Nanosatellites, CubeSats of the NewSpace Era for Space Observation 1

Pierre Richard Dahoo is Professor at Versailles Saint-QuentinenYvelines/ Université Paris-Saclay, France, and Researcher at LATMOS. He is the author of several books on nanotechnologies and infrared spectroscopies applied to space. He also chairs the Physics and Optics without Borders Commission of the French Physical Society.Mustapha Meftah holds a doctorate in geosciences and is an astrophysicist specializing in atmosphere–climate relations. He is a graduate engineer in aeronautics and space, with several CubeSats in orbit to his credit. He teaches at Paris-Saclay University, France, on the challenges of space and the new applications linked to NewSpace.Abdelkhalak El Hami is Professor at INSA Rouen Normandie, France. He is responsible for several European educational projects and is a specialist in fluid-structure interaction problems and the reliability of multiphysics systems. He is also the author of numerous books in the field.

• Foreword ixPhilippe KECKHUTIntroduction xiChapter 1. The NewSpace Era 11.1. The space age and its evolutions 21.1.1. The first artificial satellites 21.1.2. Planet Earth and its near and distant environment 51.1.3. Exploring the near and distant Universe 51.1.4. Space activities 71.2. NewSpace in the 21st century 81.2.1. Development priorities for the NewSpace era 111.2.2. Research development 111.3. The space system 131.3.1. The system concept 141.3.2. Designing a space system 161.3.3. The two main sectors of a space system 161.4. Implementing a space project 171.4.1. The initial spatial project and management methods 171.4.2. Key issues from idea to realization 191.4.3. Academia and industry 201.4.4. Questions and steps once the project is defined 201.5. Building a spacecraft 251.5.1. Spacecraft subsystems 251.5.2. Example of an optical payload 261.6. The digital twin of a space vehicle 301.7. Conclusion 331.8. Appendix 341.8.1. Worldwide satellite development 341.8.2. Electromagnetic theory 361.8.3. Light–matter interaction 43Chapter 2. Orbital Parameters of a CubeSat 512.1. Using conics to describe a satellite orbit 522.1.1. Conics 522.1.2. Observations, analyses and laws of physics 532.1.3. From Babylon's Goseck to Aristotle's Ancient Greece 532.1.4. Copernicus' heliocentric approach and Kepler's laws 542.1.5. The Galilean frame of reference and Galileo's principle of relativity 562.1.6. Newton's law of universal gravitation 582.1.7. Lagrange's and Hamilton's analytical mechanics 612.1.8. The principles of relativity and equivalence 642.2. Selecting orbital parameters 692.2.1. Keplerian parameters of a satellite's orbit around the Earth 692.2.2. The different types of orbit 722.2.3. Orbit parameters, beta angle and orbit eclipse duration 742.3. Conclusion 772.4. Appendix 782.4.1. Coordinate systems and point mechanics 782.4.2. Classical point mechanics 862.4.3. The metric tensor in general relativity 88Chapter 3. Space Launchers for CubeSat Satellites 933.1. Propulsion systems and launch sites 933.2. Launcher selection and satellite orbiting 953.3. Important parameters for launcher selection. 1023.4. Setting up and maintaining a satellite 1063.4.1. CubeSat trajectory 1143.5. Conclusion 1153.6. Appendix 1163.6.1. The mechanics of a solid body 1163.6.2. Euler angles and rotation matrix 1193.6.3. Quaternions 1223.6.4. Lagrange points 1243.6.5. Calculating the L1 and L2 Lagrange points of the Sun–Earth system 1263.6.6. Center of inertia for a two-body system 1303.6.7. SU(2) and SO(3) groups 133Chapter 4. Designing a CubeSat 1374.1. CubeSats, microsats, nanosats and picosats engineering systems 1374.1.1. Systems approach and engineering 1374.1.2. Key satellite design parameters 1394.1.3. CubeSat design requirements and constraints 1404.2. CubeSat structure 1414.3. CubeSat mission implementation 1484.4. Communications and ground connections 1484.5. CubeSat architecture 1534.5.1. Mechanical architecture of a CubeSat 1544.5.2. Materials for mechanical architecture 1584.5.3. The environment of mechanical architecture 1604.5.4. Dimensions of mechanical architecture 1624.6. Conclusion 1694.7. Appendix 1694.7.1. Elastic and thermal properties of a physical system 1694.7.2. Finite element method (FEM) 1744.7.3. Modal analysis of structural components 1824.7.4. UVSQ-SAT production phases 186Conclusion 189References 191Index 205