THE SPACE ENVIROMENT

Space environment is so different than earth environment, there are critical factors than can affect
the sats performance.

Lower Orbit Issues.

The spacecraft is bombarded/exposed in an atmosphere for winds on the order of 8

km/s, this can cause:
o Erosion of surfaces
o Affections of thermal/electrical properties of surfaces
o Degradation of structures
At altitudes of 300 km approx. 1% of the atmosphere is ionized, for geosynchronous
environment 100% is ionized (charged particles in the environment) also called plasma
environment.
o Differential charges of sat surfaces and interiors
Electrostatic discharges
o Trapped radiation belts, solar flare protons and galactic cosmic rays.
Degradation of microelectronic devices, solar arrays and sensors
o Hypervelocity impacts by 1m or large sized pieces of dust and debris
Micrometeoroids: from nature
Orbital debris: man made
*Larger constellations more probability of impacts

Solar Cycle

Vary with 11-year cycle

Peaks are called solar maximum
Valleys are called solar minimum
Predict the level for a year is so uncertain
Graphics tell us the amount of ionized particles in the environment they are an important
factor for predicting the lifetime orbit.
The Gravitational Field of Microgravity

Nearly complete absence of any effects of gravity

Gravitational field is 90% of the value of the earth, this force holds the satellite in his orbit
Term microgravity: zero gravity cant be achieved
For most practical applications, microgravity in low orbit is in the level of 1g
 Other effects occur in microgravity
o Heavier particles do not settle out
o Bubbles do not rise surface
o Chemical reactions dont occur in earth
o Convection effects dont occur
o Heated materials do not churn or boil

The Upper Atmosphere

Upper atm. Affects sats generating aerodynamic drag, lift and heat (corrosive effects for
oxygen atoms), so important considerations for re-entry an launch phases.
Drag depends of Ballistic Coefficient (Function of atm. Composition, temperature, velocity
of the sat relative to the wind and atm. Density)
Estimate BC (Ballistic Coefficient) based on the conf. of the spacecraft using lower and
upper limits (Minimum could be one of the most important values)

Strong drag at dense atmosphere (below 120 km meanless orbits with lifetimes of few
days)
Above 600 km drag is so weak than orbits usually last more than the regular satellites
operational lifetimes
 o Perturbations in orbital period is so slight that we can easily count for this orbits
without accurate atmospherically data
Intermediate orbits (120-600 km) is called thermosphere
o 200-250 km occurs absorption of extreme UV radiation from sun DONT PUT THE
CUBESAT HERE!
Rapidly increasing of temperature (exospheric temperature) of 600 to
1200 k in a typical solar cycle
o Also occurs heating from geomagnetic orbits (magnetosphere and ionosphere)
o UV radiation has the greatest effects on sats lifetimes. Geomagnetic disturbances
are generally too brief

The next figures provide a means of estimating sat lifetimes.

Fig 8.4 are based for an initial circular orbit (circular orbits are useful limits, they are more rude
than elliptical orbits)

Description for Fig 8.4

Below 200 km, orbit decay in a few days

From lifetime about solar cycle (5 years approx.) there will be a very strong difference
between sats launched at the start of maximum and minimum solar.
We must launch the CubeSat in a minimum solar phase
Higher differences for lower BC
Curve more flatter after solar cycle
Strongly dependence of F10.7 info

Corrosive effects

200-600 km predominant atom oxygen

o Reacts with thin organic films/advanced materials/metalized surfaces

F0 = Fluence oxygen atoms (atoms/m2)

n = density of atomic oxygen atm (atoms/m3)
V = sat velocity
T = time interval

*Altitude for Ecuator

*Solar maximum and minimum
*Could be adapted some materials depending of the solar cycle
 HOW TO CALCULATE BC
From AIAA document standard ISO 27852:2010(E)

For LEO

Cd = Drag coefficient
A = Object correctional area
M =object mas (constant from end of life initial orbit)

CD
Depends of the shape and the way air molecules collide with the sat
Cd. Could be variable for different satellites shapes
For long duration orbit lifetime Cd as function of altitude could be safely ignored
Adopt a currently value for typical spacecraft 2.2

The next info shows that 2.2 is a god value for typical shapes (data from Calculation of Satellite
Drag Coefficients, Lincoln Laboratory, MASACHUSETS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)
The values for Cd are so near to 2.2
Crossectional Area

Average with velocity direction (Vector Normal) * Especially with no attitude control
Flat panel model could be used
o Mean surface area (demonstrated) is s/2
o For entire spacecraft (S1+S2+S3)/2 neglecting the opposite forces
o We can add solar arrays (Sa), then the consideration is (S1+S2+S3+Sa)/2

Mass

Total mass at mission completion