Simon Chesworth

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RADARSAT Mission Update
Simon Chesworth schesworth_at_rsi.ca www.rsi.ca Tel
44 (0) 1273 648 346
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RADARSAT Configuration
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RADARSAT-1 Mission

• RADARSAT Mission Life was specified for 5.25
  years from launch Feb 4 2000 was therefore
  completion of the specified mission. Mission
  life is now 8.5 years and on-going..
• Anomaly occurred on 16th April 2004. CSA had
  planned battery reconditioning also at the
  weekend. No imaging for 24 hours. RADARSAT-1
  all back up and running.

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Operations Completion Plan

• An Operations Completion Plan was initiated in
  February 1999 at the Mid Term Review
• Objectives of this on-going project are
• to establish and monitor key life-limit items on
  both the satellite and ground segment with
  respect to nominal mission completion
• to manage risk to help ensure data continuity
  with RADARSAT-2

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Attitude Control SystemHorizon Scanner

• Several instruments provide input to the attitude
  correction system, including Horizon Scanner, Sun
  Sensor, Magnetometer, Momentum Wheels
• The instrument outputs are combined in a matrix
  of attitude measurements to determine the
  spacecraft attitude the weightings of the
  various inputs can be varied according to the
  reliability or accuracy of the measurement
• HS2 failed in first year of operations cause is
  not yet clear
• HS1 has been used successfully, but since April
  2000 warnings regarding motor speed control have
  been received in telemetry perhaps indicating
  impending bearing failure (warnings increase and
  decrease depending on time of year) recent
  performance has been stable

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Momentum Wheels

• In December 2002, the secondary pitch wheel began
  to show similar signs of degradation as with the
  primary pitch wheel the satellite was placed in
  safe hold mode and the secondary wheel was shut
  down
• Using the simulator, a method was developed to
  operate the spacecraft without the pitch wheel
  Torque rods are now used in place of pitch wheel
• Both pitch wheels are available for short term
  use they may be restarted at zero speed and used
  as reaction wheels during eclipse or during
  special maneuvers
• Satellite pointing accuracy has been verified as
  equal to that achieved with the pitch wheels
  active
• Attitude control during transient periods (orbit
  maintenance, eclipse transition) demonstrated to
  be stable

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Consumables

• Main consumable is propellant required to
  maintain orbit
• Currently, burns are more frequent than at first
  due to solar pressure effects during solar
  maximum Solar maximum peaked in summer 2000 and
  has been declining since
• Change to orbit maintenance strategy (/- 2 km)
  has no impact on total fuel consumption
• It has been estimated that sufficient fuel
  remains to maintain orbit beyond 2070

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On Board Recorders

• RADARSAT has 2 mechanical on board recorders
  both have functioned well and have been used far
  in excess of expectations
• OBR operation involves recording until the tape
  is full, then playing the entire tape back no
  selective playing is allowed
• In late April 2002, OBR 1 showed sudden signs of
  high error and preliminary analysis indicated a
  possible failure OBR 2 showed expected tape
  degradation but operated well
• Detailed investigation of OBR 1 status suggested
  possible solutions to remove debris from tape
  path Reconditioning attempts appear to have been
  successful OBR 1 is again considered
  operational
• Most of the worlds land mass is now covered by
  Network direct receiving stations, mitigating
  risk of OBR failure
• CSA now limits OBR usage to 1 cycle per day and
  has shortened image segments to maximize capacity

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Close Encounters

• Notified by NORAD of close approach by 2 bodies
  on 16-18 July 2001
• Avoidance procedures coordinated with Cheyenne
  Mountain
• Maintaining relationship to address possible
  future incidents

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Summary of Satellite Health

• There is no component or consumable currently
  indicating that is likely to fail or expire prior
  to the scheduled launch of RADARSAT-2
• Strategies and work-arounds exist and are
  development is on-going to extend the mission
• The most likely cause of satellite end of life
  remains sudden catastrophic failure

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RADARSAT-2 Program Update
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Mission Overview - RADARSAT-2

• Built, owned and operated by MacDonald Dettwiler
  / RSI
• Provides continuity and builds on knowledge,
  experience and capability from the RADARSAT-1
  mission
• 7 year operational design life
• Launch date late 2005

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Overall Status

• Construction of R-2 spacecraft well underway and
  near completion
• With most of the technical and manufacturing
  difficulties behind them, the main sub
  contractors are completing their deliveries to
  the MDA AIT site at the David Florida Labs in
  Ottawa
• Development of Ground Segment nearing completion
• An agreement in principle is in place between CSA
  and MDA for the operations transition from R-1 to
  R-2
• CSA, MDA and DND supported DFAIT in the drafting
  of the legislation and associated regulations for
  the Access Control Policy.

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Development Status - EES
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Development Status - ESS

• Structures for both wings have been assembled and
  tested by AEC/Able
• Structures have been packed and are being shipped
  to DFL
• Some delays with Deployment Motor Assembly, but
  now completed
• Proceeding with vibration testing and acceptance
  of the complete ESS

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Development Status - Bus Development
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Development Status - Bus Development

• All 26 hardware components have been delivered
  for integration. 2 components (MMSU NEAs) had
  to undergo re-qualification testing
• MDA software engineers were at Alenia to assist
  with software integration and testing
• Have already been integrated in the Bus
• Being shipped to DFL, Ottawa

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Development Status - SAR Payload Active Antenna
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Development Status - SAR Payload Active Antenna

• Panels machining and bonding completed
• Column Drive Units (CSU) qualification is
  complete
• Other components are completing manufacturing or
  are in testing
• Sensor Electronics technical issues have been
  resolved and corrective measures are being
  implemented
• Transmit / Receive Module (TRM) production
  on-going including backup production line at EMS
• Sensor Electronics, Swich Matrix, Power Amp and
  Antenna Interface Unit installed on bus in Q2
  2004
• SAR Antenna wings due for integration in Q3 2004.

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RADARSAT-2Innovations and Improvements

• 3-metre ultra-fine resolution
• Left- and right-looking capability
• Selectable Single and Dual Polarization modes
• Fully polarimetric imaging modes
• Solid-State Recorders for image data
• GPS receivers on-board
• Yaw-steering for zero-doppler shift at beam centre

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RADARSAT-2 Highlights

• Increased resolution will enhance feature
  extraction
• Multi-polarized data will improve land type
  discrimination
• Quad-pol data will allow for new approaches to
  distinguishing target types
• Further improvements to near-real time processing
  and electronic delivery will improve delivery
  times of data
• Encryption of data and data products will ensure
  project security
• Faster satellite tasking
• 12 - 24 hours routine
• 4 - 12 hours emergency

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RADARSAT-2 Imaging Modes
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RADARSAT-2 Imaging Modes
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Ice Mapping
CV-580 airborne SAR data acquired March 2001 off
the coast of Prince Edward Island.
R VV G HV B HH