual designs to the tests. Parametric FEM analysis tools of the concepts have been developed to study their static, modal and buckling behaviors. According to the selected conceptual design and acquired analysis results two complete breadboards with diameters of 1.6 m and 4 m based on a peripheral ring structure have been designed, manufactured and tested. Test results of both breadboards fulfilling the requirements on deployment repeatability and accuracy as well as scalability demonstrate the successful selection of a deployable ring design and large deployable antenna concept in whole.

Guidance, Navigation, and Control Performance for the GOES-R Spacecraft

Abstract: The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R) is the first of the next generation geostationary weather satellites. The series represents a dramatic increase in Earth observation capabilities, with 4 times the resolution, 5 times the observation rate, and 3 times the number of spectral bands. GOES-R also provides unprecedented availability, with less than 120 min per year of lost observation time. This paper presents the guidance navigation & control (GN&C) requirements necessary to realize the ambitious pointing, knowledge, and image navigation and registration (INR) objectives of GOES-R. Because the suite of instruments is sensitive to disturbances over a broad spectral range, a high-fidelity simulation of the vehicle has been created with modal content over 500 Hz to assess the pointing stability requirements. Simulation results are presented showing acceleration, shock response spectra, and line-of-sight (LOS) responses for various disturbances from 0 to 512 Hz. Simulation results demonstrate excellent performance relative to the pointing and pointing stability requirements, with LOS jitter for the isolated instrument platform of approximately 1 micro-rad. Attitude and attitude rate knowledge are provided directly to the instrument with an accuracy defined by the integrated rate error requirements. The data are used internally for motion compensation. The final piece of the INR performance is orbit knowledge, which GOES-R achieves with GPS navigation. Performance results are shown demonstrating compliance with the 50–75 m orbit position accuracy requirements. As presented in this paper, the GN&C performance supports the challenging mission objectives of GOES-R.

In-orbit performance of the LISA Pathfinder drag-free and attitude control system

Abstract: LISA Pathfinder is a technology demonstrator mission that was funded by the European Space Agency and that was launched on December 3, 2015. LISA Pathfinder has been conducting experiments to demonstrate key technologies for the gravitational wave observatory LISA in its operational orbit at the L1 Lagrange point of the Earth–Sun system until final switch off on July 18, 2017. These key technologies include the inertial sensors, the optical metrology system, a set of µ-propulsion cold gas thrusters and in particular the high performance drag-free and attitude control system (DFACS) that controls the spacecraft in 15 degrees of freedom during its science phase. The main goal of the DFACS is to shield the two test masses inside the inertial sensors from all external disturbances to achieve a residual differential acceleration between the two test masses of less than 3 × 10−14 m/s2/√Hz over the frequency bandwidth of 1–30 mHz. This paper focuses on two important aspects of the DFACS that has been in use on LISA Pathfinder: the DFACS Accelerometer mode and the main DFACS Science mode. The Accelerometer mode is used to capture the test masses after release into free flight from the mechanical grabbing mechanism. The main DFACS Science Mode is used for the actual drag-free science operation. The DFACS control system has very strong interfaces with the LISA Technology Package payload which is a key aspect to master the design, development, and analysis of the DFACS. Linear as well as non-linear control methods are applied. The paper provides pre-flight predictions for the performance of both control modes and compares these predictions to the performance that is currently achieved in-orbit. Some results are also discussed for the mode transitions up to science mode, but the focus of the paper is on the Accelerometer mode performance and on the performance of the Science mode in steady state. Based on the achieved results, some lessons learnt are formulated to extend the results to the drag-free control system to be designed for future space-based gravity wave observatories like LISA.