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2013 | Book

Introduction Read chapter Read first chapter

Introduction to Space Systems

Design and Synthesis

Author: Miguel A. Aguirre

Publisher: Springer New York

Book Series : Space Technology Library

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik"

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About this book

The definition of all space systems starts with the establishment of its fundamental parameters: requirements to be fulfilled, overall system and satellite design, analysis and design of the critical elements, developmental approach, cost, and schedule. There are only a few texts covering early design of space systems and none of them has been specifically dedicated to it. Furthermore all existing space engineering books concentrate on analysis. None of them deal with space system synthesis – with the interrelations between all the elements of the space system. Introduction to Space Systems concentrates on understanding the interaction between all the forces, both technical and non-technical, which influence the definition of a space system. This book refers to the entire system: space and ground segments, mission objectives as well as to cost, risk, and mission success probabilities.

Introduction to Space Systems is divided into two parts. The first part analyzes the process of space system design in an abstract way. The second part of the book focuses on concrete aspects of the space system design process. It concentrates on interactions between design decisions and uses past design examples to illustrate these interactions. The idea is for the reader to acquire a good insight in what is a good design by analyzing these past designs.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Introduction
Abstract
This chapter is an overall introduction to the whole book. The chapter starts with a description of the aims of the book and provides a justification for its existence. It continues with the actors and roles involved in the process of starting a new space system. The next section deals with the generalist “architectural” perspective that is necessary to define a space system. The following two sections deal with the evolution of the design process. The first one discusses the design and implementation of a space system and the second recalls the names and aims of the phases that are normally used to define a space system. The next section presents what constitutes a space system. The chapter finishes with a brief glossary of terms that are used repeatedly in the book and with a list of recommended supplementary texts.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 2. Space Disciplines
Abstract
The fundamental aim of this chapter is to introduce the space engineering disciplines in the context of the architectural definition of a new space mission. This introduction describes briefly the roles and responsibilities of the different engineering disciplines during all the phases of the mission implementation but it concentrates in the role they play during the architectural definition phases. It is recalled that space system architectural definition is a rigorous process as outlined in the previous chapter. Small teams of the supplier and customer organizations, which have to keep a generalist perspective, direct the architectural definition. These small teams perform their activity interacting with specialists in the different space engineering disciplines. To understand these interactions it is necessary to introduce these engineering disciplines. This chapter has two objectives:
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 3. Requirements, Specifications, and Design
Abstract
Figure 1.2 of Chapter 1 put the customer at the center of relationships with the other three actors: with the consumer through the requirements; with the sponsor through the constraints; and with the supplier through the design, which in turn responds to the requirements and the constraints. This and the next chapter – Chapter 4 – will discuss how the customer handles the requirements and constraints. Section 1.2 defined the consumer as the end-user of the system’s output, and who expresses the desired quantity, quality, and delivery mode of the data to be produced. These desires will create requirements. Requirements can be defined as needs or expectations that are formally stated and declared obligatory. Requirements are collected in specifications that can be defined as a document stating requirements. That is, needs become requirements that are collected in specifications, which become the document, used to formally verify if the consumer’s needs will be correctly addressed by the system being implemented.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 4. Constraints and Design
Abstract
Systems are designed according to specifications and are also verified against them, but there are many factors affecting and limiting the design that are not requirements or contained in a specification: they are the constraints.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 5. System Design as a Synchronic Process
Abstract
The word synchronic in the title of this chapter is defined as “the analysis of something as it exists at a particular moment in time.” This term was first applied in linguistics to refer to the analysis of a language from the perspective of all its rules, features, and interactions at each moment in time. Parallel to the synchronic perspective, linguistics also introduced the term “diachronic” to refer to the study of how languages change with time. As in linguistics, the process of designing a space mission can be analyzed from either a synchronic or diachronic viewpoint. The present chapter will discuss typical mission designs from a synchronic perspective, while the following one will take a diachronic approach.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 6. System Definition as a Diachronic Process
Abstract
The word diachronic means “concerned with the way in which something has evolved over time.” It is often opposed to synchronic. The previous chapter analyzed space system definition as a synchronic process; the present chapter will analyze it as a diachronic process. Together they provide a comprehensive overview of the system definition process.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 7. Introduction to the Design Domains
Abstract
This is the first chapter of the second part of the book. It examines the interrelations between the components and elements of a space system and how they interact together during the design process. To study these interactions, the overall design space will be divided into domains. Each design domain is defined as a specific area where multiple design decisions interact strongly with one another, while they interact only weakly with design decisions external to the domain. The main tool for the study of these interactions is the comparison and analysis of past design examples. To provide an introductory perspective on the highest-level design decisions, the chapter analyzes the evolution over time of a very specific type of mission: the “Astronomical Observatory” mission. A number of past astronomical observatory missions will be presented and their highest-level design decisions – orbit, overall data flow, attitude, overall satellite configuration, operations – will be analyzed and compared.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 8. The Observables and Instruments Domain
Abstract
This design domain was introduced in Section 7.​1.​1. This chapter starts with an analysis of the relationship between an instrument and its observables. It continues with a brief introduction to the types of payloads that are carried by satellites. It continues by examining five space missions:
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 9. The Orbit and Attitude Domain
Abstract
This domain was introduced in Section 7.1.2. This chapter starts with a brief introduction to the elements and components included in this domain. It continues by analyzing the space environment and how it drives the orbit and attitude of the spacecraft. The two following sections (Sections 9.3 and 9.4) describe the different types of attitudes and orbits. Section 9.5 describes mission phases and satellite modes. The next section describes four space missions:
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 10. The Satellite Configuration Domain
Abstract
This domain was introduced in Section 7.1.3. This chapter starts with a brief introduction to the elements and components included in this domain that are related to the “mechanical” space engineering disciplines. It continues analyzing how the external environment drives the configuration of a satellite and then examines the associated design decisions for four missions:
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 11. The Operational Data Flow Domain
Abstract
This domain was introduced in Section 7.1.4. This chapter starts with a brief introduction to the elements and components included in this domain that are related to the space “electrical space engineering” disciplines and with on-ground satellite operations. It continues with the analysis of mission phases and the different operational situations that they produce.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 12. The Instrument Output Data Flow Domain
Abstract
This domain was introduced in Section 7.1.5. This chapter starts with a brief introduction to the elements and components – ground and space – included in this domain. As it is strongly related to the previous chapter, the present chapter will use as examples three space missions already discussed in Chapter 11: Rosetta, Cluster, and Sentinel-3, as well as a new one, NOAA POESS. NOAA POESS produces very large amounts of data that need to be processed at high speed, and uses four different paths for data downlink and processing. This makes it an interesting mission to analyze.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Chapter 13. Space Missions Cost and Alternative Design Approaches
Abstract
Mission costs have been discussed several times in previous chapters. Sections 4.5 and 4.6 described the different kinds of space projects; Section 4.8 analyzed costs and how to evaluate them; Section 4.9.3 examined the development approach and model philosophy ; Section 5.3.1 looked at low cost designs. The following chapter will again consider the topic, providing a synthesized view, and examining cost reduction approaches proposed in the recent and not so recent past.
Miguel A. Aguirre
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Introduction to Space Systems
Author
Miguel A. Aguirre
Copyright Year
2013
Publisher
Springer New York
Electronic ISBN
978-1-4614-3758-1
Print ISBN
978-1-4614-3757-4
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3758-1

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