RAAF - Ml: UNSW Canberra - Royal Australian Air Force Space Situational Awareness and ISR Pathfinder Mission

摘要

UNSW Canberra Space has undertaken a three-year research and development programme with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to implement and operate two nano-satellite (cubesat) missions. The programme aims to support and enhance ADF capabilities and activities in Space Situational Awareness (SSA), and to support the ADF's ability to develop and operate affordable miniature-satellite-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities that can provide a level of space self-reliance and resilience to support ADF operations. Additionally it will underpin UNSW's fundamental SSA research and provide education and training opportunities for ADF, and in particular the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in relation to the development and operation of a nanosatellite. The programme consists of two missions, launched approximately 1 year apart. The first mission, RAAF Ml, is scheduled for launch readiness review in Q4 2017, less than a year after the programme Kick Off. Launch is currently schedule for Q1 2018. Ml will be a flight demonstration of several key technologies and operations for the main mission, M2. Ml aims to: ?Deliver to the RAAF AIS/ ADS-B capability across the globe using COTS AIS and ADS-B systems. ?Test, validate and further develop Australian SSA capabilities by providing engineering design and performance data for the design of future passive radar systems to track LEO spacecraft. ?Develop and demonstrate software defined radio ISR capability, which is used to support AIS and ADS-B monitoring and recording and GNSS SDR receive capability for passive LEO tracking. ?Develop and demonstrate building-block technologies and CONOPS for future ADF space capabilities. ? Build ADF expertise in specifying, developing/procuring and operating sovereign space assets. The RAAF Ml spacecraft will be a 3U Cubesat form factor with a nadir facing deployable payload module and two deployable solar arrays. As well as monitoring and recording AIS and ADS-B s