Spacecraft Engineering

Fall 2021

Dr. Rehan Mahmood

Director, SSTRL
Asst Prof, EE

Institute of Space Technology, Pakistan

 Course Introduction

• Name of Course : Spacecraft Engineering

• Lecture hours : 3
• Lab hours : Nil - (STK) - Workshop
• Pre/Co-requisites : Basic Electronics/Physics
• Course website :
Lecturer

• Dr. Rehan Mahmood

• Director - SSTRL (Small Satellite Technology &
Research Lab)
• Asst Professor (EE Dept)
• Project Engineer ICUBE-1
• First pico-satellite of IST
• PhD, Satellite Engineering, Beihang University
• MS, Satellite Communication Engineering, UniS
• BS, Electrical Engineering, UET Taxila
• Ph: 051-9075483
• Email: rehan_59@hotmail.com
What is Spacecraft?
Course Syllabus
• Introduction to spacecraft
• Space environment
• Orbital Mechanics
• Power subsystem
• Thermal subsystem
• Attitude Control Subsystem
• On Board Data Handling
• Launch Systems
• Telemetry & Tele command
References

• Principles of Space Instrument Design

• A. M. Cruise , J. A. Bowles , T. J. Patrick, C. V. Goodall
References

• Spacecraft Systems Engineering 3rd Edition

• Peter Fortescue , John Stark ,Graham Swinerd
Assessment

• Workshop : 5-10%
• Class participation : 5-10%
• Quizzes : 10-15%
• OHT : 20-30%
• Small Project : ??
• Final : 40%
What is a Spacecraft?

• A spacecraft is a vehicle, vessel or machine

designed to fly in outer space.
• Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes
• Communications
• Earth observation
• Meteorology
• Navigation
• Planetary exploration
• Transportation of humans and cargo
Introduction
 Spacecraft Engineering

• Spacecraft Engineering involves techniques from a

variety of scientific and engineering disciplines
• Spacecraft electronics must be supported by other
subsystems

• The aim of this module is to introduce the key space

system design & engineering principles and
techniques
• The module focuses on the different subsystems of a
spacecraft along with electrical, mechanical &
thermal design of key sub-systems
Space Mission Elements

Launcher
Data Center
Orbit

Space
mission

Mission Operation

Spacecraft
Payload

Subject (science)
Spacecraft Subsystems
Power Subsystem

Attitude
Determination and
Structural Control Subsystem
Subsystem

Spacecraft
Thermal Subsystem
Payload

On Board Data Communication

Handler Subsystem
 1st Artificial Satellite

• Sputnik 1 was the first Earth-

orbiting artificial satellite
• It was launched into an
elliptical low Earth orbit by the
Soviet Union on 4 October
1957, and was the first in a
series of satellites collectively
known as the Sputnik program
• emitted radio signals at 20.005
and 40.002 MHz
• The signals continued for 22
days until the transmitter
batteries ran out
 BADR-1
• Badr-1 was a first digital communication
satellite launched by Pakistan's SUPARCO in
1990
• The satellite was planned to launch in 1986
from Sonmiani Satellite Launch Center but was
postponed due to political and economic
reasons
• The Satellite was finally launched in 1990 from
Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China, aboard a
Long March 2E
• Uplink 435MHz, Downlink 145 MHz
• Launched in elliptical orbit instead of circular
orbit
BADR-B
• Badr-B, also known as Badr-2, is the research and low-Earth
observation satellite operated by Pakistan
• The satellite was developed and designed by SUPARCO
• The Program was launched in 1992 and the satellite's
development process was completed in 1996.
• The satellite was planned to launch in 1996 from Tilla
Satellite Launch Center but it was postponed due to
political instability
• The satellite was developed in 1996 but the delay of
Russian space-rocket put the satellite on hold for more
than 4 years
• The satellite was shipped to Kazakhstan where it was finally
launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Baikonur,
Kazakhstan on December 10, 2001 abroad a Ukrainian
Zenit-2 rocket
PAKSAT-1R
• Paksat-1R (PAKSAT-1Replacement) is a
geosynchronous communications satellite
operated by Pakistan's Space and Upper
Atmosphere Research Commission.

• It was launched on 11 August 2011 aboard

a Long March 3B/E carrier rocket from the
Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China's
Sichuan province.

• It is expected to replace PAKSAT-1 in

geostationary orbit at 38° East.

• PAKSAT-1R will support all conventional

and modern Fixed Satellite Service (FSS)
applications, with a total of 30
Communication Transponders (12 in C
band and 18 in Ku band).
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellites
• PRSS-1
• Launched on July 09,
2018 from China
• Optical payload
• 2.85m resolution
• PAKTES-1
• 285 kilogram satellite
equipped with an optical
payload
• It has a design life of
three years and will
operate at an altitude of
610km.
 PNSS-1
• Pakistan National Student Satellite (PNSS)
• Several modules developed by IST team

• Won after an national level competition

• Power Control Unit
• Power Distribution Unit
• Battery Unit
• On-Board Computer (OBC)
• Magnetometer Unit (MGM)
• Antenna Deployment Mechanism
Space Systems Lab (SSL)
• IST Vision
To foster intellectual and economic vitality through teaching, research and
outreach in the field of Space Science & Technology

IST Satellite program (ICUBE) is a part of that vision

• ICUBE-1 (2008-2013)
• Electrical Engineering Department
• Space Systems Lab (SSL) – 2015
• ICUBE-2
• Pakistan National Student Satellite (PNSS)
• Small Student Satellite (SSS-2A) - APSCO
 ICUBE-1
• 1U CubeSat
• Technology demonstration
• Gathering the satellite
health information via
beacon signal
• Image acquisition,
compression, storage and
transmission
• Collaboration between
various departments
• Launched on 21st Nov
2013
• First heard by Amateur
community in UK 30
minutes after separation
 SSS-2A CubeSat
• Asia Pacific Space Corporation
Organization (APSCO) project
• Constellation of three satellites
• SSS-2A 3U CubeSat
• Sat linker and VDES receiver
payload
• In collaboration with Shanghai
Jiao Tong University (SJTU)
• UHV/VHF transceivers
• S-band transmitter
• Attitude determination and
Control System (ADCS)
SSTRL – Small Satellite Technology
& Research Lab
• Affiliated Lab of National Center for GIS and Space
Applications (NCGSA)
• 7 labs all over the Pakistan
• 3 major labs are in IST
• Small Satellite Technology and Research
Lab (SSTR) - SSL
• Space and Astrophysics Research Lab
• Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Research and Applications Lab
• Goals
• 3U CubeSat development in collaboration with
various universities of Pakistan
• Development of CubeSat Training Equipment
(CTE)
• Online access of IST Satellite Ground Station
 ICUBE-N
• National CubeSat of Pakistan
• Will be developed in collaboration
with various universities of Pakistan
• The development of various
subsystems will soon be started
• Power subsystem, S-band
transmitter, Antenna deployment
mechanism
• Experimental payloads
SSTRL and allied facilities
• Class 10,000 Clean
Environmental chamber
• Thermal Vacuum Chamber
• Allied facility
• Vibration Test System
• VHF/UHF and S-Band Ground
receive/transmit station
• High quality PCB fabrication
• Attitude testing facility
 What is the mission of a
space electroncis engineer?
Make it work!
In space…
reliably!
What is the biggest
challenge?
You have only one shot,

you cannot repair …

and you cannot test it in
space
Is it expensive?
Space industry is very high-quality
labor intensive
• Most of the ”space money” is used to hire
engineers.
• Launch to the orbit consumes a lot of fuel.
• Space industry is very international. A lot of
traveling and transportation.
• Operating the spacecraft needs engineers as well.
 Cube Project
•10 slide presentation and Report

•Mission objective
•STK Simulations
•Payload and mission
•Mass-, Energy-, Link- etc budgets
•Deorbit
•Schedule, Cost