Date

06 Jun 2018

Attendees

• Unknown User (torarnj)

• Nils Torbjörn Ekman
• Unknown User (amundgj)

• Unknown User (garaq)

• Hans Christian Haugli

Goals

Notes

SPACE NORWAY

• Model: identify Norwegian needs, identify technical requirements, look for possible collaborators. Always trying to get a top-level view.
• They collaborate with TVAC/UTIAS.

ARCTIC MISSION

• Planning for Arctic mission: they are studying the gap in the Arctic (at least 2 contracts). Trying to work with GomSpace.
  1. Thales (France): gap analysis.
  2. OHB Sweden

HEO

• Funded by government
• 2 HEO satellites
• Public tender before summer
• Tentative launch date 2022
• Broadband communications in Arctic for vessels. 
• Add aeronautical payloads for planes and US government payload
• Why can it be competitive with big constellations?
  • High capacity communication to moving ships in LEO is not possible
  • There are service providers that are committed to this initiative
  • GEO terminal can be reused with handovers.

MICROSAR

• Mission: to detect ships over a few hour and classify them. Provide information such as: latitude, longitude and a picture.
• Tentative launch date: 2019
• SAR swath=200 km and resolution=4m
• No processing onboard
• 10 min 10 GB
• 6 channels using Ka-band 250 Mbps. 3.5 m antenna
• Altitude=600 km
• 92 Kg
• It'll have propulsion, 6 reaction wheels, 200W solar panels.
• Duty cycle= 10% orbit

VDES

• Goal: to provide very affordable communications system in the Arctic.
• VDES downlink propagation measurements.
• Power transmitted changed from 5 W to 2.5 W (AIS)
• Power transmitter for VDES= 27dBm
• Development time (since it was decided until it was launched): 2.5 years (including 6 months of waiting time to launch)
• Adaptive coding and modulation for VDES
• Narrow channels for uplink
• Downlink measurements transmitting 8PSK CDMA. Measuring from Vigo.
• S-band link
  • Patch antenna TT&C
  • S band transceiver: TI CC10200 (UHF transceiver) + upconversion
• Yagi VHF antenna  onboard
  • RHCP
  • Pointing by moving the satellite
• Whip antenna on ship
• Seatex SDR payload:
  • Standard AIS size
  • Power consumption: 10 W
  • Half-duplex (full-duplex too difficult)
• 0-30 degrees=elevation
• 1 Mbps uplink
  • Update FPGA image is 18 MB (it's risky to update just parts of it)
• Lessons learnt: 
  • Multipaction factor 
  • Radio astronomy filter (700$ from K&M)
  • Very powerful Russian radar in VHF

NEXT STEPS

• • Interference analysis on uplink
  • Nothing new on uplink
  • Smart pointing with antenna (ESA)
  • EGNOS demonstration in the Arctic, not for GEO
    • Equipment using digital bent-pipe: could be done in a 4U
    • Important: latency
  • Demonstrate VDE services
    • Search & Rescue application
    • IS
    • National Harbour Reporting

HSI & SDR MISSION

• Suggestions:
  • Use case: sell service to fisheries to say where plancton is and go to fish

POSSIBLE COLLABORATION: Get down to 3-4m resolution in a 4U with the HSI

HOW TO IMPROVE VDES MEASUREMENTS?

• Make measurements with a higher bandwidth to study spectral correlation
• Downlink measurements with UHF:  collaboration with FUGRO
• Measure interference environment
  
  

REQUIREMENTS FOR FUTURE MEASUREMENT CAMPAIGNS

• Make a transmitting signal (I,Q).
• Schedule
  • Couple of passes per day for calibration and setup. 
  • Norwegian Space Centre should take part in the conversations
  • How many passes per day?
  • Pointing to Trondheim
  • How long does the measurement campaign need to last? Perhaps 3 short campaigns
    • Remember AIS is the main payload.