P.P. Sundaramoorthy
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19 records found
1
Designing for Diversity
Soft Landings and Developmental Portfolios in Aerospace Education
Conference paper
(2025)
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Y. Tang, Ines Uriol Balbin, D.M.J. Peeters, P.P. Sundaramoorthy, B. Kumru, S.M. Sajedi, C.D. Rans
Coordinating and executing an MSc program is accompanied by various challenges. To name a few: a) students joining the program means have diverse backgrounds which means varying levels of prior knowledge, and b) in a program that offers specialization into different profiles, it is important to ensure that every student attains the required breadth in foundation as well, which the program mandates. At the Aerospace Structures and Materials (ASM) Department in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft, we are developing a core curriculum that encompasses the first education quarter (8 weeks, 15 ECTS), which aims to successfully tackle these challenges in order to train up future aerospace engineers with solid technical foundation, critical thinking ability and collaborative working spirit. The module starts with a “soft-landing” for the students and is followed by three content sprints that cover the essentials in the three principal domains of ASM – Materials, Manufacturing and Modelling. Engineering and consulting assignments have been embedded that tie the sprints together and offer inspiration and motivation for the students. In parallel, students get trained in transversal skills. A student facing dashboard will provide comprehensive feedback on learning progress and outcome. The dashboard will additionally support the transition towards a portfolio-based assessment. In this paper, we outline key features of the core curriculum along with the process that was employed for its development.
...
Coordinating and executing an MSc program is accompanied by various challenges. To name a few: a) students joining the program means have diverse backgrounds which means varying levels of prior knowledge, and b) in a program that offers specialization into different profiles, it is important to ensure that every student attains the required breadth in foundation as well, which the program mandates. At the Aerospace Structures and Materials (ASM) Department in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft, we are developing a core curriculum that encompasses the first education quarter (8 weeks, 15 ECTS), which aims to successfully tackle these challenges in order to train up future aerospace engineers with solid technical foundation, critical thinking ability and collaborative working spirit. The module starts with a “soft-landing” for the students and is followed by three content sprints that cover the essentials in the three principal domains of ASM – Materials, Manufacturing and Modelling. Engineering and consulting assignments have been embedded that tie the sprints together and offer inspiration and motivation for the students. In parallel, students get trained in transversal skills. A student facing dashboard will provide comprehensive feedback on learning progress and outcome. The dashboard will additionally support the transition towards a portfolio-based assessment. In this paper, we outline key features of the core curriculum along with the process that was employed for its development.
Conference paper
(2022)
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Prem Sundaramoorthy, Cornelis Vertegaal, Cecilia Martinez, Ramiro Serra, Chris Verhoeven, Anton Montagne, Mark J Bentum
In the last decades, there has been a steady adoption of digital online platforms as learning environments applied to all levels of education. This increasing adoption forces a transition in educational resources which has further been accelerated by the recent pandemic, leading to an almost complete online-only learning environment in some cases. The aim of this paper is to outline the methodology involved in setting up a framework for mapping course-specific data based on student activity to standard learning indicators, which will serve as an input to performance prediction algorithms. The process involves systematically surveying, capturing, and categorising the vast range of data available in digital learning platforms. The data are collected from two sample courses and distilled into five dimensions represented by the generic learning indicators: prior knowledge, preparation, participation, interaction, and performance. The data is weighted based on course development and teaching member’s perspectives to account for course-wise variations. The framework established will allow portability of prediction algorithms between courses and provide a means for meaningful and directed learner formative feedback. Two courses, both bachelor-level and worth 5 European Credits (ECs), that use several online learning platforms in their teaching tools have been chosen in this study to explore the nature and range of student interaction data available, accessible, and usable in a course. The first course is Electromagnetics II at Eindhoven University of Technology, and the second course is Electronics at Delft University of Technology. Both Universities are located in the Netherlands. This work is in the scope of a broader study to use such learning indicators with predictive algorithms to provide a prognosis on individual student performance. The findings in this paper will enable the realization of student performance prediction at a very early stage in the course.
...
In the last decades, there has been a steady adoption of digital online platforms as learning environments applied to all levels of education. This increasing adoption forces a transition in educational resources which has further been accelerated by the recent pandemic, leading to an almost complete online-only learning environment in some cases. The aim of this paper is to outline the methodology involved in setting up a framework for mapping course-specific data based on student activity to standard learning indicators, which will serve as an input to performance prediction algorithms. The process involves systematically surveying, capturing, and categorising the vast range of data available in digital learning platforms. The data are collected from two sample courses and distilled into five dimensions represented by the generic learning indicators: prior knowledge, preparation, participation, interaction, and performance. The data is weighted based on course development and teaching member’s perspectives to account for course-wise variations. The framework established will allow portability of prediction algorithms between courses and provide a means for meaningful and directed learner formative feedback. Two courses, both bachelor-level and worth 5 European Credits (ECs), that use several online learning platforms in their teaching tools have been chosen in this study to explore the nature and range of student interaction data available, accessible, and usable in a course. The first course is Electromagnetics II at Eindhoven University of Technology, and the second course is Electronics at Delft University of Technology. Both Universities are located in the Netherlands. This work is in the scope of a broader study to use such learning indicators with predictive algorithms to provide a prognosis on individual student performance. The findings in this paper will enable the realization of student performance prediction at a very early stage in the course.
This decade has seen growing interest in Mars exploration. Advances in distributed systems, miniaturization and commoditization of space electronics and innovations in communications permit us to rethink the current paradigm of relying on a few heavy, slow and expensive high-tech rovers for Mars surface exploration. In this work, we address the demanding communication needs for a mission that deploys a swarm of uncontrolled wind-driven exploration rovers onto the martian surface. The concept for these lightweight, autonomous, ellipsoid ”Tumbleweed” rovers — named after the desert plant — is not new, and was studied and validated by NASA researchers decades ago. Recently, a new plan to turn the Tumbleweed mission into reality has been proposed to the ESA open space innovation platform (OSIP). The idea is to launch approximately 90 Tumbleweeds in one transfer vehicle and release them on the martian surface to survey the northern hemisphere of Mars over a mission duration of three months. Reliable communication is one of the key challenges for this mission. The rovers’ instruments, e.g. cameras, generate large volumes of data, and many rovers need to be served simultaneously. Furthermore, the tumbling motion on the martian surface constitutes unprecedented challenges in terms of antenna pointing for planetary exploration rovers. We present a trade-off analysis between direct to Earth communication and relayed communication using satellites orbiting Mars culminating in a baseline communication architecture for the Tumbleweed mission. For this purpose we model the kinematics of the Tumbleweed rovers and relay satellites w.r.t the Earth. A numerical simulation of all potential communication links over the full mission duration is conducted. The analysis shows that direct communication to Earth is infeasible due to the rolling motion of the rover. Hence, the relayed communication scenario is proposed, as it does not require a directional antenna on the Tumbleweed rovers. Therefore, we propose a constellation of three relay satellites in a circular, Earth-facing orbital plane around Mars, which communicate with the Tumbleweed rovers using the UHF frequency band. Commercial ground stations on Earth in Ka-band are used for the relay-ground link. The proposed communications architecture is estimated to achieve a raw data throughput of ě84Mbit per Tumbleweed rover per Sol.
...
This decade has seen growing interest in Mars exploration. Advances in distributed systems, miniaturization and commoditization of space electronics and innovations in communications permit us to rethink the current paradigm of relying on a few heavy, slow and expensive high-tech rovers for Mars surface exploration. In this work, we address the demanding communication needs for a mission that deploys a swarm of uncontrolled wind-driven exploration rovers onto the martian surface. The concept for these lightweight, autonomous, ellipsoid ”Tumbleweed” rovers — named after the desert plant — is not new, and was studied and validated by NASA researchers decades ago. Recently, a new plan to turn the Tumbleweed mission into reality has been proposed to the ESA open space innovation platform (OSIP). The idea is to launch approximately 90 Tumbleweeds in one transfer vehicle and release them on the martian surface to survey the northern hemisphere of Mars over a mission duration of three months. Reliable communication is one of the key challenges for this mission. The rovers’ instruments, e.g. cameras, generate large volumes of data, and many rovers need to be served simultaneously. Furthermore, the tumbling motion on the martian surface constitutes unprecedented challenges in terms of antenna pointing for planetary exploration rovers. We present a trade-off analysis between direct to Earth communication and relayed communication using satellites orbiting Mars culminating in a baseline communication architecture for the Tumbleweed mission. For this purpose we model the kinematics of the Tumbleweed rovers and relay satellites w.r.t the Earth. A numerical simulation of all potential communication links over the full mission duration is conducted. The analysis shows that direct communication to Earth is infeasible due to the rolling motion of the rover. Hence, the relayed communication scenario is proposed, as it does not require a directional antenna on the Tumbleweed rovers. Therefore, we propose a constellation of three relay satellites in a circular, Earth-facing orbital plane around Mars, which communicate with the Tumbleweed rovers using the UHF frequency band. Commercial ground stations on Earth in Ka-band are used for the relay-ground link. The proposed communications architecture is estimated to achieve a raw data throughput of ě84Mbit per Tumbleweed rover per Sol.
Recently, an increase in distributed space systems and a rise in number of nodes in such systems is observed in numerous space applications, for example space-based interferometry. Such applications pose stringent demands on time synchronization which can be challenging to achieve for satellite networks that lack an absolute time reference source, as would be the case with networks beyond Earth orbit. In this paper, we propose a new class of frequency-based and multi-domain time synchronization and ranging algorithms applicable to anchorless mobile networks of asynchronous nodes. First, the Frequency-based Pairwise Least Squares (FPLS) that estimates clock skew and relative velocity under constant pairwise velocity assumption. Second, the Combined Pairwise Least Squares (CPLS)
— a two step approach where first, skew and velocity are estimated using FPLS and then its results are fed into a reformulated time domain method to estimate offset and range. The proposed methods are applied to a case study to OLFAR — a spaceborne large aperture radio interferometric array platform for observing the cosmos in the frequency range from 0.3 MHz to 30 MHz to be stationed in the Lunar orbit. The results show that the proposed methods decrease communication and computation needs and can improve the clock synchronization performance for space-based interferometry.
...
Recently, an increase in distributed space systems and a rise in number of nodes in such systems is observed in numerous space applications, for example space-based interferometry. Such applications pose stringent demands on time synchronization which can be challenging to achieve for satellite networks that lack an absolute time reference source, as would be the case with networks beyond Earth orbit. In this paper, we propose a new class of frequency-based and multi-domain time synchronization and ranging algorithms applicable to anchorless mobile networks of asynchronous nodes. First, the Frequency-based Pairwise Least Squares (FPLS) that estimates clock skew and relative velocity under constant pairwise velocity assumption. Second, the Combined Pairwise Least Squares (CPLS)
— a two step approach where first, skew and velocity are estimated using FPLS and then its results are fed into a reformulated time domain method to estimate offset and range. The proposed methods are applied to a case study to OLFAR — a spaceborne large aperture radio interferometric array platform for observing the cosmos in the frequency range from 0.3 MHz to 30 MHz to be stationed in the Lunar orbit. The results show that the proposed methods decrease communication and computation needs and can improve the clock synchronization performance for space-based interferometry.
Conference paper
(2019)
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Visweswaran Karunanithi, Raj Thilak Rajan, P.P. Sundaramoorthy, Maneesh Verma, Chris Verhoeven, M Bentum, E.W. McCune
The inter-satellite link (ISL) in swarm and constellation missions is a key enabler in the autonomy of the mission. OLFAR (Orbiting Low Frequency Array for Radio astronomy) is one such mission where 10 to 50+ nanosatellites are placed in the Lunar orbit and perform astronomical observations from the far-side of the moon. Each of the nanosatellite in the swarm would carry a receiver that performs observations between 0.3 - 30 MHz, which are the least explored frequency bands in radio astronomy, thus attracting a large scientific interest.
Observations in this frequency bands from Earth are highly challenging as the ionosphere is opaque to these frequency bands. Furthermore, RFI (Radio Frequency Interferences) generated on Earth makes it highly challenging to perform astronomical observations below 30MHz band. The impediments faced by Earth-based or near-Earth-based radio astronomy for these frequency bands is the motivation to perform measurements from the far-side of the moon.
The purpose of using a swarm of nanosatellites to perform low frequency observations is to enable the realization of long observation baselines and additionally, the effective aperture of observation increases with the number of satellites. For the swarm of nanosatellites to operate as a single aperture, it is very important to cross-correlate the information collected by each satellite and this is where the ISL becomes very crucial. Apart from exchanging data collected by the payload, other information such as attitude and timing information needs to be exchanged.
This work derived mission level requirements which would be used to define a suitable communication architecture for space-based radio astronomy missions such as OLFAR. The approach chosen for communication system for such a swarm mission will comprise of two types of ISL: High data-rate directional link that will be used to exchange payload date and low data-rate omni-directional link that will be used to exchange attitude, timing information and be used for localization, positioning and ranging of the nanosatellites in the swarm. This work will present link budgets to show the feasibility of the proposed communication architecture and derive the specs to further design the transceivers. ...
Observations in this frequency bands from Earth are highly challenging as the ionosphere is opaque to these frequency bands. Furthermore, RFI (Radio Frequency Interferences) generated on Earth makes it highly challenging to perform astronomical observations below 30MHz band. The impediments faced by Earth-based or near-Earth-based radio astronomy for these frequency bands is the motivation to perform measurements from the far-side of the moon.
The purpose of using a swarm of nanosatellites to perform low frequency observations is to enable the realization of long observation baselines and additionally, the effective aperture of observation increases with the number of satellites. For the swarm of nanosatellites to operate as a single aperture, it is very important to cross-correlate the information collected by each satellite and this is where the ISL becomes very crucial. Apart from exchanging data collected by the payload, other information such as attitude and timing information needs to be exchanged.
This work derived mission level requirements which would be used to define a suitable communication architecture for space-based radio astronomy missions such as OLFAR. The approach chosen for communication system for such a swarm mission will comprise of two types of ISL: High data-rate directional link that will be used to exchange payload date and low data-rate omni-directional link that will be used to exchange attitude, timing information and be used for localization, positioning and ranging of the nanosatellites in the swarm. This work will present link budgets to show the feasibility of the proposed communication architecture and derive the specs to further design the transceivers. ...
The inter-satellite link (ISL) in swarm and constellation missions is a key enabler in the autonomy of the mission. OLFAR (Orbiting Low Frequency Array for Radio astronomy) is one such mission where 10 to 50+ nanosatellites are placed in the Lunar orbit and perform astronomical observations from the far-side of the moon. Each of the nanosatellite in the swarm would carry a receiver that performs observations between 0.3 - 30 MHz, which are the least explored frequency bands in radio astronomy, thus attracting a large scientific interest.
Observations in this frequency bands from Earth are highly challenging as the ionosphere is opaque to these frequency bands. Furthermore, RFI (Radio Frequency Interferences) generated on Earth makes it highly challenging to perform astronomical observations below 30MHz band. The impediments faced by Earth-based or near-Earth-based radio astronomy for these frequency bands is the motivation to perform measurements from the far-side of the moon.
The purpose of using a swarm of nanosatellites to perform low frequency observations is to enable the realization of long observation baselines and additionally, the effective aperture of observation increases with the number of satellites. For the swarm of nanosatellites to operate as a single aperture, it is very important to cross-correlate the information collected by each satellite and this is where the ISL becomes very crucial. Apart from exchanging data collected by the payload, other information such as attitude and timing information needs to be exchanged.
This work derived mission level requirements which would be used to define a suitable communication architecture for space-based radio astronomy missions such as OLFAR. The approach chosen for communication system for such a swarm mission will comprise of two types of ISL: High data-rate directional link that will be used to exchange payload date and low data-rate omni-directional link that will be used to exchange attitude, timing information and be used for localization, positioning and ranging of the nanosatellites in the swarm. This work will present link budgets to show the feasibility of the proposed communication architecture and derive the specs to further design the transceivers.
Observations in this frequency bands from Earth are highly challenging as the ionosphere is opaque to these frequency bands. Furthermore, RFI (Radio Frequency Interferences) generated on Earth makes it highly challenging to perform astronomical observations below 30MHz band. The impediments faced by Earth-based or near-Earth-based radio astronomy for these frequency bands is the motivation to perform measurements from the far-side of the moon.
The purpose of using a swarm of nanosatellites to perform low frequency observations is to enable the realization of long observation baselines and additionally, the effective aperture of observation increases with the number of satellites. For the swarm of nanosatellites to operate as a single aperture, it is very important to cross-correlate the information collected by each satellite and this is where the ISL becomes very crucial. Apart from exchanging data collected by the payload, other information such as attitude and timing information needs to be exchanged.
This work derived mission level requirements which would be used to define a suitable communication architecture for space-based radio astronomy missions such as OLFAR. The approach chosen for communication system for such a swarm mission will comprise of two types of ISL: High data-rate directional link that will be used to exchange payload date and low data-rate omni-directional link that will be used to exchange attitude, timing information and be used for localization, positioning and ranging of the nanosatellites in the swarm. This work will present link budgets to show the feasibility of the proposed communication architecture and derive the specs to further design the transceivers.
Conference paper
(2019)
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Raj Thilak Rajan, Prem Sundaramoorthy, C.J.C. Vertegaal, Anton Montagne, Visweswaran Karunanithi, Maneesh Verma, M Bentum, Chris Verhoeven
The frequency range below 30 MHz remains one of the last unexplored frequency ranges in radio astronomy However, Earth-based observations at these wavelengths are severely impeded, due to man-made radio frequency interference (RFI) and atmospheric opacity. To overcome this impediment, various space-based radio astronomy studies have been proposed in the past decade, notably the OLFAR (Orbiting low Frequency Antennas for Radio Astronomy) study, which proposed a satellite swarm for ultra-long wavelength observation. To realize this mission, various technological challenges of a satellite swarm are currently being addressed, particularly antenna design, navigation, communication, distributed processing, and overall system and mission design. Secondly, the RFI levels at various altitudes from Earth is currently unknown, which is a hindrance in general for radio astronomy. To this end, we propose the use of high-altitude ballooning experiments to validate OLFAR sub-systems in pseudo-representative conditions. Furthermore, these ballooning experiments will measure the RFI in the ultra-long wavelength spectrum at various altitudes from Earth. Our project is termed LOBE (Low-frequency observations using high-altitude Balloon Experiments), and in this paper, we present an overview of the science objectives, payload, and the technological and programmatic challenges of the LOBE project.
...
The frequency range below 30 MHz remains one of the last unexplored frequency ranges in radio astronomy However, Earth-based observations at these wavelengths are severely impeded, due to man-made radio frequency interference (RFI) and atmospheric opacity. To overcome this impediment, various space-based radio astronomy studies have been proposed in the past decade, notably the OLFAR (Orbiting low Frequency Antennas for Radio Astronomy) study, which proposed a satellite swarm for ultra-long wavelength observation. To realize this mission, various technological challenges of a satellite swarm are currently being addressed, particularly antenna design, navigation, communication, distributed processing, and overall system and mission design. Secondly, the RFI levels at various altitudes from Earth is currently unknown, which is a hindrance in general for radio astronomy. To this end, we propose the use of high-altitude ballooning experiments to validate OLFAR sub-systems in pseudo-representative conditions. Furthermore, these ballooning experiments will measure the RFI in the ultra-long wavelength spectrum at various altitudes from Earth. Our project is termed LOBE (Low-frequency observations using high-altitude Balloon Experiments), and in this paper, we present an overview of the science objectives, payload, and the technological and programmatic challenges of the LOBE project.
LUMIO
An Autonomous CubeSat for Lunar Exploration
Book chapter
(2019)
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Stefano Speretta, Angelo Cervone, Prem Sundaramoorthy, Ron Noomen, Samiksha Mestry, Ana do Carmo Cipriano, Francesco Topputo, Anton Ivanov, Johan Vennekens, More Authors...
The Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) is one of the four projects selected within ESA’s SysNova competition to develop a small satellite or scientific and technology demonstration purposes to be deployed by a mothership around the Moon. Themission utilizes a 12U form-factor CubeSat which carries the LUMIO-Cam, an optical instrument capable of detecting light flashes in the visible spectrum to continuously monitor and process the meteoroids impacts. In this chapter, we will describe the mission concept and focus on the performance of a novel navigation concept using Moon images taken as byproduct of the LUMIOCam operations. This new approach will considerably limit the operations burden on ground, aiming at autonomous orbit-attitude navigation and control. Furthermore, an efficient and autonomous strategy for collection, processing, categorization, and storage of payload data is also described to cope with the limited contact time and downlink bandwidth. Since all communications have to go via a lunar orbiter, all commands and telemetry/data will have to be forwarded to/from the mothership. This will prevent quasi-real-time operations and will be the first time for CubeSats as they have never flown without a direct link to Earth. This chapter was derived from a paper the authors delivered at the SpaceOps 2018 conference.
...
The Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) is one of the four projects selected within ESA’s SysNova competition to develop a small satellite or scientific and technology demonstration purposes to be deployed by a mothership around the Moon. Themission utilizes a 12U form-factor CubeSat which carries the LUMIO-Cam, an optical instrument capable of detecting light flashes in the visible spectrum to continuously monitor and process the meteoroids impacts. In this chapter, we will describe the mission concept and focus on the performance of a novel navigation concept using Moon images taken as byproduct of the LUMIOCam operations. This new approach will considerably limit the operations burden on ground, aiming at autonomous orbit-attitude navigation and control. Furthermore, an efficient and autonomous strategy for collection, processing, categorization, and storage of payload data is also described to cope with the limited contact time and downlink bandwidth. Since all communications have to go via a lunar orbiter, all commands and telemetry/data will have to be forwarded to/from the mothership. This will prevent quasi-real-time operations and will be the first time for CubeSats as they have never flown without a direct link to Earth. This chapter was derived from a paper the authors delivered at the SpaceOps 2018 conference.
A distributed space system (DSS) is an architecture with more than one spacecraft to achieve a common objective. A number of questions arise with respect to the characteristics and dynamics of distributed system in space. How fast is the system spreading? How are the elements within the system distributed? Is it tightly or loosely packed? What is the effect of perturbations on its absolute and relative dynamics? What are the chances of a collision within the system? There has not been much research in these areas concerning a DSS. In this paper, quantitative metrics are established that allow characterizing DSS and assisting in answering above questions.Key performance indicators for a DSS are identified as size or envelope of the cluster, a distribution measure, and a measure for collision. Determining the geometric system size is straightforward through numerical or analytical propagation methods. The focus of this paper will be on the other two metrics: a cluster distribution index (CDI) and a measure for collision probability within the system. The distribution index can be used to assess the effectiveness of DSS in meeting system requirements such as coverage and resolution. An n-dimensional grid-based numerical approach is used to evaluate CDI. The collisions analysis using line-integral method (CALM) is proposed as an effective and efficient approach to analyzing collision probability within DSS. Results show that the CDI is an effective indicator to assess the influence of perturbations, such as differential drag, on spatial distribution of the system. The CALM approach is three orders of magnitude faster than existing approaches that evaluate collision probability for non-linear motion.
...
A distributed space system (DSS) is an architecture with more than one spacecraft to achieve a common objective. A number of questions arise with respect to the characteristics and dynamics of distributed system in space. How fast is the system spreading? How are the elements within the system distributed? Is it tightly or loosely packed? What is the effect of perturbations on its absolute and relative dynamics? What are the chances of a collision within the system? There has not been much research in these areas concerning a DSS. In this paper, quantitative metrics are established that allow characterizing DSS and assisting in answering above questions.Key performance indicators for a DSS are identified as size or envelope of the cluster, a distribution measure, and a measure for collision. Determining the geometric system size is straightforward through numerical or analytical propagation methods. The focus of this paper will be on the other two metrics: a cluster distribution index (CDI) and a measure for collision probability within the system. The distribution index can be used to assess the effectiveness of DSS in meeting system requirements such as coverage and resolution. An n-dimensional grid-based numerical approach is used to evaluate CDI. The collisions analysis using line-integral method (CALM) is proposed as an effective and efficient approach to analyzing collision probability within DSS. Results show that the CDI is an effective indicator to assess the influence of perturbations, such as differential drag, on spatial distribution of the system. The CALM approach is three orders of magnitude faster than existing approaches that evaluate collision probability for non-linear motion.
Conference paper
(2018)
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Francesco Topputo, Angelo Cervone, Prem Sundaramoorthy, Stefano Speretta, Samiksha Mestry, Ron Noomen, More Authors...
The Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) is a CubeSat mission to observe, quantify, and characterize the meteoroid impacts by detecting their flashes on the lunar farside. LUMIO is one of the two winners of ESA’s LUCE (Lunar CubeSat for Exploration) SYSNOVA competition, and as such it is being considered by ESA for implementation in the near future. The mission utilizes a CubeSat that carries the LUMIO-Cam, an optical instrument capable of detecting light flashes in the visible spectrum. On-board data processing is implemented to minimize data downlink, while still retaining relevant scientific data. The mission implements a sophisticated orbit design: LUMIO is placed on a halo orbit about Earth–Moon L2 where permanent full-disk observation of the lunar farside is made. This prevents background noise due to Earthshine, and permits obtaining highquality scientific products. Innovative full-disk optical autonomous navigation is proposed, and its performances are assessed and quantified. The spacecraft is a 12U form-factor CubeSat, with 22 kg mass. Novel on-board micro-propulsion system for orbital control, de-tumbling, and reaction wheel desaturation is used. Steady solar power generation is achieved with solar array drive assembly and eclipse-free orbit.
...
The Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) is a CubeSat mission to observe, quantify, and characterize the meteoroid impacts by detecting their flashes on the lunar farside. LUMIO is one of the two winners of ESA’s LUCE (Lunar CubeSat for Exploration) SYSNOVA competition, and as such it is being considered by ESA for implementation in the near future. The mission utilizes a CubeSat that carries the LUMIO-Cam, an optical instrument capable of detecting light flashes in the visible spectrum. On-board data processing is implemented to minimize data downlink, while still retaining relevant scientific data. The mission implements a sophisticated orbit design: LUMIO is placed on a halo orbit about Earth–Moon L2 where permanent full-disk observation of the lunar farside is made. This prevents background noise due to Earthshine, and permits obtaining highquality scientific products. Innovative full-disk optical autonomous navigation is proposed, and its performances are assessed and quantified. The spacecraft is a 12U form-factor CubeSat, with 22 kg mass. Novel on-board micro-propulsion system for orbital control, de-tumbling, and reaction wheel desaturation is used. Steady solar power generation is achieved with solar array drive assembly and eclipse-free orbit.
System design of LUMIO
A CubeSat at Earth-Moon L2 for observing lunar meteoroid impacts
Conference paper
(2018)
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Prem Sundaramoorthy, Angelo Cervone, Stefano Speretta, Samiksha Mestry, Ron Noomen, Sean Pepper, Mathijs Van de Poel, More authors...
The Earth–Moon system is constantly being bombarded by a significant number of meteoroids with different sizes and velocities. Observation of the lunar surface impacts will enable characterization of the lunar meteoroid flux, which is similar to that of the Earth, and provide more detailed information on meteoroid size, velocity, temporal and spatial distribution. The Lunar Meteoroid Impacts Observer (LUMIO) is a CubeSat mission at Earth–Moon L2 to observe, quantify, and characterise these meteoroid impacts by detecting their flashes on the lunar farside. LUMIO is one of the two winners of ESA’s LUCE (Lunar CubeSat for Exploration) SysNova competition, and as such is being considered by ESA for implementation in the near future. This paper will present the design of the LUMIO spacecraft that will host the payload to capture the meteoroid flashes. Key system specifications, trade-offs and consequent design iterations are presented. The final design yields a feasible spacecraft budget and a configuration that enables the LUMIO mission to be realized by 2023.
The spacecraft is a 12U form-factor CubeSat, with a mass of less than 22 kg. A zero-redundancy and COTS based approach has been adopted for the spacecraft design. A strong emphasis has been placed on realizing high onboard autonomy. A novel and autonomous navigation strategy that uses optical observations of the Earth and the Moon is proposed for navigation around the Moon and beyond. The payload and navigation are the key drivers of the pointing requirements. Pointing requirements are achieved through reaction wheels, IMUs, star trackers, and fine sun sensors. A hybrid micro-propulsion system is included for orbital control, de-tumbling, and reaction wheel desaturation. Steady solar power availability is ensured with a one-axis solar array drive assembly in combination with an innovative attitude algorithm. Communication with Earth is through the Lunar Orbiter with a low-bandwidth UHF link, which places high constraints on the data throughput. An onboard payload data processor has been designed that compresses the science data to a fraction of the raw data with no loss of information.
The paper will conclude with the key findings of a concurrent design review of the LUMIO spacecraft design that was performed at ESA/ESTEC’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF). The major design changes are outlined along with a summary and discussion of the iterated design.
...
The Earth–Moon system is constantly being bombarded by a significant number of meteoroids with different sizes and velocities. Observation of the lunar surface impacts will enable characterization of the lunar meteoroid flux, which is similar to that of the Earth, and provide more detailed information on meteoroid size, velocity, temporal and spatial distribution. The Lunar Meteoroid Impacts Observer (LUMIO) is a CubeSat mission at Earth–Moon L2 to observe, quantify, and characterise these meteoroid impacts by detecting their flashes on the lunar farside. LUMIO is one of the two winners of ESA’s LUCE (Lunar CubeSat for Exploration) SysNova competition, and as such is being considered by ESA for implementation in the near future. This paper will present the design of the LUMIO spacecraft that will host the payload to capture the meteoroid flashes. Key system specifications, trade-offs and consequent design iterations are presented. The final design yields a feasible spacecraft budget and a configuration that enables the LUMIO mission to be realized by 2023.
The spacecraft is a 12U form-factor CubeSat, with a mass of less than 22 kg. A zero-redundancy and COTS based approach has been adopted for the spacecraft design. A strong emphasis has been placed on realizing high onboard autonomy. A novel and autonomous navigation strategy that uses optical observations of the Earth and the Moon is proposed for navigation around the Moon and beyond. The payload and navigation are the key drivers of the pointing requirements. Pointing requirements are achieved through reaction wheels, IMUs, star trackers, and fine sun sensors. A hybrid micro-propulsion system is included for orbital control, de-tumbling, and reaction wheel desaturation. Steady solar power availability is ensured with a one-axis solar array drive assembly in combination with an innovative attitude algorithm. Communication with Earth is through the Lunar Orbiter with a low-bandwidth UHF link, which places high constraints on the data throughput. An onboard payload data processor has been designed that compresses the science data to a fraction of the raw data with no loss of information.
The paper will conclude with the key findings of a concurrent design review of the LUMIO spacecraft design that was performed at ESA/ESTEC’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF). The major design changes are outlined along with a summary and discussion of the iterated design.
Enhanced Distributed Space Systems with Miniature Spacecraft
Spatial Distribution, Collision Analysis and Cooperative Communication
The repertoire of words in the English language to refer to groups of animals is quite fascinating to say the least – a congregation of alligators, an army of ants, a troop of baboons, a pride of lions, a train of camels, a destruction of cats, an intrusion of cockroaches, a mob of emus, a plague of insects, a drift of pigs, and so on. The intention of using such a wide range of terms is to associate an underlying emotion or meaning to the different kinds of groups. Therefore, without knowing much about choughs or goldfinches, one is more likely to appreciate a charm of goldfinches rather than a clattering of choughs. This thesis is about groups of small spacecraft – characterizing them and enhancing them. The aim of this thesis is to enable charms of CubeSats and prides of PocketQubes.
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The repertoire of words in the English language to refer to groups of animals is quite fascinating to say the least – a congregation of alligators, an army of ants, a troop of baboons, a pride of lions, a train of camels, a destruction of cats, an intrusion of cockroaches, a mob of emus, a plague of insects, a drift of pigs, and so on. The intention of using such a wide range of terms is to associate an underlying emotion or meaning to the different kinds of groups. Therefore, without knowing much about choughs or goldfinches, one is more likely to appreciate a charm of goldfinches rather than a clattering of choughs. This thesis is about groups of small spacecraft – characterizing them and enhancing them. The aim of this thesis is to enable charms of CubeSats and prides of PocketQubes.
Conference paper
(2018)
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Francesco Topputo, Angelo Cervone, Prem Sundaramoorthy, Stefano Speretta, Samiksha Mestry, Ron Noomen, More Authors...
The Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) is a mission designed to observe, quantify, and characterize the meteoroid impacts by detecting their flashes on the lunar farside. Earth-based lunar observations are restricted by weather, geometric, and illumination conditions, while a lunar orbiter can improve the detection rate of lunar meteoroid impact flashes, as it would allow for longer monitoring periods. This paper presents the scientific mission of LUMIO, designed for the ESA SysNova LUCE competition, that resulted as the ex-aequo winner in the competition. LUMIO, a 12U CubeSat weighting approximately 20 kg, is expected to be deployed into a quasi-polar selenocentric orbit by a mother spacecraft, which also acts as communication relay. From a lunar high-inclination orbit, LUMIO will autonomously determine its trajectory to reach the Moon–Earth L2 point and perform the cruise phase. From the operative orbit, LUMIO will observe the lunar farside. When the lunar disk illumination is less than 50%, LUMIO autonomously performs the scientific task without direct coordination from Earth. Fully autonomous operations will include science, communication, and navigation. A similar concept can be re-used for a wide variety of future missions. The scientific mission will also be possible thanks to an innovative on-board data processing system, capable of drastically reducing the information to transmit to Earth. The camera, designed to capture the flashes and measure their intensity is, in fact, capable of generating 2.6 TB/day while only approximately 1 MB/day will need to be transmitted to Earth. Impact identification will be autonomous and only relevant information will be transmitted. A study at the ESA/ESTEC concurrent design facility has shown evidence of feasibility and that a CubeSat orbiting along an Earth–Moon L2 quasi-halo orbit is expected to bring a relevant contribution to lunar science and innovation to space exploration.
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The Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) is a mission designed to observe, quantify, and characterize the meteoroid impacts by detecting their flashes on the lunar farside. Earth-based lunar observations are restricted by weather, geometric, and illumination conditions, while a lunar orbiter can improve the detection rate of lunar meteoroid impact flashes, as it would allow for longer monitoring periods. This paper presents the scientific mission of LUMIO, designed for the ESA SysNova LUCE competition, that resulted as the ex-aequo winner in the competition. LUMIO, a 12U CubeSat weighting approximately 20 kg, is expected to be deployed into a quasi-polar selenocentric orbit by a mother spacecraft, which also acts as communication relay. From a lunar high-inclination orbit, LUMIO will autonomously determine its trajectory to reach the Moon–Earth L2 point and perform the cruise phase. From the operative orbit, LUMIO will observe the lunar farside. When the lunar disk illumination is less than 50%, LUMIO autonomously performs the scientific task without direct coordination from Earth. Fully autonomous operations will include science, communication, and navigation. A similar concept can be re-used for a wide variety of future missions. The scientific mission will also be possible thanks to an innovative on-board data processing system, capable of drastically reducing the information to transmit to Earth. The camera, designed to capture the flashes and measure their intensity is, in fact, capable of generating 2.6 TB/day while only approximately 1 MB/day will need to be transmitted to Earth. Impact identification will be autonomous and only relevant information will be transmitted. A study at the ESA/ESTEC concurrent design facility has shown evidence of feasibility and that a CubeSat orbiting along an Earth–Moon L2 quasi-halo orbit is expected to bring a relevant contribution to lunar science and innovation to space exploration.
Conference paper
(2018)
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Speretta, Cervone, Sundaramoorthy, Noomen, Mestry, do Carmo Cipriano, More Authors
The Lunar Meteoroid Impacts Observer (LUMIO) is one of the four projects selected within ESA’s SysNova competition to develop a small satellite for scientific and technology demonstration purposes to be deployed by a mother ship around the Moon. The mission utilizes a 12U form-factor CubeSat which carries the LUMIO-Cam, an optical instrument capable of detecting light flashes in the visible spectrum to continuously monitor and process the meteoroids impacts. In this paper, we will describe the mission concept and focus on the performance of a novel navigation concept using Moon images taken as byproduct of the LUMIO-Cam operations. This new approach will considerably limit the operations burden on ground, aiming at autonomous orbit-attitude navigation and control. Furthermore, an efficient and autonomous strategy for collection, processing, categorization, and storage of payload data is also described to cope with the limited contact time and downlink bandwidth. Since all communications have to go via a Lunar Orbiter (mothership), all commands and telemetry/data will have to be forwarded to/from the mother ship. This will prevent quasi-real time operations and will be the first time for CubeSats as they have never flown so far from Earth.
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The Lunar Meteoroid Impacts Observer (LUMIO) is one of the four projects selected within ESA’s SysNova competition to develop a small satellite for scientific and technology demonstration purposes to be deployed by a mother ship around the Moon. The mission utilizes a 12U form-factor CubeSat which carries the LUMIO-Cam, an optical instrument capable of detecting light flashes in the visible spectrum to continuously monitor and process the meteoroids impacts. In this paper, we will describe the mission concept and focus on the performance of a novel navigation concept using Moon images taken as byproduct of the LUMIO-Cam operations. This new approach will considerably limit the operations burden on ground, aiming at autonomous orbit-attitude navigation and control. Furthermore, an efficient and autonomous strategy for collection, processing, categorization, and storage of payload data is also described to cope with the limited contact time and downlink bandwidth. Since all communications have to go via a Lunar Orbiter (mothership), all commands and telemetry/data will have to be forwarded to/from the mother ship. This will prevent quasi-real time operations and will be the first time for CubeSats as they have never flown so far from Earth.
This paper aims at analysing the current capabilities of the NORAD Space Surveillance network, in particular focusing on very small objects in LEO. Spacecraft miniaturization has been pushing the limits and capabilities of small satellites so much that spacecraft as small as 5x5x5 cm have already been launched and even smaller ones are currently envisaged. A common remark is that these objects would be impossible to track with the available radar sensors and they would ultimately only be a threat to existing and future space assets. By analysing the objects in the NORAD catalog, we demonstrate that similar sized objects are currently tracked successfully. Covariance analysis of the available orbital elements is used to demonstrate orbital elements accuracies similar to bigger satellites. We demonstrate as well that measured cross-section is consistently over-estimated for very small objects equipped with VHF or UHF antennas actually showing that this could boost their radar reflectivity. This paper shows that
objects smaller than 10 cm in side are trackable by current surveillance radars and do not pose a higher threat than other satellites, in case proper measures are taken.
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This paper aims at analysing the current capabilities of the NORAD Space Surveillance network, in particular focusing on very small objects in LEO. Spacecraft miniaturization has been pushing the limits and capabilities of small satellites so much that spacecraft as small as 5x5x5 cm have already been launched and even smaller ones are currently envisaged. A common remark is that these objects would be impossible to track with the available radar sensors and they would ultimately only be a threat to existing and future space assets. By analysing the objects in the NORAD catalog, we demonstrate that similar sized objects are currently tracked successfully. Covariance analysis of the available orbital elements is used to demonstrate orbital elements accuracies similar to bigger satellites. We demonstrate as well that measured cross-section is consistently over-estimated for very small objects equipped with VHF or UHF antennas actually showing that this could boost their radar reflectivity. This paper shows that
objects smaller than 10 cm in side are trackable by current surveillance radars and do not pose a higher threat than other satellites, in case proper measures are taken.
This paper proposes a novel phase synchronization technique that enables beamforming with multiple resource-limited spacecraft in space and capitalizes on their spatial geometry. The proposed technique employs an external beacon to obviate the need for explicit time synchronization and reduces the accuracy requirements on localization. Results show that subcentimeter (subnanosecond)-level phase synchronization can be achieved with localization accuracy in the order of meters.
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This paper proposes a novel phase synchronization technique that enables beamforming with multiple resource-limited spacecraft in space and capitalizes on their spatial geometry. The proposed technique employs an external beacon to obviate the need for explicit time synchronization and reduces the accuracy requirements on localization. Results show that subcentimeter (subnanosecond)-level phase synchronization can be achieved with localization accuracy in the order of meters.
Cubesats to pocketqubes
Opportunities and challenges
Conference paper
(2016)
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Stefano Speretta, Tatiana Pérez Soriano, Jasper Bouwmeester, Johan Carvajal Godínez, Alessandra Menicucci, Trevor Watts, Prem Sundaramoorthy, Jian Guo, Eberhard Gill
In the last two decades, CubeSats have changed the perception of satellite missions aided by standardization and usage of commercial-off-the-shelf components. CubeSats have also proven the feasibility of low cost and short development time space missions. The PocketQube with a form factor of 5x5x5 cm has been proposed as the next class of spacecraft to benefit from miniaturization. This paper presents a comparison between the two standards and analyzes the impact of miniaturization on spacecraft design and performance. At satellite level, the reduction of volume has a tremendous impact on the available power and makes energy management and efficiency critical. Thermal issues become important due to the reduced thermal capacitance, leading to higher thermal swings and larger temperature variations than CubeSats. The other important impact on the satellite bus is the reduced communication capacity due to several reasons: the reduced volume limits the available antenna size and also the available power available. At mission level, other factors have a substantial impact: de-orbit time becomes a major criterion in the launch selection process to comply with orbital debris policy. The volume reduction also affects the radar cross-section making the satellite more difficult to detected for space surveillance radars. Despite these challenges, PocketQubes are an attractive standard currently for academic and research groups as a way to reduce the cost and development time considerably. Payload capabilities also can force a paradigm shift from single to multiple satellites more than it was already happening with CubeSats: PocketQubes could better fit certain niches where high spatial or temporal resolutions are required instead of full resolution. Distributed space weather monitoring could be an interesting application where specific phenomena could benefit from multi-point sensing. All these strong points can also be coupled with a bigger satellite to complement and enhance its capabilities. Delfi-PQ is a PocketQube currently being developed at TU Delft using an agile approach, contrary to the typical V-model design. Shorter life cycle development benefits students, allowing them to get more involved in every iteration. The reduction in cost and development cycle increases the launch frequency. Incremental engineering becomes fundamental, also providing benefits on the reliability side because flight experience becomes more frequent than when following traditional development strategies. End-to-end development motivates students and provides them with a better insight into real-world engineering opportunities and training experiences. With this strategy, technical and educational objectives are more aligned, and the integration of such a project in the curriculum is facilitated. ...
In the last two decades, CubeSats have changed the perception of satellite missions aided by standardization and usage of commercial-off-the-shelf components. CubeSats have also proven the feasibility of low cost and short development time space missions. The PocketQube with a form factor of 5x5x5 cm has been proposed as the next class of spacecraft to benefit from miniaturization. This paper presents a comparison between the two standards and analyzes the impact of miniaturization on spacecraft design and performance. At satellite level, the reduction of volume has a tremendous impact on the available power and makes energy management and efficiency critical. Thermal issues become important due to the reduced thermal capacitance, leading to higher thermal swings and larger temperature variations than CubeSats. The other important impact on the satellite bus is the reduced communication capacity due to several reasons: the reduced volume limits the available antenna size and also the available power available. At mission level, other factors have a substantial impact: de-orbit time becomes a major criterion in the launch selection process to comply with orbital debris policy. The volume reduction also affects the radar cross-section making the satellite more difficult to detected for space surveillance radars. Despite these challenges, PocketQubes are an attractive standard currently for academic and research groups as a way to reduce the cost and development time considerably. Payload capabilities also can force a paradigm shift from single to multiple satellites more than it was already happening with CubeSats: PocketQubes could better fit certain niches where high spatial or temporal resolutions are required instead of full resolution. Distributed space weather monitoring could be an interesting application where specific phenomena could benefit from multi-point sensing. All these strong points can also be coupled with a bigger satellite to complement and enhance its capabilities. Delfi-PQ is a PocketQube currently being developed at TU Delft using an agile approach, contrary to the typical V-model design. Shorter life cycle development benefits students, allowing them to get more involved in every iteration. The reduction in cost and development cycle increases the launch frequency. Incremental engineering becomes fundamental, also providing benefits on the reliability side because flight experience becomes more frequent than when following traditional development strategies. End-to-end development motivates students and provides them with a better insight into real-world engineering opportunities and training experiences. With this strategy, technical and educational objectives are more aligned, and the integration of such a project in the curriculum is facilitated.
The UHF radio amateur band situated around 436 MHz is a very popular radio band for CubeSat Communications. This band has around 14.5 dB lower path loss compared to the popular S-band due to the lower frequency. The longer wavelength accompanied with the UHF band results in antennas that are relatively big compared to the size of a CubeSat. To communicate in this band, CubeSats are therefore equipped with linear wire antennas in dipole or turnstile configuration. Compared to patch antennas which are used to communicate in the S-band, these linear wire antennas have the downside that they need a deployment mechanism. This deployment mechanism increases the risk of failure during the mission, and subsequently asks more attention during design, integration and testing of the CubeSat. Furthermore, this system adds extra mass to the CubeSat and it takes up space that could be used by other subsystems. A novel planar antenna is proposed in this paper that obviates the need for deployment and meets most of the communication requirements for a CubeSat.
To resolve the issues associated with a wire antenna requiring deployment, research was conducted to use a patch antenna to communicate in the UHF band. Conventional patch antennas that are resonant at 436 MHz proved to be too big to integrate in a CubeSat body. The planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) with it small form factor with respect to the operating frequency was identified as a suitable antenna choice for CubeSats. The electromagnetic simulation software FEKO has been used to successfully simulate a PIFA. Results indicate that the antenna is resonant at 436 MHz and fits on a 3U CubeSat body. The simulated antenna has a low profile height of only 3mm such that it still fits in a CubeSat launch POD. The radiation pattern is similar to the radiation pattern of a dipole antenna with a maximum gain of 3.72 dBi and a bandwidth of 2.82MHz is obtained. The use of such a PIFA antenna with no deployment mechanisms and with potential to be integrated as part of the CubeSat structure, promises further benefits and opportunities for future CubeSat missions.
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The UHF radio amateur band situated around 436 MHz is a very popular radio band for CubeSat Communications. This band has around 14.5 dB lower path loss compared to the popular S-band due to the lower frequency. The longer wavelength accompanied with the UHF band results in antennas that are relatively big compared to the size of a CubeSat. To communicate in this band, CubeSats are therefore equipped with linear wire antennas in dipole or turnstile configuration. Compared to patch antennas which are used to communicate in the S-band, these linear wire antennas have the downside that they need a deployment mechanism. This deployment mechanism increases the risk of failure during the mission, and subsequently asks more attention during design, integration and testing of the CubeSat. Furthermore, this system adds extra mass to the CubeSat and it takes up space that could be used by other subsystems. A novel planar antenna is proposed in this paper that obviates the need for deployment and meets most of the communication requirements for a CubeSat.
To resolve the issues associated with a wire antenna requiring deployment, research was conducted to use a patch antenna to communicate in the UHF band. Conventional patch antennas that are resonant at 436 MHz proved to be too big to integrate in a CubeSat body. The planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) with it small form factor with respect to the operating frequency was identified as a suitable antenna choice for CubeSats. The electromagnetic simulation software FEKO has been used to successfully simulate a PIFA. Results indicate that the antenna is resonant at 436 MHz and fits on a 3U CubeSat body. The simulated antenna has a low profile height of only 3mm such that it still fits in a CubeSat launch POD. The radiation pattern is similar to the radiation pattern of a dipole antenna with a maximum gain of 3.72 dBi and a bandwidth of 2.82MHz is obtained. The use of such a PIFA antenna with no deployment mechanisms and with potential to be integrated as part of the CubeSat structure, promises further benefits and opportunities for future CubeSat missions.
Conference paper
(2013)
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Steven Engelen, Kevin A. Quillien, Alex Budianu, Chris Verhoeven, Arash Noroozi, Prem Sundaramoorthy, Alle Jan Van Der Veen, Raj Thilak Rajan, Albert Jan Boonstra, Mark Bentum, Arjan Meijerink
The Orbiting Low Frequency Antennas for Radio Astronomy (OLFAR) project aims to develop a space-based low frequency radio telescope that will explore the universe's so-called dark ages, map the interstellar medium, and discover planetary and solar bursts in other solar systems. The telescope, composed of a swarm of at least fifty satellites working as a single instrument, will be sent to a location far from Earth in order to avoid the high Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) found at frequencies below 30 MHz, originating from Earth. The OLFAR telescope is a novel and complex system, requiring not-yet proven technologies and systems, therefore, a number of key technologies are still to be developed and proven. Most of these can be tested on Earth, but four aspects in particular require in-space verification. Those are (1) the satellite's propulsion and attitude control systems, and (2) their interactions with the large science antennas, as well as the (3) payload system itself and finally (4) the in-space interferometry and 3D-imaging. Furthermore, the RFI environment in the intended target orbits is mostly unknown. Indeed, only three satellites missions have previously been launched into orbit shedding light on the RFI environment, but sufficiently detailed measurements allowing for the creation of a usable RFI model have never been performed. To carry out both the hardware qualification and RFI measurements, a few pathfinder missions are deemed in order. This paper describes these pathfinders in detail; outlining the scientific objective, the technologies being demonstrated as well as the missions' roadmap which revolves around a novel systems engineering approach. This approach resembles those used in certain fast-paced industries where development is heavily parallelised and products are launched as soon as opportunities arise. This will be combined with in-space upgrading of mission firmware to allow for high flexibility within the limited time and budget constraints of these pathfinders. Copyright
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The Orbiting Low Frequency Antennas for Radio Astronomy (OLFAR) project aims to develop a space-based low frequency radio telescope that will explore the universe's so-called dark ages, map the interstellar medium, and discover planetary and solar bursts in other solar systems. The telescope, composed of a swarm of at least fifty satellites working as a single instrument, will be sent to a location far from Earth in order to avoid the high Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) found at frequencies below 30 MHz, originating from Earth. The OLFAR telescope is a novel and complex system, requiring not-yet proven technologies and systems, therefore, a number of key technologies are still to be developed and proven. Most of these can be tested on Earth, but four aspects in particular require in-space verification. Those are (1) the satellite's propulsion and attitude control systems, and (2) their interactions with the large science antennas, as well as the (3) payload system itself and finally (4) the in-space interferometry and 3D-imaging. Furthermore, the RFI environment in the intended target orbits is mostly unknown. Indeed, only three satellites missions have previously been launched into orbit shedding light on the RFI environment, but sufficiently detailed measurements allowing for the creation of a usable RFI model have never been performed. To carry out both the hardware qualification and RFI measurements, a few pathfinder missions are deemed in order. This paper describes these pathfinders in detail; outlining the scientific objective, the technologies being demonstrated as well as the missions' roadmap which revolves around a novel systems engineering approach. This approach resembles those used in certain fast-paced industries where development is heavily parallelised and products are launched as soon as opportunities arise. This will be combined with in-space upgrading of mission firmware to allow for high flexibility within the limited time and budget constraints of these pathfinders. Copyright