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Yakhta Generic Space Bus (GSB)
Small Spacecraft
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Description |
The GSB is designed to serve as the basis for LEO satellites, high-elliptic orbit satellites or GSO satellites aimed to support
Earth observations (EO)
Telecommunications and/or TV broadcasting
Development of space technologies, and/or
Science and applications research.
Several projects aimed at developing GSB-based small satellites are underway at KhSC. These include, among others,
The Monitor family of spacecraft equipped with fiber-optics equipment and radars. Monitor E, a first-of-the-kind, is scheduled for launch in 2002;
The Dialog E, Intersputnik M1 and Intersputnik M2 communication/broadcast satellites; and
RAMOS, a Russian-U.S. stereoscopic observation satellite.
This GSB will include:
An integrated guidance, navigation and control system
A power supply and distribution system
An uplink command system
A propulsion unit,
Thermal control equipment.
The Yakhta (’Yacht’) generic space bus (GSB) has been developed within the framework of the general KhSC program aimed at creating earth observations (EO)/communication/broadcast small satellites, the amelioration of space technologies, and carrying out scientific research and application studies in space.
Yakhta is designed to serve as the basis for spacecraft and to accommodate dedicated instruments as well as to support functioning of these instruments through the spacecraft EOL.
The bus will be built around an onboard system adaptable to, and re-configurable for, a wide range of applications. This will make it possible to vary, within specified limits, the SC characteristics affecting the mission profiles, the target orbit, the orbital life, navigation control as required by the particular applications as well as the layout, power supply and operational procedures of the mission-specific instruments.
The GSB configuration allows housing of optional avionics designed for use at either low or high earth orbit. A radiation-resistant hardware will be installed in case of a HEO mission (including GSO missions) and a long orbital life while GPS and GLONASS satellite navigation systems will be installed on a GSB designed to support a LEO spacecraft.
Design-wise, the Yakhta GSB is a stand-alone module with two optional placements of the mission-specific instruments, namely
Instruments mounted directly on the GSB structure (more specifically, at the upper systems panel) or, alternatively,
A separate module housing the mission-specific equipment and mounted on the GSB frame.
Each option ensures 1) the required thermal conditions of the structure supporting the mission-specific instruments, 2) the required installation tolerances of the mission-specific hardware, and 3) the required tolerances of the clocking of this hardware relative to the GSB instruments designed to measure the SC attitude with respect to the basic frame of reference.
Yakhta Functionality
The Yakhta GSB incorporates a set of SC support systems that
Control SC orbital flight including orbit adjustments
Handle navigational functions either independently or with the involvement of the ground flight control center (FCC)
Control the onboard avionics (including the dedicated instruments) in accordance with the agreed-upon mission design as uplinked by the FCC
Transfer to the mission-specific equipment the command and program data uplinked by the FCC
Perform telemetric monitoring of the onboard equipment including the dedicated instruments
Exchange command/program and telemetry data with the FCC
Supply power to the SC systems including the dedicated instruments, and
Provide thermal control of the SC structure including the framework used to support the dedicated instruments.
Support data including the unified time code, the SC orbital position and SC attitude can be sent by the GSB to the mission-specific devices in addition to some auxiliary information such as the sequential number of the revolution being performed and the current type of orbit segment (i.e., whether it a descending or an ascending one).
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