TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MICROSATELLITE-BASED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

S.I.Klimov, V.N.Angarov, M.B.Dobriyan, M.N.Nozdrachev, V.G.Rodin,G.M.Tamkovich

Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Science, and IRPO, 84/32,Profsoyuznaya str., Moscow, 117810, Russia

A.A.Beliaev, Ye.A.Grachov, O.R.Grigoryan, V.V.RadchenkoScobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow State University, and IRPO,

Vorobyevy gory, Moscow, 119899, Russia

ABSTRACT

Space is the area of vital interests of mankind. Education and its first stage, school, is the naturalapproach to make people realize it. Exploration of space relies upon rocket and spacetechnology, and the earlier the public will "touch" it, the faster and better results of spaceexploration will be obtained. A wide Program of the School Scientific-Research Micro-satellite(SSRMS) would be a main aspect of such an approach. The SSRMS have full weight no morethan 25 kg, including weight of the scientific equipment that is 4-6 kg.

1.ORGANIZED ASPECT

The micro-satellite is a kind of teaching aid, rather expensive and sophisticated mainly becauseit employs high technologies, not available for school education. Hence, technical aspects of theProgram should directly involve participation of advanced branches of science and engineering.The non-profit Inter-Region Public Organization “Union of specialists and youth for scientific-technological creation in space technology - Micro-Satellite” (IRPO – microsat@ili.rssi.ru)designs and creates SSRMS for the Education Program. It involves the youth of Russia andother countries (learning schools and other educational institutions) in learning and assimilationof modern technologies in the field of research and use of Near Earth Space. The IRPO activityis based on the realisation of concrete projects on building, launching into orbit and then controlof the micro-satellites equipped with various research devices that allow the youth to carry outscientific-research work and to introduce them to the procedures of fundamental scientific work.In essence, such micro-satellites are built using modern technologies and are capable ofcarrying-out a few of the scientific missions normally performed by larger and much moreexpensive space vehicles. The development and manufacturing of the SSRMS is organized inIRPO with participation of scientists and highly skilled experts from the Russian scientific,design and industrial organizations that are connected to space research and industry. These are,in particular, the Space Research Institute with Special Design Bureau for Space Instruments,and the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism and Radiowave Propagation of the Russian Academyof Sciences, Rocket Space Corporation "Energia", Moscow State University, etc.The youth participating in IRPO projects, has an opportunity to get acquainted with thecomplete cycle of processes connected to a formulation of the micro-satellite scientific programconcept, its design, manufacture and launch into orbit. The youth take part themselves inreceiving, processing and interpreting the scientific and service information from the micro-satellite in orbit. For these purposes the equipment of the school ground stations for receivingand processing of the information operates in the radio-amateur frequency band. The groundstations are rather simple in design. They are based on standard components. The radio-amateurs can easily work with them. Being a non-profit organization, IRPO aims at reducing thecost of projects, which are in fact several times less than similar projects. The IRPO funds are

provided by sponsors, educational institutions (through fees for participation in the projects) andby membership fees. These funds cover micro-satellite design, manufacturing and theorganization of its launch into an orbit.

2.EDUCATIONAL ASPECT

The task of the Program is not only to bring students to the level of practical realization ofSSRMS but also to bring scientists themselves to the educational process. It may proceed on thefollowing directions:• Design and development of service satellite systems, on board computer systems,

orientation sensors, “store-and-forward” informational systems, ballistics calculations ofsmall satellite, its orbit, technological modes.

• Technological experiments, materials studies, micro-gravitation effects etc.• Earth’s remote sensing, meteorological studies, high resolution topographic studies• Physics studies of Earth’s radiation belts, atmosphere and ionosphere studies, Earth’s

magnetic field studies, space weather studies, ecological tasks, including search for possibleanthropogenic symptoms[1, 2].

The concept of using of micro-satellite was generated to the end of the 80-th and now thegeneral tendency to increase of their share in total of satellites working in an orbit is observed.Now it is clear, that the modern level of development of engineering allows the majority ofresearch experiments (behind exception, perhaps, astrophysical) to carry out with the equipmentin weight no more than 5-10 kg. Taking into account extremely high information loading ofmodern experiments, the basic problem consists in an opportunity of transfer of the received inexperiments data to the Earth. It is the basic restriction. The decision of a problem can becreation of the appropriate infrastructure receptions of the information both in regions of Russia,and in other countries.The first SSRMS to be executed by IRPO is a joint Russian-Australian project "Kolibri-2000"http://www.iki.rssi.ru/kollibri/mission1_e . The participants of this project are: a group of Russianschools (Basic - School of Computer Technologies at University of Atomic Energy in Obninsk,near Moscow www.gelios.obninsk.org ) and two Australian schools: Knox Grammar Schoolwww.knox.nsw.au and Ravenswood School for Girls www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au. The launch of"Kolibri 2000" is planned at the beginning 2001. August 2000 the group of the Russianschoolboys and schoolgirls, teachers and specialists visited Australia, where the ground stationswere installed on the premises of the Australian schools.

3.MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF “KOLIBRI-2000”

The basic characteristics:1. weight - no more than 25 kg, including weight:• scientific equipment - 4.5 kg;• service system with: - 12.5 kg

- transmitter / receiver - 1.34 kg- controller - 0.73 kg- power supply system (12 +2/-3 Volt, 3.5 A.h - 5.8 kg- magnetic-gravitational stabilization system - 3.1 kg- cables, connectors - 1.23 kg

• construction and thermoregulation system - 5.6 kg2. power capacity from 0.6 m2 solar panel - 25 W;3. an orbit - an orbit of ISS; the system of orientation with accuracy of orientation - not worse

10_;4. maintenance of a thermal mode - passive through elements of a design of the satellite;

5. maintenance of maximal time of active existence in an orbit (4-6 months) is reached due toincrease of the area of solar cells (a covering by them not only bodies of the satellite, butalso installation of additional panels);

6. for transfer of the scientific and service information the radio-channel on frequency 145/435MHz (for maintenance of reception of the information on radio-amateur places ofacceptance) is used;

7. information ability is determined, mainly, the limited number of ground points ofcommunication and makes 1.5 Mbytes/day; the buffer store in capacity of 2 Mbytesonboard is used; onboard communication line - RS232

Start of the “Kolibri-2000” is planned to carry out from ISS.

Kolibri-2000

Russian-Australian School Scientific- Reasearch Micro-satelite

educational tasksscientific

investigationstechnical anddesign tasks

development of skills of workwith modern high technology

small size, lowmass and power

design of apparatusin view of rigid

requirements to adesign

prototyping of elements and unitsof eguipment

Laboratory practical work

partisipation in processing ofscientificdata and in interpretation ofobteined information

partisipating in scientific tasksformation

the profound studying of naturalsciences(physics, applied mathematics,computer facilities, etc.)

Improvement elements ofdistant education

development of skills of workwith modern equipment

development of skills of work withbig data massiveI

prototyping of program elementsforscientific and service

equipment

allocation ofscientific equipmentsystem, especialy of

detectors

design ofstabilisation

system

providing of termalmode of

apparatus

providing ofmaximal time of

active life ofapparatus on orbit

measurenments ofneutral radiation

(neutrons, gamma)

research ofconnections betwin

ionosphere andatmosphere

ecological tasks

research of"abnormal"

formations in theinner radiation belt

search of symptomsof earthquakes

mesurenment ofEarth's magnetic field

and its fluctuations

improvement of methods ofmenagment of special space

apparatus

dynamic of Earth'sradiation belts

Figure 1. Main goals of “Kolibri-2000”.

4.SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT

The decision of the listed tasks is carried out by a system of scientific equipment:• three-component flux-gate magnetometer (+/-64000 nT with a margin error of

measurements on each channel it is not worse than 10 nT); AC 50-60 Hz bandwidth;• electrometer - two components v x B induced electric field; AC 50-60 Hz bandwidth;• 4 gas-discharge counters for registration of flux of electrons with energy > 200 keV and

located in such a manner that two counters are directed accordingly to zenith and nadir, andothers two make with them the orthogonal three;

• the gas-discharge counter for registration of flux of protons with energy > 50 MeV(electrons with Ee > 5 MeV);

• the semi-conductor detector with magnetic filter for registration of flux of protons withenergy 0.1-8.0___;

• gas-discharge neutron counters with graphite absorber for registration of flux of neutronswith energy 0.1-10.0 MeV and gamma-rays with energy > 15 MeV;

5.CONCLUSION

Thus, the Russian - Australian experiment “Kolibri–2000” now is prepared. Feature of theSSRMS is that, besides tasks of educational character, on it at active participation of schoolboysand students a lot of scientific problems are solved [3].

REFERENCES

1. S.I.Klimov, N.A.Eismont, Yu.V.Lisakov, V.G.Lyakishev, A.A.Skalsky, S.P.Savin, A.A.Petrukovich,A.V.Prudkoglad, V.G.Rodin, S.A.Romanov, L.S.Turin, V.E.Korepanov, U.Auster, J.Rustenbach.The electromagnetic clean microsatellite of orbital station for the monitoring of the low-frequencyelectromagnetic emissions, Second International Aerospace Congress IAC'97, Abstracts, p.305,1997.

2. O.R.Grigoryan, A.V.Sinyakov, S.I.Klimov. Energetic electrons on L<1.2. Connection to lightningactivity?, Adv. Space Res., 20, 389-392, 1997.

3. S.I.Klimov, V.N.Angarov, M.N.Nozdrachev, Yu.V.Afanasyev, Y.Rustenbach. Attitude control andstabilization system for the school microsatellite. In this issue.