甚小型卫星发展综述

介绍了立方星(CubeSat)、片上卫星(SpaceChip)、印制电路板卫星(PCBSat)、多芯片组件卫星(MCMSat)4种甚小型卫星的发展情况和技术特点。CubeSat技术最为成熟,已发射多颗此类卫星,但体积固定,成本较高;SpaceChip是卫星小型化的最终目标,它成本最低,集成度最高,体积最小,但通信距离较短;PCBSat的成本和性能居中,设计复杂度低,且元器件有商用现货供应,但功耗较大;MCMSat综合了PCBSat和SpaceChip的技术特点,技术复杂。我国甚小型卫星可选择优先发展PCBSat;重点突破商用现货元器件的筛选,以及空间应用技术、一体化姿态控制技术、新型微推进技术、轻型高效的蓄电池和太阳电池技术等。     

Rarefied gas effects on the aerodynamics of high area-to-mass ratio spacecraft in orbit

The aerodynamic situation of a satellite-on-a-chip operating in low Earth orbit bears some resemblance to a classical Crookes radiometer. The large area-to-mass ratio characteristic of a SpaceChip means that very small surface-dependent forces produce non-negligible accelerations that can significantly alter its orbit. When the temperature of a SpaceChip changes, the drag force can be changed: if the temperature increases, the drag increases (and vice versa). Analytical expressions available in the literature that describe the change in drag coefficient with orbit altitude and SpaceChip temperature compare well with our direct simulation Monte Carlo results presented here. It is demonstrated that modifying the temperature of a SpaceChip could be used for relative orbit control of individual SpaceChips in a swarm, with a maximum change in position per orbit of 50 m being achievable at 600 km altitude.