InflateSail
InflateSail Engineering Model in deployed configuration
Mission typeTechnology
Operatorvon Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
COSPAR ID2017-036F Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.42770
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type3U CubeSat
ManufacturerSurrey Space Centre[1]
Launch mass3.2 kilograms (7.1 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date23 June 2017, 03:59 (2017-06-23UTC03:59Z) UTC
RocketPSLV-C38
Launch siteSatish Dhawan Space Centre
Deployment date23 June 2017, 04:22 (2017-06-23UTC04:22Z) UTC
End of mission
Decay date3 September 2017[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude397 kilometers (247 mi)
Apogee altitude408 kilometers (254 mi)
Inclination97.4408 degrees
Period92.6 minutes
Epoch29 August 2017 03:26:51 UTC
 

InflateSail was a 3U CubeSat launched on PSLV C38 on 23 June 2017 into a 505 km polar Sun-synchronous orbit. It carried a 1 m long inflatable rigidizable mast, and a 10 m2 drag-deorbiting sail. Its primary aim was to demonstrate the effectiveness of drag based deorbiting from low Earth orbit (LEO).[3][4] Built by Surrey Space Centre of the University of Surrey, it was one of the Technology Demonstrator CubeSats for the QB50 mission. An identical drag sail payload was planned to be included on the RemoveDEBRIS demonstrator.

Inflatable mast

The inflatable mast was deployed first to distance the sail from the main body of the satellite. The inflatable skin was a 3-ply, 45 μm thick metal-polymer laminate which used the same strain rigidization process as the Echo 2 balloon. The inflation gas was stored in two cool gas generators (CGGs).[5] The inflation gas was vented almost immediately after the deployment and rigidization process. Fully folded, the inflatable was just over 6 centimeters (2.4 in) in height.[6]

Sail structure

The 10 m2 sail was made up of four quadrants of 12 μm thick polyethylene naphthalate, supported by four bistable carbon fiber tape-springs.[7] The structure was similar in format to both NanoSail-D2[8] and LightSail 2.[9] The deployment of the sail was driven by a brushless DC motor.

Spacecraft

InflateSail included an avionics suite to support the deployable sail payload. The spacecraft was powered by a GOMSpace power system and returned attitude data from the Stellenbosch/Surrey Attitude Determination and Control System.

Communications with ground were executed through the TRXVU Transceiver procured from ISIS, using the UHF band to transmit and the VHF to receive.

Beacon data containing spacecraft parameters were transmitted at 60s intervals at 436.060MHz 1200bd BPSK.[10]

InflateSail CubeSat prior to flight

Launch

InflateSail was launched on board the PSLV-C38 as one of 31 passenger satellites. InflateSail was one of 8 QB50 satellites on this launch. PSLV-C38 lifted off at 09:29 (IST)/03:59 (UTC) on 23 June 2017 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India. InflateSail was ejected into a 518x494km orbit approximately 20 minutes after lift off.

Altitude loss

InflateSail successfully deployed its sail approximately one hour after ejection from the launch vehicle and was the first European sail successfully deployed in space. InflateSail rapidly lost altitude and decayed on 3 September 2017 after 72 days in orbit.[2]

InflateSail average altitude
InflateSail average altitude
InflateSail Engineering Model Inflatable
InflateSail Flight Model sail in deployed state
InflateSail Flight Model sail in deployed state
Origami folded inflatable
Origami folded inflatable
Change in average orbit height during August 2017
Change in average orbit height during August 2017[11]

References

  1. ^ "Guildford: Space Centre celebrates InflateSail satellite success". The Business Magazine. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b "DK3WN SatBlog » Decay". Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Surrey Space Centre celebrates successful operation of InflateSail satellite". surrey.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  4. ^ "InflateSail (QB50 GB06)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  5. ^ Johnson, Les (29 October 2015). "Status of Solar Sail Propulsion Within NASA" (PDF). NASA Technical Reports Server. NASA. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  6. ^ "InflateSail - eoPortal Directory - Satellite Missions". eoPortal Directory. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  7. ^ Viquerat, Andrew; Schenk, Mark; Lappas, Vaios (5–9 January 2015). "Functional and Qualification Testing of the InflateSail Technology Demonstrator". 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum. doi:10.2514/6.2015-1627. hdl:1983/76666caf-fe7e-4ccf-a72b-3085b942f7b5.
  8. ^ Alhorn, Dean; Casas, Joseph; Agasid, Elwood; Adams, Charles; Laue, Greg; Kitts, Christopher; O'Brien, Sue (2011). "NanoSail-D: The Small Satellite That Could!". Proceedings of the AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites.
  9. ^ "LightSail". Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  10. ^ "QB50 DPAC GB06-InflateSail Spacecraft Data".
  11. ^ "Heavens-above.org".
Categories