Existing Space Access for Small Satellites

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Existing Space Access for small satellites

Future technical trends and possibilities

Space Economy in the Multipolar World SEMW2010 1st International Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania, October 6-8, 2010

CNES, Launchers Directorate (Evry, France) – M. Pons, C. Talbot 1 Launchers

- Existing launchers

- Some projects - quick zoom on MLA project

2 Future trends

- Market analysis

- Future opportunities

Europe will soon operate from French Guiana a new family of launchers :

 Ariane 5, in its last version (A5ECA) using a 14t cryogenic upper stage propelled by HM7  Soyuz, in its “1a” version, will be first launched from Guiana in 2011  Vega, the new developed rocket, will be launched from Kourou by end 2011

This family is adapted to European institutional and commercial needs with a complete coverage of the payloads between small to heavy payloads.

Current European offer : 200 kg 1.5T 5T Escape

Performance ranges of European 400 kg 3T 10T GTO launchers and projects in relation to satellite masses. 200 kg 1.5T 5T MEO

10 kg 100 kg 500 kg 2T 5T 20T LEO Nano Micro Mini Small Medium Heavy

Very Small Very Heavy Ariane 5 Vega Soyuz/G 9.5t GTO 1.4t SSO 3t GTO 20t ISS 4.5t SSO 5t Mars 1.5t Mars PERSEUS Project Vega+ project A5ME, BBL & NGL projects ?

Ariane 5 : ASAP-A5 8x 120 kg (600x600x710mm)

Soyuz : ASAP-S 4x <200 kg (800x800x1000mm) 1x <400 kg (1500mm, H 1400mm)

Vega : Vespa (devlpmt in progress…) 2x <200 kg (800x800x1000mm) 3x <200 kg (>900) + 1 small mini

Minotaur family (OSC) : LV Pegasus family (OSC) : derived from decommissioned operational airborne LV Falcon-1 (Space-X) : ballistic missiles (minuteman (ORS version : Raptor-1). « low cost » launcher ? II, Peacekeeper), operational Ground variant (Taurus) (M4&5 in development) Performance  200-400 kg Performances  200-400 LEO, and until 700 kg LEO Performances : kg LEO (Pegasus-XL) M1  500 kg LEO (Falcon-1E) M2 et M3 : « Target LV » M4  1500kg LEO, Falcon-1 price < 10M$ … M5: GTO compatible

Operationally Responsive Space (USA)

US ORS office vision

Quickreach (Air Launch LLC, FALCON program): Scorpius (Microcosm) Air launch concept “very low cost” LV (internally carried in a (modular and simple C-17 globalstar) … in conception using development advanced technologies) Performance : 400 kg Performance : 250 kg Numerous projects more or less LEO LEO (Sprite) ambitious… many airborne ideas.

Russia Asia, Israël, .. India Numerous converted Missiles (SS18), operational : Dnepr, Rokot, Volna, Shtil ...

Japan : M5, Epsilon 2013 ?, 1300 kg LEO April 2008 flight with 10 satellites

Korea, Israel : several Several airborne projects airborne concepts in PSLV Core Alone (Air launch with Antonov, project 1 100 kg to SSO Ishim under Mig-31, etc.) China : projects in No known development development ? SEMW2010 1st International Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania, October 6-8, 2010 All rights reserved © CNES (2010) Page 9 interest for airborne concepts

Airborne Launcher - initial mass function of drop conditions -25% (same orbit and performance obective) Shuttle 35 Mach 0.0 (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 km) Mach 0.8 - 10 km Ground ref. Mach 0.8 - 15 km -30% 30 Mach 0.8 - 20 km Quickreach Mach 2.0 - 15 km Mach 2.0 - 20 km Mach 3.0 - 20 km on-top Airline planes 25 -35% From Cargo Hold Pegasus under balloons Airline Subsonic sep. 20 planes Dedalus Fighter aircraft type -40% [t] Mass Launcher Initial under drones

MLA Supersonic sep. -45% Fighter Aircraft type 10 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100

Virtual planes considered Flight Path Angle [°]

-55% Gain on the initial mass of an airborne launcher compared Ishim to a classical ground take off (objective 300 kg in SSO) SEMW2010 1st International Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania, October 6-8, 2010 All rights reserved © CNES (2010) Page 11 Zoom on MLA concept

ALD – demonstrator Performance ~ 0 P2-C0.6

4p0.3-P2-C0.6 P9-P2-C0.6 H12-P2-C0.6

2P3.8-P2-C0.6

MLA « compact » MLA « Trimaran » Horus / Falcon* Flex (1st stg reusable) Performance ~ 20-50 kg Performance ~ 150 kg Performance ~ 100-150 kg Performance ~ 100 kg

SEMW2010 1st International Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania, October 6-8, 2010 All rights reserved © CNES (2010) Page 12 Market Study recent multiplication of micro satellite platforms increasing success of the associated applications - Numerous successful technology experiences based on microsats, for Science or Defense with gradual increase in instrument performance - Constant improvement of quality / price ratio - Rebirth of interest for constellations (Rapid eyes, Orbcomm2, numerous project worldwide…) and formation flying, - Increasing number of operational applications accessible : communications, intelligence gathering, early warning, space surveillance, different type of observation, etc., - Evidence of the vulnerability of the big space systems, - Increasing interest for the « Responsive Space » approach in the USA and other countries (China, etc.), which prefer small size in order to reduce global costs et delays, and facilitate the implementation of new technologies

Tacsat-1 (USA, ORS) Microsat 70-100 (SSTL, GB): Myriade (Astrium/TAS): more 100 kg, conception & more than 20 satellites ordered than 15 satellites ordered (100- construction for 10M$ and (70-130 kg), now replaced by a 150 kg) et numerous projects … SEMW2010 less than 1 year new platform more flexible 1st International Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania, October 6-8, 2010 All rights reserved © CNES (2010) Page 13 Market Study

Resolution des petits satellites d’observation lancés (1996-2006) et à lancer (2007-2009) par masses Resolution of small observation satellites launched (1996-2006)

Resolution au sol (m) and to be launched (2007-2009) by mass 6

1996-2006 2007-2009 RapideyeGround resolution (m) 5

3 Razaksat (MACSAT)

Cartosat-2 1 Pleiades Svea GEOeye-1 Worldview 1 & 2

0 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

MassesSatellite des masses satellites (kg) (kg) Euroconsult pour la DLA du CNESEuroconsult – Etude for prospective CNES/DLA du – Prospectivemarché mondial study des of worldpetits marketsatellites for en small orbite LEO basse. satellites

World Market

# satellites réalisé prévu 50

45 Académiques

35 x 2 Institutionnels Européens 30 Commercial 25

10 Institutionnels Non Européens 5

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 46% accessible to European services

Offer for access to space for small satellites exists worldwide (Space-X Falcon-1, Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Dnepr, Rockot, Volna, Shtill, PSLV and others … ), with known pros and cons.

Solutions exist in Europe too (Vega, Soyuz via ASAP), less flexible but more economic.

The small satellites market is growing year after year but it remains small and uncertain in Europe : if the accessible market is 10-12 / year, the probable part for a dedicated European LV is less than 50% (3-4 for <200 kg 1-2 for < 400 kg)

 Insufficient justification to develop a dedicated system

Projects for small launchers exist, but no real development has started.

- Micro-satellites have lower cost, but still lower performance, though increasing - Difficulties for launching : operations, orbit, delay, cost, …

For launchers : - not enough governmental interest, at least in Europe - severe “low-cost” countries competition for new developments lead to - not enough industrial interest in Europe

Not enough added value => no small launcher development => no micro-satellite market development

Economical situation in the world shall probably take years to improve SEMW2010 1st International Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania, October 6-8, 2010 All rights reserved © CNES (2010) Page 17 Future trends What could create a new impulse ?

=> Potential new capacities exist with new system concepts GEO / constellation – GEO / UAV communication split of functions in between GEO, micro-sat, ground highly elliptical orbits possibilities …. => For new services which would take advantage of the specificities of small satellites => In which the need for launch may be different from the existing offer

are micro-satellites only a smaller replica of bigger satellites ? small satellites are an enabling technology for future space systems

=> Need of a long term strategy

1960 1980 2010

Performance

Size

Computer analogy with Space ?

• Existing launch capacities for small satellites are globally not satisfactory

• The reproduction of the existing bigger satellites at smaller scale is not enough for developing a new adapted launcher service: many small launchers have been studied, no development has really started

• Break-through innovation could be brought by thinking the whole space system in which the micro-satellite becomes an enabling technology for new societal services, together with GEO / ground systems => long term strategy to prepare

• Re-thinking the global space system includes re-defining also the launcher functions. These two separate worlds can communicate better