High-performance electronic systems for complex LEO missions

Abstract

The space industry is experiencing rapid growth in small satellites and reusable launch vehicles. Constellations are in development to enable exciting new applications such as realtime video of the whole planet and broadband internet access provided through constellations of low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites. Existing Earth observation applications focused on observation imagery, such as weather prediction and disaster relief planning, will have improvements in the quality of their products from increased the resolution of the instruments onboard the satellites and a reduction in the time between acquisitions by using large constellations of LEO small satellites. This increasing demand for performance despite the limited budget of commercial space companies will require solutions beyond the capabilities of current electronic space products. In response to the increasing need for onboard processing, Novo Space, a STAR graduate student startup founded by the author of this thesis, is developing affordable electronic components and systems for complex LEO missions that bridge the gap between the reliability of space-grade components and the performance of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts. This thesis focuses on architectural designs for new space applications using Novo Space ecosystem of SpaceVPX products, the result of research and analysis to meet the new space needs for high-performance space electronics. In particular, we analyze three case studies: a payload subsystem, an avionics subsystem, and a subsystem combining both avionics and payload in the same box. With the aim of furthering our understanding of the SpaceVPX standard and its potential for future space applications, a final example of a laser communication system is analyzed in greater detail.