International Scientific Micro-satellite RISESAT based on Space Plug and Play Avionics

Tohoku University is now developing an international scientific micro-satellite named RISESAT (Rapid International Scientific Experiment Satellite), whose launch is planned to be in the end of 2013. RISESAT is a 50-kg class micro-satellite. The orbit is planned to be a sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of around 700km. RISESAT will carry 6 international scientific payloads developed by overseas partners, including a high-precision telescope with liquid crystal tunable filters with 5m GSD, as well as an optical communication terminal as technology demonstration. The total weight of payload instruments sums up to more than 10kg which is about 20 % of the whole satellite. RISESAT employs a payload main computer based on Space Plug and Play Avionics (SPA) technology for controlling all of these scientific instruments. By applying virtual system integration technology, remote integration of satellite components spread all over the world becomes possible without getting together at a certain place. In this way the integration of a variety of payload instruments becomes simple and the effort required can be dramatically reduced. RISESAT project is now at the end of Engineering Model development phase and has experienced first mechanical and electrical integration activity of the Engineering Models of payload instruments.