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Innovative Systems Engineering Solutions for Power-Positive Operations: Navigating the Multi-Constraint Challenges of the SWARM-EX CubeSat Mission.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Innovative Systems Engineering Solutions for Power-Positive Operations: Navigating the Multi-Constraint Challenges of the SWARM-EX CubeSat Mission.
Authors: Fitzpatrick, David J.1 (AUTHOR) david.fitzpatrick@colorado.edu, Palo, Scott E.1 (AUTHOR) scott.palo@colorado.edu
Source: Advances in Space Research. May2025, Vol. 75 Issue 9, p6847-6862. 16p.
Subjects: Scientific apparatus & instruments, Space environment, Microspacecraft, Solar cells, Short stature
Abstract: Although the small stature of CubeSats and their standardized deployer options help to lower unit development cost and facilitate launch opportunities, the physical size limits of CubeSats prove to be a double-edged sword vis-à-vis sustaining a stable power state while hosting instruments with high power demands and often strict pointing requirements. For the Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale-EXperiment (SWARM-EX), this issue is magnified by the mission's ambitious goals; to comply with mission requirements, a SWARM-EX spacecraft is required to concurrently (1) point the science instruments no more than 30 ° off ram when they are operational, (2) point the GPS patch antenna no more than 30 ° off zenith at least once per orbit, (3) point the boresight of the X-Band patch antenna no more than 18 ° from the ground station during downlink, (4) maximize the differential cross-sectional area during differential drag maneuvers, and (5) maximize solar array power generation at all times. Consequently, leading-edge CubeSat missions like SWARM-EX require innovative systems engineering solutions to remain power-positive during on-orbit operations. Through the design of a comprehensive module-based concept of operations, orbital power generation simulations, intricate constrained attitude profiles, and a configurable battery state of charge simulation tool, the SWARM-EX mission designers have conceived a plan to retire the risk of not maintaining a power-positive state while successfully meeting all mission requirements; it is the aim of the authors to illuminate these strategies as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Although the small stature of CubeSats and their standardized deployer options help to lower unit development cost and facilitate launch opportunities, the physical size limits of CubeSats prove to be a double-edged sword vis-à-vis sustaining a stable power state while hosting instruments with high power demands and often strict pointing requirements. For the Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale-EXperiment (SWARM-EX), this issue is magnified by the mission's ambitious goals; to comply with mission requirements, a SWARM-EX spacecraft is required to concurrently (1) point the science instruments no more than 30 ° off ram when they are operational, (2) point the GPS patch antenna no more than 30 ° off zenith at least once per orbit, (3) point the boresight of the X-Band patch antenna no more than 18 ° from the ground station during downlink, (4) maximize the differential cross-sectional area during differential drag maneuvers, and (5) maximize solar array power generation at all times. Consequently, leading-edge CubeSat missions like SWARM-EX require innovative systems engineering solutions to remain power-positive during on-orbit operations. Through the design of a comprehensive module-based concept of operations, orbital power generation simulations, intricate constrained attitude profiles, and a configurable battery state of charge simulation tool, the SWARM-EX mission designers have conceived a plan to retire the risk of not maintaining a power-positive state while successfully meeting all mission requirements; it is the aim of the authors to illuminate these strategies as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:02731177
DOI:10.1016/j.asr.2024.06.057