SSC01-II-5

The Small Payload Transfer (SPORT™) Vehicle and The Business Environment for the Next Generation of Piggyback Launch Options

Dr. Ahmad Sabirin Arshad Astronautic Technology SB Suite 3-2, Incubator 3 Technology Park Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 57000 Malaysia 6 (03) 899-83100 [email protected]

Aaron Jacobovits AeroAstro, Inc. 327 A Street Boston, MA 02210 (617) 451-8630 x15 [email protected]

Yasser Ahmad Astronautic Technology SB 520 Huntmar Park Drive Herndon, VA 20170 (703) 709-2240 x138 [email protected]

David J. Goldstein AeroAstro, Inc. 327 A Street Boston, MA 02210 (617) 451-8630 [email protected]

Abstract. AeroAstro and Astronautic Technology Sdn. Bhd. (ATSB) are developing the Small Payload ORbit Transfer (SPORT) Vehicle. Primarily designed to take advantage of the many auxiliary launch opportunities to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), SPORT acts as a small upper stage by moving a small payload from GTO to (LEO), which is typically a much more desirable orbit. An innovative combination of aerobraking and chemical propulsion allows SPORT to accomplish this mission while keeping costs low. This paper provides an overview of the growing market for auxiliary launches, which also includes a discussion of launch brokering, SPORT, competing decommissioned ICBMs, as well as the needs of different user segments. The SPORT team’s bilateral business arrangements with a

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primary operator bring an additional point of view to the paper. SPORT’s pioneer mission is planned for 2003, for this first mission, a Malaysian satellite mounted on top of SPORT will be launched into GTO on an 5 Structure for Auxiliary Payloads (ASAP) micro launch slot. SPORT will then place its payload, a low earth orbit satellite, into a 9° inclination, 700 km altitude orbit.

Introduction price advantages of building a small for a very low cost are lost due to Once a curiosity, over the past decade small expensive launch systems and a lack of spacecraft (under 500 kg) have become a key options for access to orbit. strategic element of nearly every space program, from long-time spacefaring nations There are a number of possible solutions to to newly emerging space economies to new this problem, ranging from dedicated launch commercial space ventures. Obstacles that vehicles to decommissioned ICBMs previously made it difficult to build small (generally Russian) to auxiliary, or satellites capable enough to fulfill meaningful “piggyback”, launches. However, the most missions have been solved through the use of cost-effective and least risky of these options, advanced technologies. Such technologies auxiliary launches on reliable larger launch include highly efficient Lithium-Ion batteries, vehicles, often is the least useful since large triple junction Gallium Arsenide solar cells, launches tend to go to that are not and advances in electronics such as desirable by small spacecraft. AeroAstro’s line of Bitsy integrated miniature satellite electronics for power, The SPORT (Small Payload Orbit Transfer) communications and computing systems. vehicle has been developed through a global Additional benefits in miniaturization and partnership between Astronautic Technology reduced power consumption are being realized (M) Sdn. Bhd (ATSB) of Kuala Lumpur, in modern sensors and actuators for attitude Malaysia, and AeroAstro, Inc. of Herndon, determination and control. For example, Virginia. SPORT is coupled with small modern star trackers are not only smaller and spacecraft on auxiliary or ‘piggyback’ less power-hungry, but also feature integrated launches on large launch vehicles. SPORT computers and three-axis knowledge. Modern carries small spacecraft the “last mile” from sun sensors, such as AeroAstro’s MSS-1-B, as the drop-off point on the large launch vehicle well as modern torque wheels also do away to their final custom orbits. This turns the with the large auxiliary electronics boxes that many unused auxiliary launches into a useful older ones required. Of particular interest is and low-cost alternatives to reach orbit. In the the increasing viability of large inflatable telecommunications industry, the “last mile” space components, which allow very large refers to the high cost final link between trunk deployables to be very tightly packaged. lines and people’s homes- often the most expensive and most difficult part of a However, despite all the technology telecommunications infrastructure. SPORT developments on the spacecraft side, launch to serves a very similar purpose for auxiliary orbit remains a high-cost obstacle. Launching launches. small satellites can be difficult and expensive, especially if achieving a custom final orbit is This paper presents an overview the needs of key to the success of the mission. Often, the the small spacecraft market from a demand

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(needs of users) and a supply (available launch Historical Demand for Small Satellite options) point of view. It discusses how Launches SPORT changes that market landscape through innovative applications of small A good method of gauging demand is to satellite technology. Besides technical aspects analyze historical trends, which are often of the market, both business and political considered more reliable than predictions factors are considered. Through this based on press announcements in the market discussion, the paper hopes to begin a place. In a study for the United States dialogue with small spacecraft users to Department of Defense, AeroAstro researched increase the understanding of the the history of small satellite launches, some marketplace’s emerging needs and how results of which are presented below. Data technologies such as SPORT can fill those was culled from sources including the TRW needs. Space Log and Teal Group reports, as well as from AeroAstro internal databases. Market Demand As shown in Figure 1, there is robust demand Small Satellite Builders historically for small spacecraft. A plurality of these are in the 0-60 kg range, with over The number of organizations using small 350 launched. Russian spacecraft were spacecraft, both globally and in the United removed since their overwhelmingly large States, is continually increasing. These numbers of military microsatellites tend to organizations include civil and military skew the results, and since they are virtually government bodies, commercial guaranteed to launch on decommissioned communications and remote sensing Russian ICBMs they are not active players in businesses, and even entertainment the marketplace. Even discounting Russian companies. These organizations all launches, nearly 200 spacecraft have launched understand that modern small satellites, in the 61-150 kg range, and nearly 300 have enabled by the latest advanced technology, are launched with masses ranging from 151-600 a key asset to meet their needs. kg.

Providers of small spacecraft include ATSB, Although there is strong demand for small AeroAstro, Ball Aerospace, Orbital satellite launches, they have historically Corporation, and Surrey Satellite Technology accounted for less than 10% of the overall Limited. Additionally, a number of users launch marketplace, and therefore the overall semi-compete with these commercial launch market is strongly dominated by the providers by building their own spacecraft, needs of much larger satellites and payloads including national space agencies, NASA, with masses usually well over 1000 kg. The military organizations, and commercial users demands of large satellites are often much who set up their own one-time ‘in-house’ different from the demands of small ones, and satellite shops. The cost for small spacecraft that leads to the GTO paradox- a high global can range from less than $1M to over $100M, supply, with accompanying low-cost auxiliary but generally ranges from $4M to $12M for a capacity, for launches to orbits not desirable typical small spacecraft bus of medium for small spacecraft. Furthermore, as shown in capability. Figure 2, the trends in this sector are all upwards, with significant growth trends in the 0-60 kg mass class just as an example.

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400

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0 0 – 60 kg 61 – 150 kg 151 – 300 kg 301 – 600 kg Figure 1: Small Satellites Launched Worldwide (Not Including Russian) Through 1998.

40

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0 1980 1990 2000 2004 Figure 2: Teal Group Projections Show Growth in the 0-60 kg Mass Class.

Large spacecraft tend to exhibit a strong launch vehicles such as the and 5 and demand for Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit the and II. Satellites bound for (GTO), since many large remote sensing and GEO tend to be very large due to large and communications satellites are destined for complex payloads requiring large and Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO). As shown complex support buses. Furthermore, the cost in Figure 3 in the left-hand graph, when large to launch to distant GEO, including the launches are considered along with small satellite’s own propulsion system, is so high ones, there is strong historical demand for that it makes sense to design with significant launches to GTO being fulfilled by large redundancy and margin, to reduce mission risk

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All Lauches n by Orbit Small Lauches n by Orbit

300 60 313 59 250 50 20 8 20 0 40 177 150 30 10 10 0 20 57 50 0 10 18 24 Total U.S. 0 8 To t al U.S. 3 Ariane 0 2 GT O Polar GT O Ariane LEO Po lar LEO

Figure 3: Large vs. Small Satellite Launch Destinations Through 1999 Show GTO Paradox. to an absolute minimum. These large The GTO paradox is that a relatively (in the spacecraft require large launch vehicles, context of small spacecraft) large amount of which in turn tend to have significant mass mass margin is usually left over on large margin remaining on each launch. launch vehicles headed to GTO. This mass margin could be used at a very low cost by However, as seen in the right-hand graph in much smaller auxiliary payloads, but there is Figure 3, most small satellites are not destined no need for launches, no matter how for GTO or GEO. They are mostly used for affordable, for small satellites to GTO. It remote sensing, space and atmospheric offers a plentiful supply of launch capacity to science, technology demonstration, and low a useless orbit for small spacecraft. data rate communications. The aperture- limited nature of small spacecraft limits the Market Supply emitted RF power for communications links, limiting the distance from which meaningful Small Launch Vehicles data can be transmitted to the Earth. Small There are numerous small launch vehicles that optics apertures drives small spacecraft may be used to launch small payloads, towards LEO orbits where they can be closer including , Pegasus, and in to the ground targets they are imaging. The the United States, J-1 in Japan, Shavit and inherent advantage of small spacecraft is the LK1 in Israel, Shtil, , and Start in ability to build a large number of them for low Russia, as well as the VLS and VLM in cost, and this drives communications . However, demand tends to be low for architectures towards constellations of LEO such small vehicles compared to larger ones. satellites. For all these reasons and more, Due to inefficiencies in small launch vehicles, small spacecraft almost universally prefer where costs for items such as range safety and LEO orbits to higher MEO or GEO orbits. avionics must be recouped over a smaller GTO orbits tend to be the worst of all possible number of launched kilograms, the cost per worlds- their orbit parameters are not constant kilogram for small vehicles tends to be higher and present a significant operations and than for large ones. Figure 4 illustrates this communications challenge. Due to their high fact. orbital velocities at perigee, GTO spacecraft are nearly useless for remote sensing missions. Adding to the small launch vehicle challenge, in the cases of larger vehicles such as the Athena and the Minotaur, a single small

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Cost/kg Cost/kg vs Mass to LEO $60k

$30k

$0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Mass Ot (1000 o kg)L E

Figure 4: Cost Per Kilogram as a Function of Total Vehicle Mass. payload is many times not enough to fully pay market, costs can increase after the initial for the vehicle’s capacity. The perceived contract has been signed and it is difficult to solution to this problem is usually to co- be sure of the terms of any deal for a Russian manifest two to four small satellites on the launch. While the Shitl claims to be able to same launch vehicle. While this may seem launch outside the Barents Sea, it launches like a convenient solution, it actually greatly from a Russian strategic national asset that is complicates the situation. Multiple small unlikely to leave polar waters for any lower satellites must be found that all want to go to inclination launch. the same approximate orbit at the same time. Moreover, they must all be politically and Overall, small launch vehicles, while contractually agreeable to using a particular dedicated to orbits desirable by small launch vehicle. satellites, have their share of disadvantages. They tend to be expensive, unavailable, high Many of these dedicated vehicles are not risk, or require significant sharing of launch available for the general marketplace. The capacity- none of which makes them highly Brazilian and Japanese vehicles are not seen accessible from both a cost and a risk as available for use, while the Israeli and perspective to the small satellite user. Indian have not yet made a significant impact in the marketplace. The Minotaur is only Large Launch Vehicles (GTO) available for U.S. Government payloads and has only been used for small spacecraft once. A number of large launch vehicles offer auxiliary launch capacity for small spacecraft, Finally, the Russian vehicles tend to be highly sharing lift capacity with larger payloads, but risky from a business perspective. almost always to GTO. These can be divided Notwithstanding the nature of the Russian into two categories: those with established,

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clear guidelines for launching auxiliary Large launch vehicles tend to be lower risk, payloads, and those who only do so on a since they are launched more often and have custom basis. Auxiliary launches tend to be been studied in more depth than newer, very low cost, since they are using extra smaller launch vehicles. Many accept small capacity that has already been paid for by satellites as auxiliary payloads, with the primary payloads bound for GEO. being the most auxiliary payload- friendly option. They are highly reliable and Most large launch vehicles launch secondary also tend to be very low cost, since the payloads on a custom basis. The process for capacity has already been paid for by the manifesting auxiliary payloads on Delta and primary payload. Atlas is opaque and there are no User’s Guides for their auxiliary slots. Frequently, The only drawback to large launch vehicles is these American launch vehicles give their the destination orbit. With no control over the primary payload providers the right to accept launch vehicle and the dependence on large or reject any small spacecraft interested in a primary customers, these auxiliary possible launch as an auxiliary payload. In opportunities tend to be exclusively for GTO, approximately three to four years a facility for a largely unusable orbit for small spacecraft. future Delta IV and launch vehicles For this reason, auxiliary launch opportunities (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles – many times got untapped and unused. EELV) called the EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) will become available. The SPORT Vehicle While this facility will allow EELVs to accommodate auxiliary payloads in a simple SPORT Design and well-defined fashion, it is highly possible that ESPA will be used only sparingly and not The SPORT vehicle was designed to solve this on a commercial basis. problem in the small satellite launch marketplace. Small dedicated launch vehicles, A number of large Russian launchers also while useful for specific missions, tend to be offer auxiliary launch capacity, but also on a very expensive per launch or very risky from a custom basis. They do tend to be more business perspective. Auxiliary payloads on willing to launch secondary payloads, large launch vehicles are low-risk and low however. cost, but almost always go to the wrong final orbit. SPORT was designed to fix this Currently, the only large launch vehicles with problem with large launch vehicles and to a clear facility for launching auxiliary deliver an affordable, low-risk launch payloads is Arianespace with the Ariane solution- auxiliary launches with a tailored, Structure for Auxiliary Payloads (ASAP) on custom final orbit for the user. the Ariane 4 and now the Ariane 5. Arianespace has a long tradition of launching SPORT transforms a low-cost auxiliary launch auxiliary payloads on the ASAP 4 with a total to GTO to a usable launch to LEO by capacity of 60 kg and up. It is now launching transferring the small spacecraft payload to its auxiliary payloads on the ASAP 5 of a variety final destination using a combination of of mass classes, from 120 kg to 300 kg and up chemical propulsion and aerobraking in the to 1000 kg or more. Launches are open to all Earth’s atmosphere. The technical customers and user’s guides are available for innovations inherent in the SPORT system are them, as well as cooperative points of contact. described in detail in other technical papers,

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this paper will focus on the capabilities of the delta-v (change in orbital velocity). To SPORT system as it relates to the user. perform this maneuver with a chemical propulsion system is impossible due to the SPORT is a fully functional spacecraft bus, volume and mass constraints of auxiliary with power, command and data handling, launch slots. A system with enough communications, attitude control, and propellant would have no capacity left for the propulsive capabilities. Just like any other payload. This being the case, SPORT is spacecraft, SPORT has the ability to orient designed to use aerobraking in the Earth’s itself in space, create, store, and distribute atmosphere for most of its propulsive transfer. power using solar arrays and rechargeable SPORT carries a deployable aerobrake, which batteries, plan and execute commands, and deploys upon reaching GTO and helps it communicate with the ground. Furthermore, execute the orbit-lowering maneuver. This it has the capability to perform propulsive large deployable aerobrake enables SPORT to transfers with a hydrazine propulsion system. pass through the atmosphere at an orbit high enough to avoid risk of overheating in the The SPORT vehicle is a carrier vehicle, so the Earth’s atmosphere. most integral portion of the SPORT vehicle is the payload being transported. A top-level The aerobraking concept has been patented by illustration of the SPORT vehicle is shown in AeroAstro, and is key to the GTO to LEO Figure 5 below. This is the smallest of the orbit transfer. The aerobrake operates like a SPORT configurations (Micro and Mini). badminton shuttlecock, self-orienting as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere. The In order to perform the GTO to LEO maneuver itself is designed to take 30-90 days maneuver, SPORT requires over 1.5 km/s of

PAYLOAD SPORT/Payload Interface

Coarse SS BITSY

Aerobrake SPORT ACS Thrusters

Propellant Tanks Radio GPS Box Battery Pack Star Tracker

Main Thruster LV Interface

Figure 5: The Smallest MicroSPORT vehicle Showing Customer Payload.

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Primary Solar Arrays Aerobrake (Profile Area~30 m2)

Aerobrake Boom Body-Mounted Solar Arrays (Length~3m)

Figure 6: SPORT With Deployed Aerobrake (Customer Payload Shielded Behind Brake). (nominally 60), with any variation due to vehicle based on existing auxiliary payload fluctuations in the Earth’s atmosphere. supply. Based on existing marketing and technical agreements with Arianespace, two The customer payload is shielded behind the main versions of SPORT have been aerobrake from interaction with the Earth’s developed: Micro and Mini. atmosphere. Its ephemeris is constantly monitored during operations and its altitude MicroSPORT adjusted as necessary using the on-board propulsion system to keep it at a safe altitude. The MicroSPORT class is designed to fit Figure 6 shows the aerobrake fully deployed. inside the Microsat slot on the Ariane 5 ASAP The aerobrake will carry flexible solar arrays launch accommodation. The Micro ASAP for power during the orbit transfer maneuver. slot has the capability to lift 120 kg to orbit according to the ASAP 5 User’s Guide. In Mass and Accommodation Classes order to perform the GTO to LEO maneuver, the SPORT vehicle takes up approximately SPORT is a highly flexible launch system that half of that mass capacity. The exact amount offers several size classes that can be modified of mass available is shown in the left-hand as needed for each mission. It is designed to graph in Figure 7 and is based on the final be modular, and the propellant tanks altitude desired by the payload. specifically are designed to be switched out for larger or smaller tanks as the mission MiniSPORT demands. The aerobrake can be made larger or smaller or removed altogether for orbit The MiniSPORT class is designed to fit on transfers that do not require GTO to LEO either the Minisat slot on the Ariane 5 ASAP capabilities. launch accomodation or on a larger custom slot on the Ariane 5. The Minisat ASAP slot Despite its highly flexible nature, it makes can carry 300 kg total, with an approximate sense to design several classes of the SPORT ratio of 2:3 of SPORT mass to payload mass.

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4000 1500

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0 0 1102030405060 Micro-SPORT Payload Mass, kg Mini-SPORT Payload Mass, kg

Figure 7: MicroSPORT (L) and MiniSPORT (R) Mass Capabilities Based on Altitude. However, the Ariane 5 also has custom sized perform other orbital maneuvers, such as launch slots which can take large payloads, up to sun synchronous orbit, transferring to 1000 kg and more depending on the polar to sun synchronous and back, and primary payload. The mass capacity of the Molniya to LEO. The modular nature of MiniSPORT is shown on the right in Figure 7. SPORT, designed around the Bitsy core electronics module, is key to this capability. A set of examples of MiniSPORT configurations are shown in Figure 8. There Conclusion are a variety of configurations for customer payloads, depending on the mission and the Most small spacecraft users prefer LEO or launch vehicle. equatorial orbit for their missions. However, the options to reach those orbits are limited: Other Orbit Transfers • Dedicated launch vehicles: Good orbital AeroAstro and ATSB are developing SPORT delivery parameters but expensive; for a GTO to Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO) • Decommissioned ICBMs: Good price but transfer in late 2002 or early 2003 using the entail risk from a business perspective; patented aerobraking maneuver. However, • Auxiliary payloads on large launch other orbit transfers are possible using the vehicles: Good price but delivery to the SPORT vehicle. SPORT is specifically wrong orbit. designed to be modular. The aerobrake can be enhanced or removed, and the supporting The third of these options, using excess electronics can be used as a full spacecraft bus capacity on large launch vehicles, is available for payloads and experiments who do not have at a low price and with minimal risk. their own supporting bus. However, auxiliary launches almost always go to undesirable orbits. One key set of orbit transfers are low altitude to high altitude Hohmann transfers. SPORT is In order to take advantage of this resource designed to execute this transfer maneuver by which currently goes to waste, a global removing the aerobrake. It contains the partnership between AeroAstro, Inc. of propulsive and the guidance systems to Herndon, Virginia and Astronautic execute this maneuver to raise parking orbits Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd of Kuala Lumpur, to longer-lasting orbits. SPORT can also Malaysia has been established to develop the

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Figure 8: Three Configurations of MiniSPORT, Showing the Customer Payload in Blue. Small Payload Orbit Transfer (SPORT) The company is located in Kuala Lumpur, vehicle. SPORT has the capability to transfer Malaysia and its main activities are small payloads from less desirable orbits such development and operations of small as GTO to their final destinations in LEO. satellites. He was the project manager for ATSB’s first microsatellite project, SPORT can execute this and other orbit TiungSAT-1, which was launched on transfer missions for payloads ranging from September 26th, 2000. He was also a project 60 to 600 kg. It is currently baselined on the engineer during the manufacturing of Ariane 5 vehicle but has the capability to use MEASAT-1, Malaysia's first geostationary other vehicles as well, including the Shuttle. satellite. Prior to joining ATSB, he served as an academic in one the universities in References Malaysia. He obtained his PhD from University of Wales College of Cardiff in 1. Caceres, M., Word Space Systems 1993 and now lives with his wife and two Briefing, Teal Group Corp, Virginia, children in Shah Alam, Selangor. 2001. Aaron Jacobovits works on project 2. Tina D. Thompson, et al, Space Log 1996, development at AeroAstro. He has an MS in TRW Space and Electronics Group, Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford California, 1997. University and a BSE in from the University of Michigan. 3. Tina D. Thompson, et al, Space Log 1997- During school he held internships at NASA- 1998, TRW Space and Electronics Dryden and GE Aircraft Engines. His Group, California, 1999. technical specialties are propulsion systems as well as control systems. Biographies Yasser Ahmad works for ATSB as an Ahmad Sabirin Arshad, or Sabirin, is Electrical Engineer, he is currently working at presently the Managing Director and CEO of AeroAstro’s facilities in Herndon, Virginia on Astronautic Technology (M) S/B (ATSB). the cooperative SPORT project. As a Project

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Engineer for SPORT, he is designing SPORT power and TT&C systems. He has a BE in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University

David Goldstein is AeroAstro’s Vice President for Business Development, he manages a full-time staff of four. He has been closely involved with customer and partner relations for all of AeroAstro’s current projects including the SPASE, SPORT and Team Encounter satellites. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University.

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