Aerobraking to lower apogee in earth orbit with the Small Payload ORbit Transfer (SPORT™) microsatellite vehicle

Ahmad, Yasser Asrul and Gloyer, Paul and Robinson, Tony and Mignogna, Adeena (2001) Aerobraking to lower apogee in earth orbit with the Small Payload ORbit Transfer (SPORT™) microsatellite vehicle. In: 15th Annual/USU Conference on Small Satellites, 8-9 Sep 2001, Utah.

PDF (Article Conference) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (397kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

AeroAstro, Inc. and Astronautic Technology Sdn. Bhd. (a Malaysian space company) are commercially developing the Small Payload ORbit Transfer (SPORT) vehicle, which uses advanced earth aerobraking technology to achieve efficient orbit transfer from Geosynchronous-Transfer Orbit (GTO) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). After being delivered to GTO by a large launch vehicle, such as Ariane, SPORT uses its onboard propulsion system to adjust its perigee altitude to about 150 km. At this altitude, the large deployable aerobrake produces enough drag to reduce the apogee altitude from 36,000+ km to about 1,000 km in approximately 300 orbits. Upon reaching the target apogee altitude, the propulsion system is used to raise the perigee to the desired altitude, thereby allowing SPORT to release its payload. Aerobraking technology enables orbit transfer in a cost-effective manner, reducing the overall mass of the spacecraft by drastically reducing the amount of propellant required to achieve the maneuver. The development of the SPORT aerobrake technology is discussed, along with a comparison of the SPORT aerobraking approach to NASA’s successful aerobraking missions: Magellan and Mars Global Surveyor. The paper concludes with a discussion of the SPORT aerobrake details, including structural design, brake deployment, stability and control, and auxiliary features.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Plenary Papers)
Additional Information:	7539/88974
Subjects:	T Technology > TL Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics T Technology > TL Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics > TL787 Astronautics
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Engineering Kulliyyah of Engineering > Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Depositing User:	Dr Yasser Asrul Ahmad
Date Deposited:	02 Apr 2021 16:30
Last Modified:	02 Apr 2021 16:30
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/88974

Actions (login required)

View Item