Near Earth Network (NEN) CubeSat Communications Scott Schaire January 2017 The CubeSat Proximity Operations Demonstration (CPOD) CubeSats will be the first CubeSats to make use of the Near Earth Network. They are scheduled to launch in 2017 and demonstrate rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) using two 3-unit (3U) CubeSats. EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Agenda • Overview • NEN CubeSat Analysis LEO • Upcoming CubeSat Support • CubeSat Flight Radio Capabilities • CubeSat Flight Antenna Capabilities The SeaHawk CubeSat is • NEN Lunar/L1/L2 CubeSat scheduled to launch in 2017. It is a Support "proof of concept to demonstrate • NEN Evolution capability to construct low-cost autonomous nanosatellites to • Conclusion provide sustained, high spatial resolution and temporal resolution information about the surface ocean processes.“ The project is also known as SOCON: Sustained Ocean Color Observations using Nanosatellites. A second SOCON CubeSat may launch in 2018. EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 2 Near Earth Network Overview • As shown on the following slide, the NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) is composed of stations distributed throughout the world • NEN services are provided through – NASA-owned and operated ground stations – Partner agencies (e.g., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Command and Data Acquisition (CDA)) – Commercial ground station providers (e.g., Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and its subsidiaries, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)) • The NEN supports orbits in the Near Earth region from Earth to 2 million kilometers – Communication services are provided for various low-Earth orbits (LEO), geosynchronous orbits (GEO), highly elliptical orbits (HEO), LaGrange orbits, lunar and suborbital, and launch trajectories EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 3 THE NEAR EARTH NETWORK PROJECT EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 4 NEN Ka-Band Baseline Architecture Adds Stations for Increased CubeSat Capacity Single Ka-band antenna Trade Study considering four NEN Ka-band Drivers options: Svalbard 1. Upgrade AS3 (KSAT) 2. Replace AS1 NI-SAR (Launch NET 2021) 3. Install new Antenna AS4 • 33 Tbits/day; Data rate of 3.5 Gbps 4. Install new Antenna UAF3 Single Ka-band antenna • Four stations needed to meet the Fairbanks (ASF) Upgraded 7.3m Ka-band mission requirement antenna already operational o ASF o Svalbard White Sands o Punta Arenas (WSC) o Trollsat Single or arrayed Ka-band antennas Single or arrayed Ka-band antennas Current trade is considering a location Current trade study for support of WFIRST is PACE (Launch NET 2022) either in Chile or South Africa. Either one single versus arrayed 18 meter antenna. or two 18 meter antennas • 5 Tbits/day, Data rate of 600 – 1200 Transition planning of the SDOGS to NEN has already started Mbps • Three NEN stations will meet the requirement o Leverage sites used for NISAR o 2nd Punta Arenas antenna required CH SA Single Ka-band antenna WFIRST (Launch NET 2024) Critical for NISAR support • L2 orbit requires a site in both the Single Ka-band antenna northern and southern hemispheres Upgraded 7.3m Ka-band o WSC Punta Arenas antenna already operational Second Ka-band antenna Additional antenna Critical for TrollSat PACE Support (KSAT) EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION 5 NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 5 NEN CubeSat Support Analysis – LEO Links Data Rate Mod & CubeSat Link • CubeSat/SmallSat Coding EIRP Margin mission S-band 2 kbps BPSK, ½ -1 dBw 40.1 dB communication Downlink conv. + RS requirements including S-band 4 kbps BPSK, ½ -1 dBW 36.5 dB frequencies and Downlink conv. data rates can be met by utilizing NEN S-band 256 kbps BPSK, ½ -1 dBW 18.45 dB Downlink conv. S and X-band support based on S-band 513.7 BPSK, RS -1 dBW 14.4 dB 745 km low earth Downlink kbps orbit • Coverage analysis X-band 13.1 Mbps QPSK, 7/8 4 dBW 10.3 dB indicates adequate Downlink LDPC ground coverage X-band 130 Mbps QPSK, ½ 4 dBW 3.2 dB and support time Downlink conv + RS utilizing NEN ground stations for CubeSats at an 11.3 m at AS1, CubeSat PA = 1 W, 0 dBi Antenna Gain (S-band), altitude of 745 km Antenna Gain = 5 dBi (X-band) EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION 6 NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Near Earth Network (NEN) Upcoming CubeSat Support • NEN will provide communications support to CubeSat Proximity Operations Launch Demonstration (CPOD), when it launches Date (No in 2017 Earlier – Supporting Station: WGS 11m, ASF Mission Than) 11m, MGS 10m CPOD/PONSFD (A and B) 2017 – Service Provided: S-Band Telemetry SOCON 1 2017 – Data Rates: 1 Mbps or 500 kbps iSAT 2017 – Service Duration: L+30 days to L+6 MicroMAS 2017 months (possible extension of up to Jefferson High 2017 L+12 months) CryoCube 2018 Lunar IceCube 2018 BioSentinel 2018 CaNOP 2018 SOCON 2 2018 CuPiD 2019 Burst Cube 2019 RadSat 2019 TROPICS (12 CubeSats) 2020 Propulsion Pathfinder (RASCAL) TBD CSIM TBD Kit Cube TBD PIC/USIP TBD EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION 7 NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 7 Current Selected CubeSat Flight Radio Capabilities Freq. Transceiver Size (cm) Mass Flight Max. Modulation/FEC NASA Name/Vendor (g) Heritage Data Network Rate Compatibility * S-band Innoflight SCR-100 8.2 x 8.2 x 300 Sense 4.5 Mbps BPSK,QPSK,OQPSK NEN, SN, DSN 3.2 NanoSat GMSK,FM/PCM FEC: Conv. and R/S Tethers Unlimited 10 x10 x 380 None 15 Mbps BPSK NEN,SN,DSN SWIFT-SLX 3.5 Clyde Space S-Band 9.6 x 9.0 x < 80 UKube-1 TX (STX) 1.6 Innoflight SCR-100 MHX-2420 8.9X5.3X1. 75 RAX 230 Kbps FSK Partially NEN 8 Downlink/1 15 Kbps Uplink Quasonix nano TX 3.3x3.3x3.3 ? CPOD 46 Mbps PCM/FM, SOQPSK- NEN TG, Multi-h CPM, BPSK, QPSK, OQPSK, UQPSK X-band LASP/GSFC X-band 9.8 x 9 x 2 500 None 12.5 Mbps BPSK/OQPSK R/S NEN Radio Downlink/5 and Conv. 0 Kbps Uplink Syrlinks/X-band 9 x 9.6 x 225 None 5 Mbps BPSK/OQPSK R/S NEN Quasonix S-Band Transmitter Transmitter 2.4 and Conv. Marshall X-band Tx 10.8 X 10.8 <1000 FASTSat2 150 Mbps BPSK/OQPSK NEN X 7.6 Downlink/5 LDPC 7/8 0 Kbps Uplink Tethers Unlimited 8.6 x 4.5 500 None 300 Mbps {8,16A,32A}PSK NEN,SN,DSN SWIFT-XTS (0.375U) JPL /Iris Transponder 0.4U 400 INSPIRE 62.5 Kbps BPSK bit sync, DSN, Partially Donwlink/1 CCSDS frame size NEN Kbps Uplink Ka- Canopus Systems/ 18 x 10 x 820 None 125 Mbps {Q,8,16A,32A}PSK, NEN,SN,DSN band 8.5 DVB-S2, CSSDS, Ames Ka-band Tx LDPC Concatenated with BCH Tethers Unlimited SWIFT-SLX Tethers Unlimited 8.6 x 4.5 500 None 300 Mbps {Q,8,16A,32A}PSK, NEN,SN,DSN SWIFT-KTX (0.375U) DVB-S2, CSSDS * Compatibility shown as advertised EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION by vendor NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 8 Current Selected CubeSat Flight Antenna Capabilities Antenna Gain Mass Antenna Vendor Name Band (dBi) Dimensions (g) Antenna Development Corporation S-Band Low-Gain Patch Antenna (LGA) S 2 (4 x 4x0.25)" 115 Haigh Farr S-band Patch S 2 (94x76x4) cm 62 University of Southern California’s Information University of Southern California’s Sciences Institute Space Information Sciences Institute Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) Engineering Research S and Center (SERC) X TBD 50 cm 760 BDS Phantom Works Deployable High Gain S- band Antenna S 18 50 cm 1000 Antenna Development Corporation (1.85x1.85x0. X-Band Patch Array X 9 55)" 300 BDS Phantom Works Deployable High Gain X- band Antenna X 25 50 cm 1000 Ant Dev. Corp: Medium Gain X-band Patch Canopus System Horn Ka 25 18 cm 820 Array Antenna EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 9 NEN Potential Benefits for EM CubeSats While the NEN is not anticipated to provide primary support to any of the thirteen EM-1 CubeSat missions, the NEN offers “as-is” and upgradable ground system solutions for lunar, L1/L2, and future exploration CubeSat missions, that could benefit the EM-1 CubeSat missions • The NEN may benefit EM-1 CubeSat missions utilizing the IRIS radio in the form of coverage and larger beamwidth – NASA-owned NEN and NEN commercial ground systems are positioned around the globe and are able to provide significant to full coverage, depending on sites utilized, for CubeSats in Lunar orbit or beyond (e.g., L1/L2 missions) – NEN coverage could be utilized to provide higher data rate support to EM-1 CubeSat missions immediately following dispersal from Orion (~35,000 km through 100,000km) – Smaller NEN apertures (e.g., 11m), compared to other apertures, provide a larger beamwidth, which can benefit CubeSat missions in the event of navigation/ephemeris uncertainty • In order for the EM-1 CubeSats to realize the NEN coverage and beamwidth benefits, NEN ground stations would need varying levels of modifications, depending on services required; Options the NEN is currently investigating – NEN modification (e.g., receiver Turbo decoding licenses, converters, switches) of either NASA-owned or commercial provider X-band downlink capable assets would allow support for the reception of EM-1 CubeSats using the IRIS radio (e.g. Turbo 1/6 decoding) – NEN could utilize the X-band uplink capability of certain commercial provider assets or could upgrade other NASA or commercial provider assets (NEN evaluating options) to support X-band uplink requirements, Doppler, and tone ranging for IRIS equipped EM-1 CubeSats EXPLORATION AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS DIVISION NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 10