Satellite bus
A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload (typically space experiments or instruments).
They are commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly communications satellites, but are also used in spacecraft which occupy lower orbits, occasionally including low Earth orbit missions.
A bus-derived satellite would be used as opposed to a one-off, or specially produced satellite, such as Prospero X-3. Bus-derived satellites are usually customized to customer requirements, for example with specialized sensors or transponders, in order to achieve a specific mission.[1][2][3][4]
Examples
(only commercially available models)
Some satellite bus examples include:
- Boeing DS&S 702
- Lockheed Martin Space Systems A2100
- Alphabus
- INVAP ARSAT-3K
- Airbus D&S Eurostar
- ISRO's I-1K, I-2K, I-3K, I-4K, and Indian Mini Satellite bus
- NASA Ames MCSB
- SSL 1300
- Orbital ATK GEOStar
- Mitsubishi Electric DS2000
Components
A bus typically consists of the following subsystems:[5]
- Command and Data Handling (C&DH) System
- Communications system and antennas
- Electrical Power System (EPS)
- Propulsion
- Thermal control
- Attitude Control System (ACS)
- Guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) System
- Structures and trusses
- Life support (for crewed missions).
See also
References
- ↑ "TU Delft: Spacecraft bus subsystems". Lr.tudelft.nl. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
- ↑ "Spacecraft Systems". Braeunig.us. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
- ↑ "The James Webb Space Telescope". Jwst.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
- ↑ "Antrix Corporation Ltd - Satellites > Spacecraft Systems & Sub Systems". Antrix.gov.in. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
- ↑ Satellite Bus Subsystems, NEC, accessed 25 August 2012.
External links
- Satellite Glossary
- JWST Observatory: The Spacecraft Bus
- Spitzer's Spacecraft Bus
- Gunter's Space Page: Spacecraft buses