Ohb Platforms for Constellation Satellites

Abstract

After an introduction into the complex task of mission design for satellite constellations, this paper provides an overview of the platform concepts for constellation satellites that have been developed at OHB-System. The objectives of these constellations cover Earth Observation, Communication, Navigation, and Reconnaissance. For the SAFIR-2 satellite system OHB performed the development of the gravity-gradient stabilised micro-satellite, which provides global bi-directional telecommunication services. Within the INES study, OHB performed the predevelopment of a LEO constellation for the European Global Navigation Satellite System. INES was configured as a 63/9/3 Walker constellation of three-axis stabilised mini-satellites. OHB-System, as the European service provider of the ORBCOMM communications system, recently has performed a predevelopment of a next generation mini-satellite bus to replace the current Microstar™ platform. SAR-Lupe is a satellite constellation for synthetic aperture reconnaissance, which is scheduled for launch later this year. It consists of up to five spacecraft in three different polar orbit planes, at an altitude of 500 km. The ESA mission named Swarm aims at the mapping of the geomagnetic field with unprecedented accuracy. OHB-System has performed the design development of these spacecraft, the main scientific instrument of which is a magnetometer package carried on an articulated boom.

Observation Frequency Analysis for Multiconstellation Radar Systems over the Mediterranean Sea

“…(i) Italian COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) [10] (4 satellites) and its follow-on COSMO second generation (CSG) [11] (2 satellites) (ii) German military constellation SAR-Lupe [12] (5 satellites) and its follow-on SARah (3 satellites) (iii) Canadian Radarsat Constellation [13] (3 satellites) (iv) European Sentinel-1 mission [14] (2 satellites) (v) Argentinian SAOCOM mission [15] (2 satellites) (vi) Chinese Gaofen-3 [16] (3 satellites), Ludi-Tance (2 satellites), Gaofen-12 (3 satellites), and military Jianbing-5 and Jianbing-7 constellations…”