Development of the microsat programme at INTA

Abstract

This paper presents the INTAμSAT programme initiative and its development status. With a mass ranging from 80 to 150 Kg and compatible with the Ariane-5 ASAP, the Phase-A one year study was initiated in Oct. 05. At this moment we are running the Phase-B started in Nov. 06 that will finish with a PDR in Dec. 07. The first INTAμSAT-1 will be a very agile Earth observation mission using CMGs, with a launch tentative date by the beginning of 2010. This enlarged μSAT class is a further step after the NANOSAT programme success cite ch04:bib01 with a launch onboard Ariane-5 V-165 in Dec. 04 (Nanosat-01 still working OK in orbit), and the next Nanosat-1B planned to be launched most probably in a DNEPR by the middle of 2008. It will be followed by Nanosat-2, an evolved 15-40 Kg satellite with improved service module resources and a separated payload module design, set for launch by 2011. Main objectives of the INTAμSAT initiative are similar to the NANOSAT programme: 1-Keep running at our Institute an internal space programme with limited resources; 2-Most of the subsystems are developed at INTA, but with collaborations in the research and bilateral work with several universities and other research institutions in Spain; 3-We also offer specific tasks or satellite units to the small business Spanish industries, to encourage their entering into the space technology; 4-Offer small missions flight opportunities to the Spanish research community, at an affordable budget target each 3-4 years. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.