Satellite Miniaturization Techniques for Space Sensor Networks

THERE is a growing trend toward distributed missions for scientific and remote sensing applications where large numbers of satellites are required. Analogous to proliferating terrestrial wireless sensor networks, space sensor networks could provide an unprecedented capability to investigate widespread phenomena. For example, several important space weather missions have yet to be realized due to the present inability to take simultaneous measurements of a phenomenon over a large volume. Space economics and environmental concerns dictate a costeffective mass-producible low-mass satellite for such massively distributed missions in low Earth orbit (LEO). An investigation of very small (sub-kilogram) satellite miniaturization techniques has been undertaken, focusing on enabling technologies targeted at space sensor network applications. Existing and emerging very small satellite technologies have been assessed and compared with power generation and payload volume being the key performance metrics. Two novel design methodologies have been developed, simulated, and verified through functional and environmental testing of hardware prototypes. SpaceChip, inspired by the satellite-on-a-chip vision, is a monolithic heterogeneous system-on-a-chip (SoC) integration approach. 1,2 PCBSat is a proposed miniaturization approach, which is based on printed circuit board (PCB) substrates. 3 PCBSat is focused on deriving the smallest practical satellite within the context of space sensor networks, and constrained to the use of commercial off the shelf (COTS) components, processes, and deployment systems.