ESTCube-2 Attitude Determination and Control: Step Towards Interplanetary CubeSats

Ikechukwu Ofodile, Johan Kütt, Joosep Kivastik, Madis Kaspar Nigol, Aleksander Parelo, Erik Ilbis, Hendrik Ehrpais, Andris Slavinskis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference article in proceedingsScientificpeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Utilization of satellites to meet the needs of various missions requires a reliable Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS). In this paper, we presents a robust design of the ADCS for the ESTCube-2 nanosatellite. The primary aim of the ADCS is to provide angular momentum to deploy a 300-meter tether used in a plasma brake deorbiting experiment. This is achieved by spinning up the three-unit CubeSat to 360 degrees per second about the short axis, deploying the tether and repeating the spin-up-deployment sequence until the whole tether is deployed. The system also provides accurate pointing for an Earth observation camera and a high-speed communication system. In addition to basic sensors and actuators commonly used on nanosatellites, the design includes a cold-gas propulsion system and a star tracker which will be tested for the future use in deep space. In order to operate the Earth observation and high-speed communication payloads, the satellite will use reaction wheels and the star tracker to achieve pointing the accuracy better than 0.25 degrees and the stability better than 0.125 degrees per second. To achieve the control requirements, a Lyapunov-based stability function and an optimal linear-quadratic regulator control is implemented. The attitude determination is handled by an unscented Kalman filter, which is deployed on a Cortex-M7 microcontroller. The ESTCube-2's plasma brake experiment in low Earth orbit serves as a precursor of ESTCube-3 which will test similar technology - the electric solar wind sail - for interplanetary propulsion in lunar orbit.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2019 IEEE Aerospace Conference, AERO 2019
PublisherIEEE
ISBN (Electronic)9781538668542
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2019
MoE publication typeA4 Conference publication
EventIEEE Aerospace Conference - Big Sky, United States
Duration: 2 Mar 20199 Mar 2019

Publication series

NameIEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings
Volume2019-March
ISSN (Print)1095-323X

Conference

ConferenceIEEE Aerospace Conference
Abbreviated titleAERO
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBig Sky
Period02/03/201909/03/2019

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