Federated Systems of Pico-satellites for Future Space-based Service Infrastructures

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Raychev, Raycho Kolev, Alexander
Copyright Year	2016
Abstract	Both satellite manufacturers and satellite operators are presently facing the challenge of emerging trends, going in the direction of more open, flexible, responsive and cost-effective space missions. There is an increasing demand in the space community for systems more sustainable, cost effective, robust and reliable. As a matter of fact, the general approach to space is moving from single satellite missions, mainly focused on technology and on the achievement of “ad hoc” objectives, to systems or systems of systems, actually realizing space-based infrastructures, focused on the delivery of capabilities and services. In synthesis, we are witnessing the advent of what the Director General of ESA, Prof. Woerner, has defined as the “Space 4.0” era, in which space has become a day-to-day business and in which interaction with society, the commercialization of space, new roles for industry and new cooperative relations with public institutions play important roles. To achieve the goal of an effective service-oriented, space-based infrastructure a radical (mostly conceptual) paradigm shift is needed: from a technology/mission focused approach to a service approach. We need in other words to start from the end, asking ourselves the following questions: What capabilities do the users need? How can we make an effective use of existing resources, on ground and on orbit? How can we plan for future more flexible and interoperable space infrastructures? As far as the space segment is concerned, in order to achieve the goal of a truly interoperable, service-oriented space infrastructure, potential benefits are expected from the introduction of micro, nano and pico-satellites (Cubesats) in swarm or federated/fractionated system configurations. The paper explores the potentialities of pico-satellites in “Space 4.0”, with particular focus on their applications in infrastructures supporting the ESA promoted “Moon Village” international project.
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Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article