Small satellites for earth observation

Abstract

This book deals with different aspects of small satellites for Earth observation - programmatics - current and planned Earth observation missions - spacebased instruments - satellite constellations - satellite subsystems - spacecraft bus systems - lessons learned - special aspects (e.g. thermal control, integration and test, launch services, ground station). The material provided is collected from the 6th IAA Symposium on Small Satellites for Earth Observation, initiated by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), and hosted by DLR, the German Aerospace Center. The participation of scientists, engineers, and managers from 24 countries reflected the high interest in the use of small satellites for dedicated missions applied to Earth observation. As in the previous symposia, the contributions showed that dedicated Earth observation missions cover a wide range of very different tasks. These missions provide increased opportunities for access to space and can be conducted relatively quickly and inexpensively. The spacecraft bus, the instruments, and the ground systems can be based either on optimized off-the-shelf systems with little or no requirements for new technology, or on new high-technology designs. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.