Development of the power simulation tool for energy balance analysis of nanosatellites

Abstract

The energy balance in a satellite needs to be designed properly for the satellite to safely operate and carry out successive missions on an orbit. In this study, an analysis program was developed using the MATLAB® graphic user interface (GUI) for nanosatellites. This program was used in a simulation to confirm the generated power, consumed power, and battery power in the satellites on the orbit, and its performance was verified with applying different satellite operational modes and units. For data transmission, STK®-MATLAB® connectivity was used to send the generated power from STK® to MATLAB® automatically. Moreover, this program is general-purpose; therefore, it can be applied to nanosatellites that have missions or shapes that are different from those of the satellites in this study. This power simulation tool could be used not only to calculate the suitable power budget when developing the power systems, but also to analyze the remaining energy balance in the satellites.