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Safety critical RTOS for space satellites
Abstract
In many practical applications, that can be found in control engineering, the functionality and safety of the overall control process rely on a proper function of the respective operating system. This fact makes the software one of the most safety critical elements of such practical applications, especially when the control process is placed in an inhospitable environment not directly accessible to man. One of such environments is Space. In this paper a problem of designing a safety critical real time operating system for a small space satellite called CubeSat is discussed. It is shown how to design such an operating system and how to increase its reliability and to protect it against single upset events.
... A specialized team, brought together by SOSA, designed and constructed almost all of the satellite and its subsystems: circuit boards, sensors, power system unit, onboard computer, parts of the testing equipment, software, testing and calibration methods, etc. The heart of the satellite is a redundant computer with a radiation hardened processor and a custom real-time operating system [10], [11]. The communication module is redundant as well. ...
The Slovak Organisation for Space Activities (SOSA) has been active in various types of space-related activities since its establishment in 2009. They include launching stratospheric balloons, the development of the first Slovak suborbital rocket ARDEA, a spaceflight simulator and many others. SOSA, together with the Žilina University in Žilina, the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, the Technical University Košice and a handful of private companies, have designed and created the first Slovak satellite skCUBE, which is due to be launched into space in 2017. The numerous unique technologies, which have been developed during the creation of skCUBE, are now being sold as products internationally. Recently, an effort to create a new space vision and strategy for Slovakia has been initiated by SOSA, together with several Slovak universities and international partners, including the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and the ETH Zurich University. Their plan is to develop and launch a CubeSat fleet to detect gamma ray bursts from space. Part of this initiative is also the establishment of space incubators by SOSA across Slovakia to train and involve students directly space-related technologies.
Nanosatellites: Space and Ground Technologies, Operations and Economics comprehensively presents the latest research on the fast-developing area of nanosatellites. Divided into three distinct sections, the book begins with a brief history of nanosatellites and introduces nanosatellites technologies and payloads, also explaining how these are deployed into space. The second section provides an overview of the ground segment and operations, and the third section focuses on the regulations, policies, economics, and future trends. Key features:
Payloads for nanosatellites
Nanosatellites components design
Examines the cost of development of nanosatellites.
Covers the latest policies and regulations.
Considers future trends for nanosatellites.
Nanosatellites: Space and Ground Technologies, Operations and Economics is a comprehensive reference for researchers and practitioners working with nanosatellites in the aerospace industry.
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Nanosatellites%3A+Space+and+Ground+Technologies%2C+Operations+and+Economics+-p-9781119042037
This paper is concerned with application of standard wireless COTS protocols to space. Suitability of commercially available wireless sensor mote kits for communication inside and between satellites is investigated Spacecraft applications of motes are being considered and a set of requirements are identified Selected mote kits are tested under various scenarios complying with spacecraft testing procedures. The paper details the results of the carried out functional, EMC/I, vibration, thermal and radiation tests.
In 2007, a group of students at Budapest University of Technology and Economics had decided to realize the first Hungarian satellite, called Masat-1. In 2012, Masat-1 was launched from French Guyana by VEGA maiden flight (the first really own rocket of European Space Agency - ESA) to an elliptical orbit. Nowadays, Masat-1 is still working, although the planned lifetime was only 3 months. Our aim was to develop a fully automated and remote controlled ground station (ground station network) for Masat-1 to be able to receive telemetry from, and send telecommands to the satellite without supervision.
The Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX) is a triple CubeSat that launched on November 19, 2010. RAX was designed to study plasma irregularities in the polar lower ionosphere (80–300 km), and is the first CubeSat mission funded by the United States National Science Foundation. The scientific mission requires attitude knowledge within 5° (1−σ1−σ), and a custom attitude determination subsystem was developed for the mission. The subsystem utilizes rate gyros, magnetometers, coarse sun sensors, and an extended Kalman filter, and was designed to be a simple, low cost solution to meet the attitude determination requirements. In this paper, we describe the design, implementation, and testing of the RAX attitude determination subsystem, including derivation of the determination requirements, sensor selection, the integrated hardware design, pre-flight sensor calibration, and attitude estimation algorithms. The paper is meant to serve as a resource for others in the small satellite and nanosatellite communities, as well as a critical reference for those analyzing RAX data. Lessons learned from the design and performance of the RAX determination subsystem will be used in future designs of attitude determination systems for small satellites and similar platforms, such as high altitude balloons and autonomous aerial vehicles.
Use of COTS Components in Academic Space Projects, SEREC event
- Volker Gass
- Federico Belloni