Hypsat: a microsatellite for hyperspectral measure

Since many years the Group of Astrodynamics of University of Rome “La Sapienza” (GAUSS) established a fruitful collaboration with the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (KIAM) of Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) in Moscow. Different experiences and knowledge found a common project in HypSat, a prototypal small spacecraft to test in orbit new technologies and ideas with the aim to study and to monitor vegetation state and natural disasters like fires, earthquakes or floods. The HypSat bus will be designed and manufactured from GAUSS on the basis of its previous experiences with UNISAT (UNIversity SATellites) program and it will board, as primary payload, an enhanced version of Hyperspectrometer developed by the KIAM of RAS. In this paper a preliminary coverage analysis over the Lazio region (Italy) has been carried out and results are discussed considering the possibility to use a constellation of satellites to reduce the gap times; the main mission constraints have been evaluated and a preliminary design of HypSat is depicted. Power system preliminary sizing has been performed and a feasible solution for satellite structure is proposed. The Hyperspectrometer is also described, giving relevance to its main capabilities and constraints and evaluating expected results in Earth disasters monitoring.