OHB small satellites

Abstract

The commercial and institutional interest in inexpensive satellites is growing since years. The deployed small satellites for the requested solutions span from Pico / Nano Satellites (CubeSats) up to mini satellites of 500 kg. While CubeSats are established as a “satellite kit”-type solution mainly built by universities in the past, customized platforms are available as commercial spacecraft. The trend is driven by commercial constellations with requirements on the platforms for low-cost but larger spacecraft than CubeSats. Applications, where satellites can provide better or even the only feasible solutions cover Ecosystem Sustainability, Agriculture, Land Use, Food Security, Air and Water Quality and Monitoring, Hydrology, Fishery Monitoring and Control, Disaster Monitoring, Energy, Reconnaissance and Security. As one of the three European Large Systems Integrators, OHB offer reliable and cost-effective turnkey solutions for the full range of spacecraft sizes from large spacecraft to micro satellites. The modular and scalable design of the platforms offers a broad spectrum of possible configurations to fulfil various mission objectives. The paper provides a summary of the current small satellites and platform of the OHB group, the locations, where the platforms are being designed and integrated, and how the various mission needs are addressed with these satellites.