• Created by Unknown User (santora), last modified by Unknown User (livermor) on 15.08.2018

Discussion and information gathering on Ground station equipment + services.

Present: Giovanni Pandolfi, Mariusz

  • When you buy hardware you will also get API and SW required
    • Hardware has SDR capability
    • Centralized network with respect to the station
    • They may provide computer if necessary
    • Hardware has a server and all electronics necessary. End user interface should be easy.
  • They provide a scheduler – i.e. availability when to access satellite uplink/downlink across others that use their services.
    • First-come-serve to use the access times. The access can be segmented on duration in seconds/minutes (not the whole pass) if desired. LeafSpace sorts this out.
    • Apart from nominal mission operations (uplink/downlin) it is also good for the LEOP, push the TLE, during commissioning/LEOP we have to find our TLE, launcher gives initial TLE, for tracking. LeafSpace also gives TLE and can calculate the orbit.
  • VPN connection, troubleshooting from LeafSpace control center to our station – this is for security reasons
  • They don’t use encryption
  • API for Ground Station (not S/C)
    • They use one for control MQTT and one for monitoring
    • We can build ground mission control sw on top of that (command & control of satellite)
    • Monitoring: SNMP, values, sensor on the station all the parameters
    • They have full solution for SDR
  • The Ground Station HW
    • 1000 kg system
    • 6 m span (max), without yagi -> 3.5 m span (max)
    • Need 4x4 m^2 ground area available for the ground station antenna, fundament and electronics (this means 4x4 m^2 area available on the roof of ITK – is it doable?)
      • Giovanni suggested to put it on the ground if not (he looked at the satellite image in Google Maps of our building at NTNU)
    • If we buy the ground station then it will be fully ours and we have full independent control.
    • Safety treshold on ACU  - control system.
      •  It has 3-DOF, azimuth & elevation
      • May rotate up to 20-25 degrees/s in each axis – fast tracking with settling time in 2-3 seconds
    • Spare parts on important electronics, for example LNA (warranty - 1 year)
    • We switch between RF in MQQT
  • Uplink command
    • CSP will go through through CCSPS
    • Forward the error correction
    • TCP/IP connection to the radio on SDR
    • Socket to the mission control
    • Send a package uplink - then ground stations are selected based on location, availability and constraints (scheduling package)
  • Operations
    • Beacon signal can be sent on UHF
    • Send both TM and payload data through S-band
      • TM on UHF and payload data on S-band at the same time not possible
      • You can't operate on two downlink operations simultaneously, can't go through the RF chain at the same time since the RF is switched to the specific HW.

Packages for Ground Station Equipment and Services that we may want to consider – see below for prices

  1. HW + equipment (antenna, fundament and electronics)
    1. 6-7 months lead time for delivery
  2. Installation
  3. Training for 2 days (price included in the installation) - how to operate the ground station (useful for students and employees). Can buy longer training if desired but not necessary.
  4. Maintenance
  5. Warranty
    1. 1 year warranty included in the HW package
    2. Help desk included in the warranty 1st year
    3. Pay for extended warranty & help desk
  6. Scheduling (cloud service)
    1. Pushing data up to S/C, we need to have an API – they can help us
    2. Licensing for frequencies of Ground Stations in other countries few months can take 2-3 months, once we request a frequency then LeafSpace will request license by that country and match the frequency to our S/C.
    3. No scheduling for access to our S/C from our own Ground Station – it’s ours

Pricing

  • €100,000 - €130,000 USD for S-band+UHF HW, equipment, spare parts, installation and training (includes 1 year warranty)
    • May extend warranty
    • For us: segment public tender into two to avoid further delays??
    • Fun fact: Giovanni didn’t like the idea of public tender
  • Additional service for maintenance/cleaning/snow shuffling, troubleshooting and help desk can be bought as well for $2000 per year (but help desk & troubleshooting & warranty is included in the HW package for 1 year)
  • For other Ground Stations in the network (excl. using ours)
    • Pay per pass or pay per duration of the pass, e.g. possible to use 2 min out of 10 min.
    • Typically €40 per pass for S-band
      • Using 1-3 passes you pay a fee per pass
      • Using >3 passes then price gets lower.
      • Using 6 passes then we can go down to €30 per pass
  • Expect €20,000-€30,000 for civil works and crane operations and mounting (outside LeafSpace’s control)
    • Integrating the electronics, power and internet can be done by NTNU employees/electricians for no cost?
  • Total budget needed for Ground Station HW would be in the range €120,000-€150,000 (incl. civil work).
  • Compared to KSAT, LeafSpace is way more flexible and low-cost. No binding contracts.

Giovanni’s/LeafSpace’s action items:

  • Send datasheets with technical specifications
  • Send installation guideline
  • Send map of available ground stations in the LeafSpace network

Our action items:

  • Send data on temperature, wind speeds, snow levels (max, average and standard deviations)
    • Seasonal
    • Yearly
    • Monthly
  • Estimated budget
  • What packages we are interested in to buy
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