Satellite Orbit design and trade study analysis of a CubeSat using STK

Shahat, Mohammed Khaled; Yousef, Ahmed Mohammed El-sayed

doi:10.21608/iugrc.2022.302700

Satellite Orbit design and trade study analysis of a CubeSat using STK

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

MTC, Egypt.

10.21608/iugrc.2022.302700

Abstract

The MTCsat is a 3U CubeSat with mass of 4Kg which is designed as a graduation project with a mission of earth observation and a digital camera is used as a payload. It’s required to make coverage on ten vital points as Al-Nahda dam in Ethiopia and nine vital locations in Egypt due to its importance in different aspects. In this work, we aim to design an orbit to satisfy the mission requirements. To achieve that, a trade study using STK/Matlab is carried out to select an orbit that can fulfil the mission requirements. The trade study showed inclination 35 deg has the maximum access duration for the group of vital points and also this duration increases with altitude. Three orbits are selected to be compared. One of them is (MTCsat-A) which has the same parameters of EGYPTSAT-A. The second is (MTCsat-B) that has an inclination 35 deg and the same altitude of EGYPTSAT-A. The last one (MTCsat-C) is proposed to be launched from Inter National Space Station (ISS). The three CubeSats are analysed and compared from the point of view of coverage, beta angle, lighting times, power collected from solar cells and life time. As a result of comparison and analysis MTCsat-B is selected to achieve the required mission

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