Data Analysis of a Tethered SpaceMail Experiment

The Second Young Engineers’ Satellite is a 36 kg student-built experiment that piggybacked on the Foton-M3 microgravity platform in September 2007. Its mission was tethered SpaceMail: a propellantless sample return from an orbital platform. The experiment included a two-stage tether deployment, leading to a swing of the tether toward the local vertical, in which finally a capsule was released from the bottom of the tethered system into a reentry trajectory. The first deployment stage of 3.4 kmwas completedwithin about 20maccuracy. The second stage started on time and the endmass initially accelerated nominally. Then, due to an electrical problem, the tether was deployed to its full length of 31.7 km, rather than to the target length of 30 km. It was nevertheless released at the proper time and at a near-nominal in-plane angle. Data analysis shows that the Second Young Engineers’ Satellite scientific objectives were achieved. The two-stage deployment trajectory could be reconstructed and the capsule trajectory could be estimated. The proper performance of the deployer hardware and controller was demonstrated, and tether physical properties were also determined. Finally, simulation and test results could be matched to flight data, providing both confidence and recommendations for preparation of future tether missions.

[1]  Joseph A. Carroll.  The Small Expendable Deployment System (SEDS) , 1988 .

[2]  Eugene M. Levin,et al.  Dynamic analysis of space tether missions , 2007 .

[3]  C. C. Rupp,et al.  Control and flight performance of tethered satellite small expendable deployment system-II , 1996 .

[4]  Michiel Kruijff,et al.  Integrated test rig for tether hardware, real-time simulator and control algorithms: Robust momentum transfer validated , 2001 .

[5]  Enrico Lorenzini,et al.  Control Law for the Deployment of SEDS-II , 1993 .

[6]  Eberhard Gill,et al.  First Mission Results of the YES2 Tethered SpaceMail Experiment , 2008 .

[7]  M. Dobrowolny,et al.  A technical overview of TSS-1: The first Tethered-Satellite system mission , 1994 .

[8]  Michel Kruijff.  YES2 Education and Outreach , 2003 .

[9]  Andrzej Cichocki,et al.  Development, test and flight results of the rf systems for the yes2 tether experiment , 2008 .

[10]  M. Kruijff,et al.  Design, development and test of a compact lightweight capsule recovery system , 2008 .

[11]  Carlo Menon,et al.  Design and Testing of a Space Mechanism for Tether Deployment , 2007 .

[12]  Michiel Kruijff,et al.  Heatshield Qualification for the SpaceMail Re-entry Capsule "Fotino" in the VKI Plasmatron , 2008 .

[13]  John Glaese,et al.  Comparison of SEDS-1 pre-flight simulations and flight data , 1993 .

[14]  E. J. van der Heide,et al.  Designing a micro-launcher with tethered upper stage , 2006 .

[15]  Joseph Carroll,et al.  SEDS deployer design and flight performance , 1993 .

[16]  Michiel Kruijff,et al.  Qualification and in-flight demonstration of a European tether deployment system on YES2 , 2009 .

[17]  Michiel Kruijff,et al.  Applicability of Tether Deployment Simulation and Tests based on YES2 Flight Data , 2008 .

[18]  Michiel Kruijff,et al.  Development and Flight Results of a PC104/QNX-Based On-Board Computer and Software for the YES2 Tether Experiment , 2008 .