RADARSAT Constellation Mission: “The Making of”

Alain Carrier, Director Earth Observation Projects

RCM Project Manager

Representation courtesy of MDA Systems Ltd

Outline

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• Project Description

• Design Parameters

• Nomenclature and Outcome

• System Description

• Project Status

• Industrial Team

Outline

3

• Project Description

• Design Parameters

• Nomenclature and Outcome

• System Description

• Project Status

• Industrial Team

• Scalable Constellation of three small SAR1 satellites

• Primary objective is to support the operational requirements

of Canadian Government departments

• Canadian Government-owned and operated

• Prime contractor: MDA Systems Ltd

4

RCM Description

(1) Synthetic Aperture Radar

• Space Segment Three satellites (Bus, SAR

payload, AIS)

Ground support equipment

(mechanical, electrical)

• Launch Segment Launch system Launch interface Supporting equipment

• Ground Segment Order Handling

Mission Planning

Spacecraft Control

S-band/X-band Grd Terminal

Reception and Archiving

Product Generation

Image Quality

Spacecraft Simulator

RCM Description – Three Segments

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Outline

6

• Project Description

• Design Parameters

• Nomenclature and Outcome

• System Description

• Project Status

• Industrial Team

• Continuity of C-Band SAR for Operational Users

• Improved revisit over wide areas

• Responsive Ground Segment (Fast tasking and latency)

• Smaller, more cost efficient satellite development

• Improved reliability (i.e. redundancy and scalability)

• Evolution from RADARSAT-2 to wider Operational use

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Design Parameters – Key Drivers

Design Parameters – Mission Requirements

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• Three satellites with a potential of six

• Average daily coverage of Canadian waters and regular land coverage

• Average daily global access

• Data analyzed in near real time for operational applications

• 4-day Coherent Change Detection using SAR interferometry

• Gradual implementation with two launches separated by16 months

• Gradual replacement of aging satellites

RADARSAT Constellation daily coverage

RADARSAT-1 or 2 daily coverage

Outline

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• Project Description

• Design Parameters

• Nomenclature and Outcome

• System Description

• Project Status

• Industrial Team

• Phase 0/A – Initiation and Planning

Opportunity Assessment

Advanced studies and concept design

Industrial capability establishment

Critical technology risk reduction

Preliminary cost and schedule estimates

Development & confirmation of requirements

• Phase B – Preliminary Definition

Detailed requirements flowed down

Risk reduction activities continued

Preliminary design cycle completed

Launch environment defined

Mission Preliminary Design Review

Nomenclature and Outcome– Phases A and B

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• Phase C – Detailed Definition

Completes design of all spacecraft elements

Establishes implementation baseline

Baseline launch vehicle selected

LLI and associated NRE initiated

Ground segment subsystem requirements established

Ground segment Preliminary Design Review

Mission Critical Design Review

• Phase D – Implementation

Manufacturing, AIT1, launch & commissioning of each spacecraft

Design, manufacturing, AIT of ground segment

Operations development

Training of operations & maintenance personnel

Constellation Commissioning Complete Review

Nomenclature and Outcome– Phases C and D

(1) Assembly, Integration & Test11

• Payload Critical Design Review SW CDR Power Distribution Unit CDR T/R module CDR Payload Electrical Model complete Antenna CDR Tile Controller CDR Payload Controller Unit CDR Central Electronic Unit CDR AIS PDR

• Mission AIT Planning AIT Dev Plan

• Ops Development Ops Dev Review Draft LEOP plan and Rehearsal plan

• Bus Critical Design Review Power CDR Attitude Determination & Ctrl Syst. CDR Power Control Unit Qual. Status Review Propulsion CDR MGSE CDR SW CDR Command & Data Handling QSR Thermal CDR Communication CDR Structural CDR Harness CDR

• Ground Segment Development GS PDR SIM PDR SCS PDR System Requirements Review for:

Restoration & Archiving / Product Generation / Image Quality subsystems

Order Handling / Mission Planning subsystem

Nomenclature and Outcome– Phase C Milestones

Mission Critical Design Review

• Ground Segment Final Acceptance Review

• Bus, Payload & S/C Test Readiness Review

• Manufacturing Readiness Review

• Mission Preliminary Acceptance Review

• Operations Readiness Review

• Flight Readiness Review• Commissioning Complete

Review – Proto-Flight Model• Commissioning Complete

Review (Flight Model 1, Flight Model 2)

• Constellation Commissioning Complete Review

Nomenclature and Outcome– Phase D Milestones

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Nomenclature and Deliverables – Sequencing

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Launch 1

Launch 2

Phase C Milestones

Phase C

Outline

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• Project Description

• Design Parameters

• Nomenclature and Outcome

• System Description

• Project Status

• Industrial Team

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System Description – Specifications

Bus Canadian Smallsat Bus

Launcher Falcon 9 specifications (for design) can use PSLV, DNEPR

Total Mass 1400 kg

Antenna 9.45m2

Power <1600 W peak; <220 W average

Orbit 600 km, 100m radius orbital tube

Polarisation Single Pol / Dual cross selectable pol & Compact polarimetry available on all modes; One fully polarimetric mode

Imaging Time 12 minutes/orbit (peak 20 minutes every three orbits)10 minutes continuous imaging

Lifetime 7 years (each satellite)

Drawing courtesy of MDA Systems Ltd

Bus Description – RCM Bus

Sun Sensor

Magnetometer

Reaction Wheel

Star Tracker

Battery

Power Control Unit

GPS

S-Band TransponderS-Band Antenna

Torque Rod

N2

Pictures courtesy of Industrial team

System Description – RCM Payload

SAR Antenna

Power Distribution Unit

Tx/Rx Module

Tile Controller Unit

Mass Memory Unit

Central Electronic Unit

Payload Controller Unit

N2

AIS

Representations courtesy of Industrial team

St-Hubert (X+S), Svalbard (X+S), Masstown and Aldergrove (X)

System Description – Ground Segment Baseline

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Outline

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• Project Description

• Design Parameters

• Nomenclature and Outcome

• System Description

• Project Status

• Industrial Team

Now

Project Status – Schedule and Cost Distribution

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N

Ops Phase

Phase D

Y1 Y3Y2 Y9Y4 Y7Y5 Y8Y6 Y10 Y13 Y15Y14Y12Y11

Phase APhase B

Outline

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• Project Description

• Design Parameters

• Nomenclature and Outcome

• System Description

• Project Status

• Industrial Team

Industrial Team

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• Typical contract structures:

Cost reimbursable (Progress payments)

Firm Fix Price (Milestone payments)

• Canadian content

• Regional distribution

• Earned Value Management

Industrial Team – Contract Arrangement & Control

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N

Back Up

RCM Description – Primary Objective

• Support the operational requirements of Canadian Government departments in the delivery of services to Canadians in areas of :

• Maritime surveillance

• Ecosystem monitoring

• Disaster management

N

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System Description – Spacecraft

N

System Description – Spacecraft Exterior Layout

• High-grade crypto on-board the satellites (Crypto Flight Unit) and on the ground (Crypto Ground Unit) to encrypt all commands and telemetry as well as classified science data (as needed)

• RCM will be capable of handling both classified and unclassified Orders and Products

• Unclassified science data will be encrypted to a lesser level (commercial grade)

• Crypto Ground Units will encrypt commands originating from the CSA operations center as well as decrypt classified and unclassified telemetry and science data

Crypto Ground Unit

Crypto Flight Unit

System Description – Security Level

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Representations courtesy of Industrial team

• An additional payload is being

considered to receive AIS signal

• Would allow real time coherent

acquisition of AIS signal with SAR

image to identify vessels of interest.

Payload Description – Automatic Identification of Ship (AIS)

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Payload Description – Model Philosophy of Main Units

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Bus Description – Model Philosophy of Bus Ssyst/Unit

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RCM Description – System Diagram

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1

(1) SXGT: S/X Band Ground Terminal

• Project Management– Schedule, Cost, Risks– Technical progress & integration (Space & Ground)– Implementation analysis– Intellectual Property– Mission Management– Data Policy– Data Utilization– Application Development– Commercialization License– Governance (Approval and Reporting)

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Roles & Responsibilities – PMO Level Integration

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Project Status – Requirements Evolution

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[SYS2010] Imaging Time Per Orbit. Each spacecraft in the system shall be capable of imaging at any time when all of the following constraints are satisfied:

1.No more than 36 minutes of imaging in any moving window time period of duration equal to three orbital periods.

2.No more than 20 minutes of imaging in any moving window time period of duration equal to one orbital period.

3.No more than 10 minutes of imaging in any moving window time period of duration 20 minutes.

4.The spacecraft is not in eclipse.

[SYS3100] AIS Operating Time Per Orbit. Each spacecraft in the system shall be capable of collecting AIS at any time when all of the following constraints are satisfied:

1.No more than 51 minutes of AIS collection in any moving window time period of duration equal to three orbital periods.

2.No more than 25 minutes of AIS collection in any moving window time period of duration equal to one orbital period.

3.No more than 15 minutes of AIS collection in any moving window time period of duration 25 minutes.