Future technology meets new communication strategies - the Heinrich Hertz satellite mission

摘要

OHB System AG is the prime contractor for the Phase C/D of the German national telecommunication mission Heinrich Hertz. The objective of the mission is twofold: 1. On the one hand a total of 10 new equipment for telecommunication satellites will gain their first flight heritage on Heinrich Hertz (in-orbit verification Payload (IOV)); 2. on the other hand a variety of novel communication experiments will be conducted with the Heinrich Hertz payloads. Additionally to the IOV payload, a communication payload of the German Ministry of Defense is embarked on the satellite. With this mission, Germany aims at consolidating their leading role in today's satellite telecommunication industry. The mission will be conducted in geostationary orbit with a projected lifetime of 15 years. Start of the operation is targeted for 2022. The OHB SmallGEO platform has been selected for the mission and thereby becomes the 4th SmallGEO telecommunication contract after the ESA missions H36W-1, EDRS-C and Electra. Compared to its predecessors H36W-1 and EDRS-C the Heinrich Hertz mission faces increased demands for accommodation space, antenna configuration, mass and operational flexibility. The SmallGEO for the Heinrich Hertz mission now accommodates a total of eight reflector antennas; has improved the payload accommodation space and includes a hybrid propulsion system using the novel High-Efficiency Multistage Plasma Thruster as the primary thruster for North/South Station Keeping. Furthermore, the platform design is adapted to the OHB concept for distributed avionics with an on-board computer and a number of flexible remote terminal units interfacing with the satellite's equipment. This paper presents an overview of the current status of the Heinrich Hertz satellite mission and it novel set of technologies aiming into advanced communication application for the users.