EPSILON is an acronym for Experimental Plastic Satellite: Innovative, Light, Off-the-shelf, Nano, and it indicates a small nanosatellite (ten centimetre side) completely manufactured by exploiting rapid prototyping technique. In such a way it is possible to manufacture in a very short time the structure of nanosatellite, achieving at the same time the possibility to easily implement changes in design. Moreover it is easy to realize a fleet of nanosatellite based on the same structural design. The paper deals with the design of one plastic nanosatellite which will be boarded, as experimental payload, on next UNISAT-5 satellite. UNISAT program was established the at School of Aerospace Engineering of Roma, in early nineties, with the aim to design, manufacture and launch small educational satellites involving students, researchers and professors in a real space project. In the framework of this program four satellites have already been launched (respectively in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006) from Baykonour Cosmodrome using DNEPR launch vehicle. The EPSILON payload will be connected to UNISAT-5 mother satellite by a tether or a boom and will provide picture of the UNISAT-5 satellite, at the same time UNISAT-5 will take picture of its to evaluate plastic aging in space.
EPSILON: an innovative, fast development satellite / F. Santoni; F. Piergentili. - ELETTRONICO. - (2007). (Intervento presentato al convegno 58th IAC, International Astronautical Congress tenutosi a Hyderabad, India nel 24-28 Sept. 2007).
EPSILON: an innovative, fast development satellite
PIERGENTILI, FABRIZIO
2007
Abstract
EPSILON is an acronym for Experimental Plastic Satellite: Innovative, Light, Off-the-shelf, Nano, and it indicates a small nanosatellite (ten centimetre side) completely manufactured by exploiting rapid prototyping technique. In such a way it is possible to manufacture in a very short time the structure of nanosatellite, achieving at the same time the possibility to easily implement changes in design. Moreover it is easy to realize a fleet of nanosatellite based on the same structural design. The paper deals with the design of one plastic nanosatellite which will be boarded, as experimental payload, on next UNISAT-5 satellite. UNISAT program was established the at School of Aerospace Engineering of Roma, in early nineties, with the aim to design, manufacture and launch small educational satellites involving students, researchers and professors in a real space project. In the framework of this program four satellites have already been launched (respectively in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006) from Baykonour Cosmodrome using DNEPR launch vehicle. The EPSILON payload will be connected to UNISAT-5 mother satellite by a tether or a boom and will provide picture of the UNISAT-5 satellite, at the same time UNISAT-5 will take picture of its to evaluate plastic aging in space.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.