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In early June, the first Russian symposium on nanosatellites “RusNanoSat-2015”with the involvement of international participants took place at the premises of Samara State Aerospace University. The event was organized by SSAU, JSC “Rocket and Space Centre Progress” and Volga Branch of Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky. The symposium was carried out with the support of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Government of Samara Region, Council for Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the International Astronautical Federation. SSAU Professor Igor Belokonov, Head of SSAU Inter-University Department of Space Research, has told about the prospects of scientific field that was new for Russia, and the tasks of national research universities in the area of nanosatellites engineering, development and use.
- Igor Vitalyevich, what is the reason for originating of students’ nanosatellite creation works in Russia? At what stage is this research area now, and how is it attractive for the Russian universities?
- First of all, I would like to turn our attention to the terminology. The world space community has agreed to interpret the term “nanosatellites” as spacecraft with a total weight up to 10 kg. The first nanosatellite in Russia was made by the enterprise RRISDE (Russian Research Institute of Space Device Engineering) (currently - JSC “Russian Space Systems”) and was launched by the astronaut Talgat Musabayev from the International Space Station in 2005. Recently, the term nanosatellites is increasingly understood as CubeSat standard spacecraft, having a unified design solution in the form of parallelepiped with a square cross section with a side of 10 cm and an edge length multiple of 10 cm.
Until recently, such nanosatellites in our country were not developed, although in the world it’s being developed upon a hundred per year. There is an explanation for this. Firstly, all university satellites are being manufactured by the Roskosmos enterprises, which are used to create heavy large spacecraft within departmental standards from the components produced domestically for a long time. Secondly, there is a significant delay of our micromechanics and microelectronics from the western technology.
The first launch of the students’ nanosatellite, created in SSAU from the beginning to the end, is scheduled for the end of 2015 from the space-launch complex Vostochniy. This is a new and promising business for us, because earlier spacecraft were not created at the University by students and postgraduates, and we are very proud that our first nanosatellite SamSat-218 is expected to launch by Samara rocket from the new Russian space-launch complex.
What preceded this, and why is it so important to us?
The fact is that the new global trend - the creation of CubeSat standard nanosatellites by the universities, began to take shape in 1999 by California Polytechnic State University and Stanford University, and in 2003 the first cube had already been launched. Then geometric and mass standards of nanosatellites were laid.
The following conditions of standardization provide low cost of such satellites: small-scale production of supporting systems, unified mechanical and electrical interfaces. Nowadays, every university can buy the necessary set of elements in the specialized online stores and assemble a nanosatellite, adding its own block or scientific hardware. It is extremely attractive to the universities since it enables a wide range of young people to join the space technology.
Of course, we could not stay away from the new trend. We can see how highly this trend is developed abroad. Furthermore, the western universities have moved to a new form of education in the field of space technology development, known as project-based education - study through participation in a specific project, in real scientific researches, with a relatively short implementation period. Two natural factors are advantageously combined herein: studying time and project cost. Young people do not like long waiting; they want to see the result of their work during their stay at the university. And within the framework of a two-year master's program, for example, you can really carry out the project on creation of nanosatellite with a relatively small financial cost.
The combination of necessity to switch the space education to a new quality level and opportunities of microelectronics development that appeared today gave rise to a new direction for us - nanosatellites.
Currently nanosatellites from the category “toys” have moved into an independent type of spacecraft. And it already decide a certain range of useful tasks on orbit, such as monitoring of geophysical fields, data collection and transmission to Earth regarding water and inland transportation, taking photos of the Earth from space.
Nowadays there is a rapid move towards the creation of nanosatellite groups. An example is the project PlanetLab, representing a group of nanosatellites used by the scientists for testing new network services or modification of the existing ones, is a prototype of the future space Internet. Nowadays in the West they begin to implement project on orbiting up to 100 nanosatellites to create a network around the Earth, which will allow anyone to get a picture of the desired area of the earth surface through the mobile application. These satellites are being launched actively using the manipulator from the Japanese segment of the International Space Station.
- What is happening in SSAU now regarding creation of nanosatellites?
- In our university, the Department of Inter-University Space Research creates two nanosatellites at once. The first one is the abovementioned SamSat-218, located in the University laboratory and will be ready by August this year. The necessary tests complex of its subsystems is being actively carried out now. Herewith we use the opportunities of the Centre of Complex Testing of Nanosatellites and On-board Systems, which is equipped with modern testing equipment, created with the financial support of the Samara Region Administration.
The second satellite - SamSat-QB50 - is preparing to participate in the large-scale international project under the auspices of Theodore von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium) and with financial support of the European Union. The objective of the project QB50 is construction and study of the space-time model of the Earth thermosphere - the lower layers of the upper atmosphere. This project uniqueness lies in the fact that all 50 nanosatellites are created by the leading universities of the world. We entered into this project in 2011 and began to develop the nanosatellite SamSat-QB50, which won the competition, whereat our university has signed an agreement on the project participation. Our nanosatellite has a feature – it is a variable geometry. The initial form has a shape of a “double” cube (10 cm x 10 cm x 20 cm) and upon orbiting it expands and takes the shape of a “triple” cube. This is done in order to use the aerodynamic force, which significantly affects these altitudes - about 380 km - in order to stabilize the roll axis on the flight velocity vector. The idea of satellite transformation allowed us to win the competition for participation in the international project. 50 university satellites of 27 are involved in the project. In some countries, the project involves several universities, each of which makes its own satellite. For example, the USA makes 4 satellites, France - 5, and China holds the record making 7 satellites. Unfortunately, we are the only participants from Russia.
The project is not simple, and launching is the main problem now. Originally, the group nanosatellites were supposed to launch into orbit by the Russian conversion rocket “Shtil”, but afterwards a contract on the use of the carrier rocket “Cyclone-4” from the space-launch complex Alcantara in Brazil in February 2016 was signed with Ukraine. But recently it was reported that Brazil has adopted a decision to abandon cooperation with Ukraine within the framework of the project “Cyclone-4”. Now the project organizers are actively engaged in the search of the new launch opportunities. But the problem is not solved until now and figuratively speaking the project is “frozen”.
- Which satellites will be launched from Vostochniy?
- Two objects at once are being will prepared for the first launch from the space-launch complex Vostochniy in Samara. The first one is the spacecraft “Aist-2”, which is now being worked out by the Rocket and Space Centre “Progress” with the participation of SSAU scientists and students, the second one is the nanosatellite SamSat-218, created at the Inter-University Department of Space Research. The University has already produced and handed over six sets of scientific instruments for “Aist-2” to the Rocket and Space Centre “Progress”. The Inter-University Department of Space Research is also involved in the project “Aist-2” - we have designed and manufactured scientific equipment “Contact-MKA” for this satellite. Currently it is being inspected and tested.
- What are the specifics of your equipment for “Aist-2”, and what tasks will have it to solve in orbit?
- First of all, “Contact-MKA” equipment is designed to solve the communication problem of the spacecraft. There are a lot of satellites, but not enough ground control centres. In the future, the number of satellites will be increased, so today it is necessary to look for the new opportunities of device management. The experiments managers and the owners would like to control their satellites themselves, but they do not have specialized control stations for this. Currently, there are several large groups of communication satellites from 40 to 66 units each at low altitudes. In fact, the end user through these satellites may receive the information and send commands to his satellite, avoiding the traditional control centre, using the Internet. In other words, staying inside the house, using only the technological capabilities of satellite communications, it will be possible to send messages to your spacecraft from a mobile device connected to the Internet; and also getting the information necessary for its owner from the board. In fact, this brings the space to people; it allows using of space-based information to the maximum amount for any person, take off the mystery veil or exclusivity from the space. This will happen in the near future - in five years. And our equipment is designed to evaluate these possibilities.
“Contact-MKA” equipment will collect and transmit the information about the movement dynamics of the spacecraft “Aist-2” using their own set of sensors, in fact autonomous. Our equipment will only receive power supply on board of the satellite. In fact, we will be able to “call” on-board, get information, and change the program of work of equipment from a mobile device if necessary. It should be mentioned, that we are optimizing only communication technology for now. Why is this necessary? For example, to reduce the risk of the bulky waste falling to Earth, such as upper stages of launch vehicles that performed the task, committing uncontrolled motion. The ground services of space control are engaged in this activity, however it is impossible to define the entry point of the object into the dense atmosphere in advance, the atmosphere entry time may beyond the reach of the land-based monitoring stations. Our module is able to transmit the necessary information about the motion parameters directly from orbit, providing monitoring of the space debris state before the moment of plasma cloud occurrence and structural failure.
- Is the organization of serial production of nanosatellites on the basis of SSAU expected? And what problems will be solved by the groups of nanosatellites?
- It should be understood that while we are at the beginning of our way and focus mainly on the international experience. Having acquired the necessary experience, we will not only realize the project training for graduate and postgraduate students, creating a nanosatellite every year, but will also organize collective projects involving Russian and foreign universities. At the moment we have created a good basis for the organization of small-scale production of nanosatellites as a part of the Samara aerospace cluster. The project “Nanosatellites Factory” is being worked out, and the International Summer Space School “Advanced Technologies and Experiments in Space”, which is held annually since 2003, will be its starting point. We hope that the Ministry of Education and Science, Roscosmos (the Federal Space Agency) and Council for Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences will support this effort that will “infect” the youth with space and solve not only staffing problems of the space industry, but quickly develop the new technologies for space exploration. In advanced countries such support is very considerable. Thus, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency of the USA is implementing a special program on nanosatellites development. The universities receive orders on nanosatellites manufacture for the agency needs of various purposes. The same situation is in China. I suppose there is an area of applied and scientific problems in which cannot be solved without nanosatellites. For example, it shows the European project QB50, in which we participate. It involves performance of simultaneous measurements of the same type in different parts of the near-Earth space. This is the only way to study the geophysical fields. It is almost impossible to perform this work by one or several large satellites. But it’s possible to perform simultaneous multipoint measurements and obtain a complete picture of, for example, the Earth's thermosphere with the help of a few tens of nanosatellites. Although these measurements and studies will continue through the year (this is the usual service life of nanosatellite), they will give a unique fundamental result.
Further there is an applied use - collecting information from the remote terminals. For example, nowadays marine vessels send the information to space on the vessel and transported cargo, intended for logistics and transport companies, as well as shore services. Nanosatellites can collect this information, save it and send to the Earth on request. Similar information can be collected promptly from the sea buoys that are used by meteorologists, as well as oil and gas product pipelines. Thus, JSC “Russian Space Systems” has already experienced similar equipment on the satellite “Resurs-P”. It is being tested and then will be replicated and used to collect and disseminate information from marine vessels. They have also developed a nanosatellite, designed to meet these challenges.
Nanosatellite technologies have promising prospects. In June this year we held the first Russian symposium on nanosatellites “RusNanoSat-2015” with the involvement of international participants. It has showed the situation in Russia in this sphere and a direction that we should develop, as well as the problems which can be solved by nanosatellites even today.
- What are the objectives set for itself by the organizing committee of the symposium?
- The event purpose is a kind of revision of our possibilities, the whole scientific community of the leading Russian universities, academic institutions and industry. I would like to see what we already can do, what experience we have. This is a good opportunity to unite our community within a new innovative project. We also involve our colleagues from Belarus and Kazakhstan to participate in the symposium. By the way, our Department has the Master's program “Space information systems and nanosatellites. Navigation and Earth remote sensing”, which is very popular among the youth of Kazakhstan.
We plan to hold a round table at the symposium, which will bring together Eurasian partners as well. After all, these countries are also being performed developments in the field of nanosatellites. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are quite able to propose and implement their own project of nanosatellites group. Maybe it would be not such large-scale as in the EU, but capable enough to solve a non-trivial task. These opportunities and prospects will be discussed at the final meeting of the symposium. Scientists from the Russian Academy of Science: Space Research Institute, Institute of Applied Physics and Institute of Applied Mechanics are actively involved in the symposium.
The symposium consists of 44 reports, including the leading research institute of Roskosmos – Central Research Institute of Machine Engineering (TSNIIMASH), Samara Rocket and Space Centre “Progress”, Research Institute of Space Systems - a branch of Khrunichev Centre, etc. There will be a lot of reports prepared by SSAU scientists - we already have serious exploratory works on this subject. But there is another important point in favour of SSAU possibility to become the leader of this movement in Russia - it is a strong support of our initiatives and projects on behalf of the Government of Samara Region.
- What kind of support?
- Any spacecraft should be tested and then receive a certificate of airworthiness. In this regard Nanosatellites and Systems Testing Centre (TSION) was established on the basis of public autonomous institution of Samara Region “Centre of Innovative Development and Cluster Initiatives”. This Centre is formed with direct participation of the Samara Region Administration and is located on SSAU campus site. The centre has a research laboratory of the space environment influence, testing laboratory of nanosatellites motion control systems, laboratory of manufacturing, assembly and testing of nanosatellites electronic systems, research laboratory of the influence of nanosatellites motion dynamics for navigation and communication, equipped with modern testing devices. Re-equipment of the laboratories is being expected this year. With the regional government support we have got the opportunity to work with a variety of technologies for spacecraft and their systems testing. I would like to note, there are no such test centres with the express aim of nanosatellites in Russia. In this regard Samara has become a pioneer.
- Since the centre was established - has it already experienced a spacecraft or will it in the future?
- Yes, the centre works, but due to recent events in the country and the world some difficulties arose, but we are overcoming them today. The thing is - we used earlier the imported components and subsystems in our work. At the end of last year we tried to buy a number of components abroad, but met with sanctions and bureaucratic barriers on behalf of our foreign suppliers. We realized that we must act independently, and by today almost all systems on board of SamSat-218 nanosatellite are designed and built by our hands. Currently, in the centre we are testing all of our developments, namely, on-board computer, antenna, solar panels, stabilization system, etc. Over the past two years our students have gained valuable experience in the development, manufacturing and testing of nanosatellites. They are all, without exception, “sick” with space and are very enthusiastic to solve the assigned tasks. They differ greatly from ordinary students in knowledge level, experience of independent practical work, skill level of modern technologies. In fact, we see the formation of a new category of modern self-confident engineers-researchers, which will be able to decide the new tasks facing the Russian astronautics. And we have a lot of plans ahead, but let’s talk about it next time.
Interviewed by Dmitriy Popov
