PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
Emerging mobile and fixed broadband telecom satellites require high capacity platforms able to support wide range of flexible payloads types. Today, for each new procured satellite, several highly skilled engineers start the design of the panels. In other words, each satellite is a unique design. Cost reduction demands that very different missions are accommodated on the same platforms minimising the non recurrent part of the platform while keeping platform capacity to the right level.
The objective of the study has been to brainstorm potential communication satellite standardized modules and to derive a solution which allows to save manpower and costs for non-recurring and recurring satellites design and to shorten the AIT process, giving also an estimation of the relative high non-recurring costs for the design and prototyping of the standardised modules.
Considering the overall objective of the study as described above, the detailed ones are listed as follows:
- To analyze the feasibility and benchmarking of alternative configurations for payload and the platform of TLC satellites.
- To identify and analyse critical elements on payload and platform and relevant AIT processes, in order to target a more standardized approach for the different sub-systems of a satellite (e.g. power sub-system, AOCS, TT&C, propulsion, payload repeater and antennae a reduction), achieving an overall reduction in design effort, assembly time and necessary repair, thereby allowing for cost reduction of satellites.
- To produce a technological and strategic development roadmap taking into account available and planned European platform product lines.
- To evaluate the market potential of the new concepts with the aim of to improve the existing European satellite product portfolio.
Challenges
Modularity and flexibility are the key issues of the study. These have been applied at satellite platform and telecommunication (TLC) payload level finding suitable technical solutions to design and implement satellites in a new and more efficient way, improving their capabilities and performances, reducing at the same time the implementation cost.
Plan
The study activity has been executed in one phase only and has been completed.
Current Status
The study has been successfully concluded.
