This document provides an overview of a course on satellites taught at the International University of Rabat School of Aerospace Engineering. It includes definitions of key terms related to satellites, a brief history of satellites, descriptions of different types of satellite platforms and payloads, and discussions of satellite applications, costs, manufacturing, and orbital mechanics concepts like orbital debris and the two-body problem. The document outlines the course content which will cover topics like satellite introduction, platforms, payloads, applications and orbital mechanics over 4 chapters.
3. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Plan
Chapter 1 : Introduction to satellites
Chapter 1 : Introduction to satellites
Introduction
History
D fi i i
Definitions
O bit
Orbits
Space Environnment
Space Environnment
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4. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Introduction
Satellites have become in 50 years an important element of human activity: state policy
(prestige, supremacy), object of international cooperation:
Defense
Science, from the knowledge of the universe to that of the planet Earth
Irreplaceable role in the services of everyday life:
Telecommunications
P i t t i t di t t l i i
Point-to-point direct television
Telephony: international, intercontinental, mobile communication, portable ...
Multimedia: Internet, telecommuting, telemedicine
Navigation
Navigation
Remote sensing, Earth observation
Meteorology
The spatial activity must combine:
Technological achievement and innovation
Q lit d f t ith t ffi i li bilit d il bilit
4
Quality and safety, with management efficiency, economy, reliability and availability
5. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE History
1945 : The writer Arthur C. Clarke published an article which theoretically proposed
the feasibility of establishing a communication satellite in a geostationary orbit.
1957 : Sputnik-1 was the first artificial satellite Launched on 4 October by the former
Soviet Union followed by Sputnik-2 on 3 November carried a dog named Laika.
1958 : Explorer-1 was the first satellite launched by the United States on 31 January.
1958 : The Vanguard-1 was the first satellite to employ solar cells to charge the
batteries
batteries.
1960 : The TIROS-1 satellite provided the first pictures of Earth.
1965 Th I l 1 k ‘E l Bi d’ h fi i
1965 : The Intelsat-1 known as ‘Early Bird’ was the first geostationary
communications satellite in commercial service.
1965 : Molniya series of satellites beginning were unique in providing uninterrupted
1965 : Molniya series of satellites beginning were unique in providing uninterrupted
24 hours a day communications services without being in the conventional
geostationary orbit.
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1994 : The first digital satellite TV broadcasting began in the United States of America
6. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Aerospace Flight Vehicles
A ti
Aeronautic
aircraft, helicopter,
aero-boat (airship) ,hot air balloon
missiles (air to air; air to ground; ground to air; cruise)
Astronautic
- Spacecraft :
satellite (95% of spacecraft), probe, spaceship
space station
- Launcher :
- Launcher :
launch vehicle, ballistic missile
Space Shuttle
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7. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
A i E S A ’ l h hi l
Ariane: European Space Agency’s launch vehicle
Astronaut: A space traveller, i.e. a person who flies in space either as a crew
member or a passenger
Astroph sics St d of the ph sical and chemical nat re of celestial bodies and their
Astrophysics: Study of the physical and chemical nature of celestial bodies and their
environments
Buran: A re-usable launch vehicle, Russian counterpart of a space shuttle
Footprint: The area of coverage of a satellite
Footprint: The area of coverage of a satellite
Geostationary orbit: An equatorial circular orbit in which the satellite moves from
west to east with a velocity such that it remains stationary with respect to a point on
the Earth Also known as the Clarke orbit after the name of the science fiction writer
the Earth. Also known as the Clarke orbit after the name of the science fiction writer
who first proposed this orbit
Geostationary Earth orbit (GEO): A satellite orbit with an orbit height at 35 786 km
above the surface of the Earth. This height makes the satellite’s orbital velocity equal
above the surface of the Earth. This height makes the satellite s orbital velocity equal
to the speed of rotation of Earth, thus making the satellite look stationary from a given
point on the surface of the Earth
GPS: An abbreviation for the global positioning system. It is a satellite-based
g p g y
navigation system that allows you to know your position coordinates with the help of a
receiver anywhere in the world under any weather condition
Injection velocity: This is the horizontal velocity with which a satellite is injected into
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space by the launch vehicle with the intention of imparting a specific trajectory to the
satellite
8. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
INTELSAT A f I t ti l T l i ti S t llit C ti
INTELSAT: Acronym for International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium
operating satellites internationally for both domestic and international
telecommunication services
Landsat First remote sensing satellite series in the orld from USA
Landsat: First remote sensing satellite series in the world from USA
Low Earth orbit (LEO): A satellite orbit with an orbital height of around 150 km to
500 km above the surface of Earth. These orbits have lower orbital periods, shorter
propagation delays and lower propagation losses
propagation delays and lower propagation losses
Medium Earth orbit (MEO): A satellite orbit with an orbital height around 10 000 km
to 20 000 km above the surface of the Earth
Molniya orbit: A highly inclined and elliptical orbit used by Russian satellites with
Molniya orbit: A highly inclined and elliptical orbit used by Russian satellites with
apogee and perigee distances of about 40 000 and 500 km and an orbit inclination of
65◦. Three such satellites aptly spaced apart in the orbit provide an uninterrupted
communication service
communication service
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Payload: Useful cargo-like satellite being a payload of a launch vehicle
Satellite: A natural or artificial body moving around a celestial body
y g y
Sounding rocket: A research rocket used to obtain data from the upper atmosphere
Space shuttle: A re-usable launch vehicle from the United States
Transponder: A piece of radio equipment that receives a signal from the Earth station
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at the uplink frequency, amplifies it and then retransmits the same signal at the
downlink frequency
10. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
S ll/Mi /
S ll/Mi /N
N S t llit
S t llit
Small/Micro/
Small/Micro/Nano
Nano Satellites
Satellites
Small sat
500~1000 kg
Mini-sat
100 ~ 500 kg
Micro-sat
10 ~ 100 kg
Nano-sat
1~10 kg
Pico-sat
0.1~1 kg
500 1000 kg
20~50 M$
g
4~20 M$
g
1~4 M$
g
<1 M$
0.1 1 kg
<1 M$
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11. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Satellites Project Life Cycle
FORMULATION IMPLEMENTATION
A B C D E F
Pre-A
Satellites Project Life Cycle
Project
Phases
Concept
Studies
Concept &
Technology
Development
Preliminary
Design &
Technology
Completion
Final
Design &
Fabrication
System
Assembly,
Test, &
Launch
Closeout
Operations &
Sustainment
Key
Decision
P i t
A C D E
B F
Points
Major
Mission Concept Review
Systems Requirements Review
Mission/System Definition Review
j
Reviews
Mission/System Definition Review
Critical Design Review
Systems Integration Review
Preliminary Design Review
Independent Cost Systems Integration Review
Operational Readiness Review
Flight Readiness Review
Post Launch Assessment Review
Independent Cost
Estimates
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Decommissioning
Review
12. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
C tit ti f t llit
Constitution of satellite
Satellite
l d
Platform payloads
Platform
Communication satellite
On
Bo
The
St
m
Pow
Attitu
Con
Propu
TC
Communication satellite
(Transponders + antennas)
Navigation satellite (Distance
measurements and time
oard
Com
System
rmal
Co
System
ructure
mechanis
wer
Sys
ude
and
ntrol
Sy
ulsion
S
CC
Syst
measurements and time
system)
Visible light reconnaissance
mputer
m
ontrol
m
and
sm
stem
d
Orbit
ystem
System
tem
satellite (Cameras)
Weather satellite (Sensors)
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Scientific experimental
satellite (Experimental
facilities)
13. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Satellite System
It i t f th l t
- It consists of three elements :
The launch
The space segment
Satellite : Platform and Payload
Satellite : Platform and Payload
Control station : Means of operations and commands
The user segment (Ground)
Earth station : Means of programming the payload
p g g p y
(Mission centre)
Means of reception, processing, storage, broadcasting of
i f i l d h l d i i h h
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information related to the payload, insuring the access the
global user segment.
14. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Satellite System : The Launch
The launch vehicle is the first condition for satellite to gain
access to the orbit: it constraints very strongly the access to space:
orbit reached, mass in orbit, injection speed, CAP volume available
It has long been at the heart of the States' space strategy
The main monopolies of the 1st space powers
Ariane is a major element of the independence of Europe
Today, strong competition for an activity whose commercial
character has exceeded the strategic character: release of certain
g
constraints, but need of standardization of the interfaces.
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16. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Platform classes
500 tonnes
> 5 tonnes
International Space Station
Big GEO Alphabus Eurostar-Spacebus
> 5 tonnes
3 to 5 tonnes
1 to 3 tonnes
500 kg
Big GEO
GEO télécom and MEO
MEO, GEO
Mini
Alphabus Eurostar Spacebus
Eurostar – Spacebus
Spot
Protéus
500 kg
100 kg
10 kg
Mini
Micro
Nano
Protéus
Myriade
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17. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Satellite classes
Manufacture Platform Launch
Mass
Electric Power
Geostationary satellite (Lifetime of 15 years) numbers given for illustrative purposes only
Mass
ASPI Spacebus 4000 5500 kg 15 to 20 kW
AIRBUS defence
and space
Eurostar 3000 5500 kg 15 kW
Boeing BSS 601
BSS 702 +
classe
5800 kg
5 to 25 kW
Loockheed-
Martin
A2100 Ax
A2100 Ax2
Advanced A2100
4400 à
5500 kg
6 to 22 kW
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Loral 1300S 6200 kg 11 to 19 kW
18. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Mass distributions aboard
satellite
satellite
Mass distributions in % Earth observation Telecom GEO
satellite (SPOT) ,
lifetime of 5 years
satellite, lifetime
of 15 years
Platform 40 35
Payload 54 10
propellants 6 55
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19. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Economic context : the satellite
manufactures
Two European satellite manufactures Airbus et Thales face three
American manufactures in the commercial field: Boeing Lockheed
American manufactures in the commercial field: Boeing, Lockheed
Martin and SSL Loral
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22. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Definitions
Economic context : the Costs
Satellite Cost
Project Management : Engineering, product insurance,
Financial expenses
Payload : Repeaters + Antennas
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y p
Platform : Material and supply tracking
23. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
Space Law
“First Come First Ser ed”
United Nations Outer Space Treaty (1967)
“First Come, First Served”
p y ( )
Outer space free for exploitation and use by all states in
conformity with international regulations
conformity with international regulations
States retain jurisdiction and control over objects they
have launched into outer space
have launched into outer space
International Telecommunication Union
Radio frequencies & satellite orbits are limited natural
resources
Principles of use of orbit/spectrum
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Principles of use of orbit/spectrum
Allocation of frequency bands
27. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
G m2
Two body problem
In a Galilean frame, the equations of
motion of the two particles are written by m1
3
1
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
r
r
r
r
m
Gm
r
m
motion of the two particles are written by
1
2 r
r
3
2
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
r
r
r
r
m
Gm
r
m
2
r
1
r
O
By adding the two previous equations of motion, we have:
te
cons
r tan
By Subtracting the two previous previous equations of motion
and using :
te
cons
rG tan
g
)
(
r
G
1
2 r
r
r
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3
2
1 )
(
r
m
m
G
r
28. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
In astronomy, Kepler's laws of planetary motion are three
KEPLER Orbit
y, p p y
scientific laws describing the motion of planets around the
Sun:
The orbit of a planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one of
the two foci
the two foci
A line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out
l d i l i t l f ti
equal areas during equal intervals of time
The square of the orbital period of a planet is
proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit
Restricted two body problem conforms to the Kepler’s law, so
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y p p
its orbit is called Kepler orbit.
29. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
Spacecraft is free to move without control
Assumptions for KEPLER Orbit
Spacecraft is free to move without control.
The Earth is a sphere with uniform mass distribution.
Th i i f h l i l b di id d
The gravities of other celestial bodies are not considered.
Other disturbances, such as atmospheric drag and solar
di i l d
radiation pressure, are neglected.
The mass of the Earth is much larger than
h f h f
the mass of the spacecraft.
The property of the relativity theory
i id d
is not considered.
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30. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
Spacecraft Orbits:
U i th ti f KEPLER O bit th
Using the assumptions for KEPLER Orbit, the
acceleration of the spacecraft is given by :
3
r
r
GM
r
r
3 characteristic constants can be obtained:
3 characteristic constants can be obtained:
1. Specific relative angular momentum ܪ
p g
2. Energy ܧ
3. Laplace vector ܮ
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54. Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
E i 1
Exercise 1
A satellite is orbiting Earth in a uniform circular orbit at a height of
630 k f th f f E th A i th di f E th d it
630 km from the surface of Earth. Assuming the radius of Earth and its
mass to be 6370 km and 5.98 × 1024 kg respectively, determine the velocity
of the satellite (Take the gravitational constant G = 6.67 × 10−11Nm2/kg2).
Exercise 2
The apogee and perigee distances of a satellite orbiting in an elliptical
p g p g g p
orbit are respectively 45 000 km and 7000 km. Determine the following:
1. Semi-major axis of the elliptical orbit
2. Orbit eccentricity
3. Distance between the centre of the Earth and the centre of the elliptical orbit
E i 3
Exercise 3
A satellite is moving in an elliptical orbit with the major axis equal to 42 000
k If th i di t i 8000 k fi d th d th bit
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km. If the perigee distance is 8000 km, find the apogee and the orbit
eccentricity.
55. E i 4
Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
Exercise 4
Refer to Figure below. Satellite A is orbiting Earth in a near-Earth circular
bit f di 7000 k S t llit B i biti E th i lli ti l bit ith
orbit of radius 7000 km. Satellite B is orbiting Earth in an elliptical orbit with
apogee and perigee distances
of 47 000 km and 7000 km respectively. Determine the velocities of the two
satellites at point X.
56. E i 5
Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
Exercise 5
Refer to Figure below. Satellite A is orbiting Earth in an equatorial circular
bit f di 42 000 k S t llit B i biti E th i lli ti l bit
orbit of radius 42 000 km. Satellite B is orbiting Earth in an elliptical orbit
with apogee and perigee distances of 42 000 km and 7000 km respectively.
Determine the velocities of the two satellites at point X.
57. E i 6
Pr. A. Addaim
UIR/SAE Orbits
Exercise 6
Refer to Figure below. Satellite A is orbiting Earth in a circular orbit of
di 25 000 k S t llit B i biti E th i lli ti l bit ith
radius 25 000 km. Satellite B is orbiting Earth in an elliptical orbit with
apogee and perigee distances of 43 000 km and 7000 km respectively.
Determine the velocities of the two satellites at the indicated points X and
Y.