OPS-SAT

OPS-SAT
Mission type Technology
Operator ESA
Website At ESA.int
Spacecraft properties
Bus 3U CubeSat
Manufacturer Graz University of Technology
Launch mass ~6 kg (13 lb)
Dimensions 96 mm × 96 mm × 490 mm
(3.8 in × 3.8 in × 19.3 in)
Start of mission
Launch date 2019[1]

OPS-SAT is a CubeSat currently being built by the European Space Agency (ESA) and it is intended to demonstrate the improvements in mission control capabilities that will arise when satellites can fly more powerful on-board computers. It consists of a satellite which contains an experimental computer that is ten times more powerful than any current ESA spacecraft.[2] The OPS-SAT mission has the very clear objective to break the cycle of “has never flown, will never fly” in the area of satellite control. It is going to be the first CubeSat operated directly by ESA.

OPS-SAT shall provide an in-orbit test-bed environment for the deployment of different experiments to test new protocols, new algorithms and new techniques. The satellite is being designed to be robust and no Single point of failure should exist, therefore it shall be always possible to recover the spacecraft if something goes wrong with one of the software experiments. The robustness of the basic satellite itself will allow ESA flight control teams to upload and try out new, innovative control software submitted by experimenters.

As of April 2017, OPS-SAT is completing its first System Validation Tests, in which the engineering model and ground segments of the spacecraft are brought together.

Launch date is currently being targeted for 2019.[1]

Payload

  • Experimental Platform: Critical Link MityARM 5CSX (2 in cold redundancy) [1]
  • Fine ADCS
  • GPS
  • Camera
  • Software-defined Radio
  • Optical Receiver

Communications

  • S-Band: CCSDS-compatible S-band communication: Syrlinks - EWC31[3]
  • X-Band: CNES funded X-band transmitter (payload of opportunity)
  • UHF: Backup communications link

Experimental Platform

The Experimental Platform is the heart of OPS-SAT. It includes a Dual-core 800 MHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, an Altera Cyclone V FPGA, 1 GB DDR3 RAM, and an external mass memory device with 8 GB. [1]

ESA‘s aim is to remove as many barriers to experimentation as possible. For example, there will be no paper work, ESOC's infrastructure will be ready to do automated tests on the experiments, and aims at reducing the overheads close to zero.

The NanoSat MO Framework (NMF) is a software framework for nanosatellites based on CCSDS Mission Operations services. An experiment can be developed as an NMF App that can then be installed, started, and stopped. It also includes monitoring and control capabilities for NMF Apps. The software is open-source. [4]

On Ground, EUD4MO will provide a web-based solution for the monitoring and control of NMF Apps. OPS-SAT experimenters will be able to take control using their web browser.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "ESAW 2017" (PDF). ESA. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  2. ↑ "OPS-SAT". ESA. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "NanoSat MO Framework". Retrieved 19 December 2017.
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