Deployable Space Telescope: Optimal Boom Design for High Precision Deployment of the Secondary Mirror

The use of deployable structures for space telescopes has the advantage of enabling options to improve their optical performance and reducing the launch volume. The Deployable Space Telescope (DST), which is currently developed by the Space Systems Engineering (SSE) department, will make use of a high precision deployable structure to extend the...

The design of an Attitude Control System for the SPS-2 satellite: For the Rate Damping, Sun Acquisition and Sun Pointing Modes

This thesis covers the design of the Attitude Control System for the SPS-2 configuration, developed at Airbus Defense and Space the Netherlands. The start of the SPS-2 mission consists of three phases: rate damping, Sun Acquisition and Sun Pointing. The SPS-2 satellite has five available mounting places for different payloads. In the first part...

Cost Effective Attitude Control Validation Test Methods for CubeSats Applied to PolarCube

The problem of testing the performance of an attitude control system presents new challenges and opportunities when conducted on a CubeSat scale. This is the result of drastic reduction in physical properties (size, mass, torques) as well as project resources (funds, manpower, time) when compared to traditional satellite programs. This thesis...

System design and orbit analysis for SpooQySat-1.

The Center for Quantum Technologies (CQT), which belongs to the National University of Singapore (NUS) is developing a nanosatellite to host their miniaturized Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) payload called SPEQS. QKD makes it possible to generate encryption keys through the use of strongly correlated photons. This would allow two parties to...

Micro - Thruster Development: Propulsion System for the DelFFi Mission

The format and size specifications of the CubeSat platform require highly miniaturized subsystems, one of the most challenging ones being the propulsion system. Up to date, according to the authors' knowledge, only two CubeSats have successfully operated a propulsion system in space: CanX-2 in 2008 and Defil-n3Xt in 2013. The importance of a...

Detailed design and verification of a structure and mechanisms for Delfi-n3Xt

The objective of this thesis is to perform systems engineering, detailed (re-)design and testing of the structural and mechanisms subsystems and facilitate the production of components.

Filtering techniques for orbital debris conjunction analysis

The steadily growing amount of orbital debris increases the probability and amount of collisions between two objects in orbit about the Earth. These collisions in turn create even more debris, and it is therefore important to keep track of future conjunctions. The U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN) uses ground- and space-based sensors to...

Identification and analysis of point scatterers in time series InSAR

In this study methods are developed for improved analysis and processing of PSI data. PSI, or radar interferometry, makes it possible to use satellite radar images to measure deformation of the Earth’s surface and objects on it with millimetre accuracy. However, interpretation of the measurements and identifying the actually measured objects is...

Observing the hydrology of China from space - detection of anthropogenic changes in hydrology using spaceborne measurements

In this study we focus on the use of remotely sensed data, mainly data from the GRACE mission, for the detection of hydrological changes in China. More specifically, the Hai - Huai - Huang basins and the impoundment of the Three Gorges reservoir are studied. Due to noise and the required filtering of the monthly GRACE gravity field solutions...