Lorenzo Tarabini Castellani

SENER Aeroespacial S.A. · Avionics and Advanced Systems

In Low Earth Orbit, it is possible to use the ambient plasma and the geomagnetic field to exchange momentum with the Earth's magnetosphere without using propellant. A device that allows an efficient momentum exchange is the electrodynamic tether (EDT), a long conductor attached to the satellite. EDT technology has been demonstrated in several past...

In the last decades, green deorbiting technologies have begun to be investigated and have raised a great interest in the space community. Among the others, electrodynamic tethers appear to be a promising option. By interacting with the surrounding ionosphere, electrodynamic tethers generate a drag Lorentz force to decrease the orbit altitude of the...

This works presents a system level analysis of a Deorbit Kit (DK) based on electrodynamic tether technology. The analysis is focused on two relevant scenarios for deorbiting space debris: (i) Earth Observation (EO) satellites with mass in the range of 700 kg -1000 kg and initial orbital altitude of 800 km and 98° inclination, and (ii) Mega Constell...

The Electrodynamic Tether Technology for Passive Consumable-less Deorbit Kit (E.T.PACK) is a project aimed at the development of a deorbit kit based on low-work-function Tether (LWT) technology, i.e., a fully passive and electrically floating system made of a long conductive tape coated with a low-work-function material. The LWT interacts passively...

This works presents a system level analysis of a Deorbit Kit (DK) based on electrodynamic tether technology. The analysis is focused on two relevant scenarios for deorbiting space debris: (i) Earth Observation (EO) satellites with mass in the range of 700kg -1000kg and initial orbital altitude of 800km and 98º inclination, and (ii) Mega Constellati...

There is a growing interest in Lunar exploration fed by the perception that the Moon can be made accessible to low-cost missions in the next decade. The on-going projects to set a communications relay in Lunar orbit and a deep space Gateway, as well as the spreading of commercial-of-the shelf (COTS) technology for small space platforms such as the...

Based on the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) and VEGA success and assets, a programme called Space Rider (SR) was proposed to develop an affordable and sustainable reusable European space transportation system to enable routine “access to” and “return from” space, operating in-orbit, de-orbiting, re-entering, landing on ground, being re-lau...

Compact Reconfigurable Avionics Smart AOCS&GNC Elements (CoRA-SAGE) is a multidisciplinary activity aimed to implement AOCS & GNC functional chains with reliable sensors and actuators in a compact and reconfigurable way fitting in the overall avionics architecture called CoRA. The AOCS/GNC models designed during this activity take allow different i...

An application programme called Space Rider has been proposed to develop an affordable and sustainable reusable European space transportation system to enable routine “access to” and “return from” space, operating in-orbit, de-orbiting, re-entering, landing on ground and being re-launched after limited refurbishment. Space Rider will perform in-orb...

The paper describes the work performed by SENER to design a reusable orbital vehicle thruster configuration and control strategy. The reusable orbital vehicle’s missions will last from few days up to two months with automatic re-entry. The vehicle’s mission scenarios include microgravity experimentation, earth observation, rendezvous and capture of...

PROBA-3 will demonstrate technologies and techniques for precise Formation Flying of two spacecraft. This paper describes its Formation Flying Navigation system for relative position and velocity determination. A Coronagraph spacecraft carries fine relative position metrology and higher-thrust propulsion, and an Occulter spacecraft carries fine low...

This paper reports the phase B mission analysis work performed for the nominal operations of the PROBA-3 formation flying mission. PROBA-3 will perform formation flying in a highly elliptical orbit, and perform Solar coronagraphy and formation maneuvering demonstrations in a 6 h region around apogee. This paper addresses the nominal orbit and the i...

PROBA-3 is the ESA mission devoted to the demonstration of precise formation flying technology. Precise formation flying will allow small spacecraft, flying with a fixed relative geometry, to synthesise giant structure-less instruments. PROBA-3 consists of two satellites keeping a formation from 25 to 250 metres controlling relative position with a...

PROBA is a programme managed by ESA for the in-orbit demonstration of platform and payload technologies. PROBA-3 aims to demonstrate precise formation flying technology. Starting from phase B2, SENER is the prime contractor of the mission. The mission consists on two small spacecrafts of 340 kg and 200 kg flying in a formation with relative positio...

The PROBA-3 Mission is part of the overall In Orbit Demonstration missions from the ESA Technical Directorate, in the frame of the GSTP programme. Currently PROBA-3 is in the middle of its phase B. SENER Ingeniería y Sistemas in Spain is leading an industrial consortium whose main partners are: GMV, in Spain, for the FF subsystem, QinetiQ Space (QS...

Building on the experience from previous and on-going technology demonstration missions – such as the lunar probe mission SMART-1 and the PRISMA rendez-vous and formation flying mission currently in development – Swedish Space Corporation is now leading a European industrial team to develop the PROBA-3 high precision formation flying system for the...

PROBA-3 is an ESA technology demonstration mission devoted to the validation of the novel technologies required by future Formation Flying (FF) missions. The PROBA-3 mission and in particular its Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) architecture are being defined within the currently running Bridging Step after phase A. The Bridging Step includes...

This paper shows a description of the PROBA-3 Formation Flying (FF) System perspectives based on the concepts and architecture generated after evaluation and consolidation of the results of the two previous phase A studies, with incorporation of the evolution of the System during the PROBA-3 bridging step activities, being performed before the star...

A new hybrid direct-indirect optimization algorithm is presented to compute the minimum-time transfer between two orbits, including the phasing with a desired spacecraft. Very-low thrust means several hundred revolutions to perform the large change in orbital elements. The optimal control solution of the fast-evolution problem combined with a direc...

CX-OLEV is a commercial mission aimed to extend the operational life of geostationary telecommunications satellites by supplying them propulsion, navigation and guidance services. Under SENER's contract and ESA's supervision, GMV designed the CX-OLEV ground guided rendez-vous (RV) approach. The starting point of the RV phase between CX-OLEV and the...

A new hybrid direct/indirect optimization algorithm is presented to compute the minimum-time transfer from GTO to GEO, including phasing with desired SC. Very-low thrust results in several hundreds of revolutions to perform the large change in orbital elements. The optimal control solution of the fast-evolution problem combined with a direct method...

This paper deals with the design of a Heliocentric Earth Trailing Orbit (HETO) tailored on the particular requirements and mission constraints of SMART-2 probe (when the HETO was a studied option for SMART-2). This orbit has been optimised in order to minimise the drift from the Earth during the one year mission lifetime while keeping the Sun-Probe...