NASA TECHNICAL TRANSLATION NASA TT F-15,104 ';

THE GERMAN AERONOMY SATELLITE AEROS

U. Picker, E. Bachor, P. Soppa and .W. Trogus

Translation of:"Der deutsche Aeronomiesatellit

AEROS." Raumfahrtforschung, No. 2, 1973, pp. ^9-57

^"^ ^^ •P
CO • Y
. •>/

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON, D. C.. 205^6 ••••,-., SEPTEMBER 1973
 THE GERMAN AERONOMY SATELLITE AEROS .
,{»

Ulrich Picker*, Edgar Bachor*, Peter .Soppa* and

Wolfgang Trogus** .

1. Introduction .;
On December 16, 1972, the U. S. Air Force in Vandenberg, 749***
California launched the third German Aeronomy satellite (AEROS)
into a near-earth polar satellite trajectory (Figure 1). At
12:25 Central European time, the new and improved first stage of
the Scout launch rocket ignited. After burnout of the 4th stage,
o . , '
which is a solid fuel rocket like the others, a successful orbit
insertion was reported. The exact trajectory measurement by the
NASA tracking station resulted in a perigee of 218 km, an apogee ,.
of 865 km and an Inclination of 96.9°. This was a sufficient
approximation to the nominal values. The propulsion system of
the satellite which'-is provided to perform trajectory corrections,
was therefore first not required to provide the nominal lifetime
of one-half a year or to guarantee sun synchronous conditions
by means of an inclination correction.

The development project came to a conclusion with this

launch. The first feasability study was carried out in January
of 1968 by the GfW (Association for Space Research). . This was
* Dipl.-Ing., Dornier-System GmbH, 799 Friedrichshafen,
Postfach 648 •
** Dipl.-Math., Dornier-System GmbH
*** Numbers in the margin indicate 'pagination of original foreign
text.
done at the request of the Federal Ministry for Sciences and
Research (BMWP). . .

2. Mission and operation.

,-f»

2.1 Experiment s_

AEROS is an aeronomy satellite. It is used to research the

upper atmosphere in the range between 200 to 800 km. A large
number of parameters is determined at the same time, so that
their mutual relationships can be studied. For example, the
dependence on altitude, geographic longitude and latitude, time
of day and season and the influence of sun radiation are. deter-
mined. The satellite carries the following five experiments
(see Figure 2):

- A mass spectrometer (MS) for- determining the partial

densities of ions and mutual particles in the mass range between
1 - 4 4 (atomic weight);

- Counter voltage analyzer (GSA) for measuring temperatures,

i.e., the energy distribution of ions and electrons. At the
same time, the total ion density is determined;

- Impedance probe (IP) for measuring the electron density;

- EUV-spectrometer for measuring the flux and the spectro-

distribution of the solar extreme ultraviolet radiation in the
range between 150 to 580 A" and from 300 to 1080 A;

- Temperature measurement device for neutral particles.

(NATE) for determining the temperature and total density of the
neutral particles as well as the concentration of molecular
nitrogen. .

The experiment mentioned last was built by Goddard" Space

Plight Center at NASA. The others were built by German
institutes.. ' . •"

In addition, a sixth "passive" experiment results in a NASA

determination of the atmospheric braking of the satellite and
therefore, the short time density variations of the atmosphere.
For this, it is necessary to continuously have a very exact tra-
jectory determination. . .

2. 2 Measurement^ p_r£gr_am

2,21. ..Measurement profile, • .

During the measurement phase, so-called "measurement

orbits" alternate with "idling" orbits. In the measurement
orbits, the experiments are operated according to one of the
four programs.. During the idling orbits, they are turned off. /50
Under normal conditions, no additional ground commands are
needed in addition to the tape interrogations.
t

Each orbit starts when the satellite emerges from the

shadow, which is detected by the sun sensor. The EUV experiment
carries out,during the first 10 minutes after entering the
shadow, a special shadow program during every 4th measurement
orbit. The other experiments continue to measure in the shadow.

The counter voltage analyzer consists of two sensors,•which

measure over the Northern and Southern hemispheres^ A switching
to a different sensor takes place about 24° and 156° North of
the ecliptic, with an accuracy of ± 15°..
 ~~ ™ •• • _M

S7ACE 3 S E P .
STAGE ^
..SURMgUI
;TACE 1

Figure 1. Launch of the Scout,carrier rocket with the satellite

. AEROS. . " .

During the subsequent idling orbits, the complete tape unit

with the recorded measurement data is played out if there is
contact with one of the ground stations. In.addition, the
batteries are recharged and, if necessary, an adjustment is made
to the axis position and spin rate.

When neither of the two tape storage units are empty, one
measurement orbit is automatically suppressed. Changes in the
measurement orbit/idling orbit cycle can be brought about by
ground command..

2.22 Measurement programs

The following measurement programs were planned,

- Normal program
- Special program
-. Reduced normal program
- Modified special program
RETARDING POTENTIAL ANALYZER

•TEMPERATURE EXPERIMENT
( NASA )

AXIS CONTROL COIL

HYDRAZINE POWERPLANT

IMPEDANCE PROBE YO-YO DESPIN MECHANISM

"Figure 2. AEROS Configuration.

Each program has; a duration of one complete revolution and

runs completely automatically. All programs can be turned on
and off by ground command at arbitrary (contact) times. All
program commands are immediately carried out during a measurement
orbit. Only the "special program on" command is delayed up to
the next following measurement orbit.

Normal program

The normal program brings about quasi-simultaneous measure-

ments with all five experiments. The MS and the GSA measure
sectors which are symmetric with respect to the incident flow
vector, i.e., when the angle between the sensor axis and the
incident flow vector is smallest. The measurement times therefore
depend on the spin duration. For fluctuations within the range
(10 ±0.1 rpm) the experiments are controlled by the ion sensor
signal in such a way that the optimumlangular ranges are .coveredj[see
below "Measurement Phase Control".
.&

Within each experiment, there is a switching to various opera-

tional modes which will not be described here.

Special program

In this case the MS and the GSA carry out rotational sweep
measurements in a certain sequence. All measurement modes of the
two experiments are. carried out in 163 revolutions. The other
three experiments measure just like in the normal program.

Reduced normal program

This program is provided if there is a failure of the two

buffer storage units. During the third and fourth spin, the
measurements with the experiments MS and GSA are omitted. The
other experiments are not influenced (nor are the operational
surve-n.1a.nce data).
' • .•
Modified special program

The"measurement.data are interrogated and transmitted in -a

manner which is not synchronous with the spinning. Instead,
it is controlled by a fixed rhythm. In addition, revolution
scan measurements are carried out just like in the special pro-
gram. This program therefore provides the complete set of the
experimental data, just like the normal program and the special
program. There is a certain kind of "data reduction" on board
the satellite for the normal and special programs. In the
6 ' • . • . '
modified special program, all the measured values are . transmitted
to the ground and are processed there. /51

2.3 Mi s_s :L on analy £3i£ .

,&

2.31 Trajectory design and development

The requirements for the trajectory were the following.

- Initial apogee between 800 and 1,000 km altitudes.
- Initial perigee on the" day side of the earth
- Apogee during the lifetime of the satellite shall not drop
below 600 km.
- Perigee as low as possible, but under 250 km altitude.
- Lifetime of the satellite must be -at least 1/2 a year.
- High inclination
- Sun-synchronous 3 hour/15 hour trajectory.
- Accuracy of sun-synchronous conditions to within ± 1 hour
(± 15°) over 1/2 a year.
r- The .apogee should be increased again after about 5 months.

These requirements were satisfied by the , trajectory shown

in Figure 3- The main parameters after launched were the follow
ing (the nominal values are given in parentheses):

- Perigee h = 218 km (NominalV230 km)

h
- Apogee A = ^5 km (Nominal: 800 km)
- Inclination . i = 96.94° (Nominal;^ 97.2°)
- Argument of the
perigee: . u> = 168° (Nominalf 160°)
- Longitude of the
ascending node n = 312° (Nominal;: 310° )
- Mean anomaly . M = 350.5° (Nominal: 0°)
 APSOA.

Figure 3. Trajectory of the AEROS,

(Epoch: . December 16, 1972, 11 hours, 32 minutes, world time)

The parameters derived from this are:
. - Semi-major axis 6919.5 km
.- Eccentricity 0.046?
- Anomalistic revolution period 95.47 min
- Lifetime prediction (GSFC),
without raising the trajectory 200 days

The"3 hour/15 hour trajectory" condition led to a launch

time of 11 hours, 25 minutes (world time) with only a 10 minute
"launch window". However, any day of the year was available as
a launch day. The sun synchronous condition is provided by the
retrograde trajectory inclination. Apparently, this is reached
to within an accuracy of better than ±7°.

8
 Days
Figure 4. .Altitudes over the lifetime.

200 Days
Figure 5. Deviation from sun-synchronous conditions,

.360. .__

-...._!_• ;J

Figure, 6. Position of the sun in the trajectory system.

9
 .The trajectory also has the following characteristics:

- Shadow, time between 32 and 34 min (32.5 to 3%% 'of the /52
revolution time).
- Migration of the perigee is about 3.5°/day (retrograde).
. - Migration of the nodes is 0.9856°/day on the average.
: In this way, sun-synchronous conditions are obtained.
- Radiation from the sun on the trajectory plane is always
at an angle of somewhat less than 45°.
- The sun crosses the equator on the ascending leg and on
the descending leg at the same local time, that is, at
15 hours and 3 hours, respectively.

.Figures 4 to 7 show a few parameters as a function of time.

They are based on our own (pessimistic) trajectory, predictions.

2.32 Mission phases • .

The mission can be decomposed into the following segments:

- Launch and ascent

- Acquisition .
*» • - .
- Preliminary measurement phase ' • .
- Main, measurement phase, interrupted by
- Second acquisition •
- Reentry

Launch and 'ascent

• The launch direction was approximately to the South (azimuth -

188°). The events during the launch are shown in Figure 1.

10
 Acquisition

During this phase, we wanted to achieve the following

C33, [5], [6]:
.<»
-. Trajectory measurement
- Attitude determination
- Decay of the nutation
- Adjustment of a spin rate of 10 ± 2.5 '£PJ}> and later to
the nominal value of 10 ± 0.1 'rpm.
- Trajectory corrections if necessary
- Turning into the sun (with a deflection of less than 5°)
- Switching of the subsistance to mission operational condi-
tions.

Because the trajectory elements were close to nominal (see

above), we do not have to carry out the planned correction
maneuver. However, we will discuss this in more detail, because
the AEROS differs considerably in this regard from other Scout
satellites.
i
The statistical'-inj ection 'error^of the ';Sc'out rocket is quite
large because it.is a solid fuel rocket. In the case of the
AEROS launch, we had to plan with
fAh p ~=~+ : 'l3/-30"km~.
,Ah A = ± 211 km
Ai = ± 1,2°

with a probability of 95% (2 sigma-values). This meant that the

combined trajectory requirements (altitudes, lifetime and sun-'
synchronous condition) could not be satisfied with sufficient
certainty. This is why the AEROS has a special engine for carry-
ing out trajectory corrections.

11
 Because of the possible de-
viations from the insertion peri-
gee, it was appropriate to set
the perigee at a somewhat higher
value (240 instead of 230 km).
,50 Day's!
--im --•— The perigee altitude actually
achieved was 218 km and justi-
fied the use of this method.

The following procedure was

adapted for a possible correction
Figure 7- Geographic longitude maneuver. After turning the spin,
of perigee and apogee.- axis, the first trajectory deter-
mination and based on the derived
calculations of the lifetime and
the sun-synchronous condition, a decision is made as to which
maneuver (one only!) will be made. The.following are candidates.
- Change in the perigee altitude
- Chang© in the apogee altitude
- Change in the inclination
1

The following have priority. • '

1 - At least a lifetime of 150 days.
2 - Perigee altitude between 220 and 240 km.
- 3 --Inclination between 96.9 and 97.5°.

The execution of the maneuvers requires extensive preparations

on board and also on the ground. . ' - • -

' - Trajectory and attitude determination..

- Trajectory prediction
- Determination of the nominal thrust direction.
- Determination of the delayed command for the required axis
rotation.

12
 - Transmission of the delayed command for attitude change to
the satellite and execution on board.
- New attitude determination.
- Transmission of the delayed command for engine firing and
execution on board. .
- Trajectory determination . •"
- Axis rotation back to the sun (autonomous on board on
command). . .

We will not discuss the details here. For. this, see references
[3] and [6]. These items will again become acute towards the .
end of. a lifetime, when the apogee altitude is again raised (2nd
acquisition).

Preliminary measurement phase and main measurement phase

During the preliminary measurement phase, the subsystems-of

the satellite are tested and the experiments are turned on in se-
quence and calibrated. Also preparations for the measurements are
made. This was done up to the 12th day after-launching.

The subsequent main measurement phase will result in the

main scientific measurement data. The measurements made at the
lowest altitudes, that is towards the end of the lifetime, are
believed to have the greatest scientific value.

3. Basic problems in the conception

3.1 Mec_ha.noLcal_de_s_ign

As mentioned above, it was only the trajectory requirements

in conjunction with the insertion accuracies of the Scout carrier
rocket which led to the incorporation of a trajectory correc- •-.
.tion system in the satellite concept...- .Since there was then-a

13
possibility of a trajectory correction device, the raising of the
apogee.after about four months was only considered secondarily so
that scientific measurements could be repeated at the same alti-
tude for changed seasonal conditions.

In addition to the low spin rate, which was a constraint for

the scientific experiments, it was the continuous orientation
towards the sun, a requirement for the EUV experiment, which in-
fluenced the basic design of the satellite. The orientation of '
the spin axis towards the sun limited the position and dimensions .
of a solar generator and this stimulated the conception of an
active attitude control system. Solar cell paddles could not be
.used because the experimental sensors required a field of visi-
bility of 27T. It would have been possible to control the axis
and the spin using cold gas or hot gas systems. The mass spectre--
meter with its large measurement range between the mass numbers
1 to 44 posed a severe restriction here, however. This measure-
ment range includes all conventional gases which are used in con-
trol systems with thrust nozzles. For this reason, ,we preferred
a magnetic control system, which at the same time meant that fuel
and gas tanks could be dropped. This fact is.a positive side
phenomenon'if we consider the greatly limited 'space limitations .
of 'Scout satellites.

There are other special features of the satellite which can

be attributed to the sensitivity of the mass spectrometer. How-
ever, from a different point of view, these new properties were
not very favorable. In order to avoid erroneous measurements, /53
based on exhaust gas production of the satellite, it was
necessary to avoid organic surface coatings on the outer surface
of the satellite. The only exceptions to this were the adhesive
surfaces which.protruded between the solar, cells of the generator.
The covering was made of a steel with low outgassing. It is made
from one piece and only contains openings along the conical part

14
 and diametrally across from the MS sensor. These provide pressure
.equilization during the launch and rapid degassing of the inner
space during the first days of the mission.

(/»

Detailed analytical models were required in order to be able

to evaluate disturbing effects of backward scattered outgassing
particles on the mass spectrometer [8],

The closed steel shell, of course, produced further problems.

For example, it had a large weight and access to the interior was
restricted. Also there was a technical difficulty of making the'
surface have the desired absorption and the emission factor for
the thermal concept without the use of any organic paints.
Finally, this problem was solved by bombarding the outer covering
with glass splinters. .

As far as the requirements for surface properties, the MS

experiment was supported by the counter voltage analyzer (GSA),.
which required an eigen potential of the satellite structure '
which would be as low as possible because this is used as a
reference voltage for the experimental measurements. The , '
transition resistance from the satellite to the plasma in its
surroundings should be below one kOhm-cm2, which of course is
provided in an optimal way by a free metallic surface.

3•2 Tele£oiranuni_cat ipns_ •

For scientific reasons, it was necessary t.o perform all ;

measurements at the same time. This resulted in a maximum data
flow during a measurement orbit. One of the two tape storage,
units (about 3 million bit) is sufficient to store data from
an entire measurement orbit. In the case where two useful
ground'contacts (at least 5 minutes of data, transmission) are

' • ' ..-.'• . 15

 Figure 8. Geometric conditions
for the switching point of the
magnetic control system.

separated in time so much that two measurement orbits must be

recorded between them, the redundant tape storage unit is
'' '
automatically used to record data during the second measurement
orbit. .Because the data production of the payload was irregu-
lar, it was sometimes required to have intermediate storage for
the data before recording by the tape storage unit. In one
part of the measurement programs, all experiments measure in a
dense sequence during one spin revolution (6 seconds). Because
of the high data rate, it was necessary to provide for data
reduction on board in order to be able to store all the essen-
tial data in one frame (6 seconds). In the GSA and MS experi-
ments, the measurement range was specified in an angular range
which was symmetric with respect to the direction of the incident
flow (identical with the flight direction). This direction
is indicated by the ion sensor when such measurements are carried

1 6 . . .
out. However, the pulses from the ion sensor cannot be used
directly for controlling the interrogation. In the polar regions,
we can expect so-called ion winds which are so strong that they
would falsify any indication of true flight direction. Because
of the trajectory geometry, the pulse frequency of the-- sensor
changes during one earth revolution (independent of the spin
disturbance). This change is also not linear over time. In the
polar regions, it is so large that the limits of-adjustment for
telecommunications are reached.

For this reason, an average pulse frequency was formed over

the equatorial latitudes, and it was maintained over the poles.
A deviation is only permitted if it is to be expected because of
a change in the spin rate during a revolution [9].

3-3 Att_itud.e_c£ntrol_and_at_titude_ measurement^

As already indicated, we decided to use a magnetic control

system because of the perturbation problems caused by the
mass spectrometer as well as because of space limitations. This
system can orient the., spin axis with respect to the sun within
5°, and can continuously control the spin rate'to 10 rpm ± ig.'

In addition, the satellite must be oriented during the acqui-

sition phase in such a way that a midcourse maneuver can be
carried out using the engines which are aligned with the direction
of the spin axis. The motions of the satellite which produce
attitude changes are caused by servo-moments, which are based on
the interaction between the earth's magnetic field and magnetic
dipoles which are produced on board the .satellite at certain times
by means of coil systems. The axis orientation with respect to
the sun and the control of the spin rate are completely autonomous
functions on board the satellite. Arbitrary changes in the axis

17
orientation must be commanded through ground stations. These
maneuvers require preliminary calculations of the satellite
attitude in order to activate the coils,.using delayed.commands
,•
at the right time and for a certain duration with the correct
polarization. . / » ' ' .

Such maneuvers assume that so-called switching points exist

along the orbit, i.e. sections along the trajectory which offer
special relationships between the coil geometry on board the
satellite and the direction of the earth's magnetic field (Figure
8).

The attitude measurements required for control jare based on

several sensors which are oriented towards the sun, towards jthe
earthT_s_ horizon.Ia^d_tow_ard_s_t'he' _dlre_ct_iqn__o_f_fche earth'js _magneti_cj
field. The measurement data are processed on board the satellite
arid are also transmitted by telemetry for scientific evaluation.

In the same issue of "Raumfahrtforschung" CSpaceflight Research)

there is a detailed report on the attitude measurement and
attitude control system of the AEROS satellite. This is why we
will not discuss the details here.

3. ^ Energ_y_supp_ly_

The small margin between supply and'energy requirement led

to a particular concept of energy supply. The area of the solar
generator could not be increased. It was necessary to optimize
the conversion losses, for the main part. The power production
of the solar generator is used in an optimum way because it can
be continuously operated at the point of maximum power. If there
is an energy requirement, a specially designed control system
controls the generator to the point of maximum power along a
U/I characteristic which varies primarily with temperature.

18
 The satellite is in the
earth's shadow during 1/3.of
a revolution and must therefore
draw power from batteries.
AEROS had two batteries of '
.-''
varying types: ' the Ag-Zn
battery has a high capacity
for use during the acquisition
times, for which the satel^
lite attitude results in
insufficient solar irradiation
for the generator. The so-
called mission battery, a
Ni-Cd type can be'cycled more
frequently.
Figure 9. Internal structure
and arrangement of the modules.

The energy supply system also had to solve the problem of

degassing, because the Ag-Zn cells are not gas tight. This led to.
a denser battery housing with an overpressure, safety valve.
t _ .

4. Description of the subsystems

4.1 Mec_han:Lcal_de_si_gn

The structure (Figures 9-12) ,shows~~th'at~tn"ere~Ts'~a d'i vi s ion of •

the satellite into an outer and inner structure. The inner
structure consists of three vertical equipment platforms which
are supported by three cross members. The three collar supports
meet in a form of a star at the adapter for the launch rocket.
The fuel tank is supported in the center of the star by means of
a ring, and the ring constitutes a support between the three
sandwich plates. The internal structure supports the entire

19
 r 1
' "-.v?-~—*,-.-%>-;.•••.*'X'-:-^-" ^
-
* ;• -,*..*. v'e?.-.*-*&a {-»••»•;«-* «j^'j»i»'y t
\;:-~~*.^r$?d^ffiy&*~^<~i
-,•;••-/'.. *----'• ' - "\ f,- ~'"-,s-^'-«-*e'>f^i;
'»."*•k^* -""i ' -^*g*^\^^^T*-jy '

Figure 10. Integration of the internal

and external structure.

electronic equipment, unless it is a part of the sensors. It

•t
is the only module which is attached to the 'steel outer shell.
This arrangement was selected so that components belonging to the
same subsystem would be located on one plate. This has advan-
tages for cabling and installation of the units.

Of course, there are limits because the satellite must be

balanced in a sensible way. For example, the position of the
two heavy batteries was determined by balancing considerations.

The tape storage units caused special problems. Because

of the vibrational load during ascent, they had to be mounted
in a preferred load direction. This led to the concept of
two separate collar supports at the satellite, adapter base. In
addition, a structural dynamic analysis of the long mass
20 .
 spectrometer sensor had to be
made. Analysis and tests /55
then led to 'a rigid -connection
between the sensor and the
inner structure using a three-
legged support construction and
a very soft connection with the
outer shell. The entire outer
structure (shell plus solar
cell support) is connected.with
the inner structure with damping
elements. It is connected to
the adapter, the ends of the -.
collar support and to the in- .
strument plate at 2 points. '
Both structural parts are
coupled with a large damping.
Figure 11. Prototype on the
shake table. The damping behavior can be
varied over a wide range by
exchanging the damping elements or by a continuous variation of the
tensioning moments. \ In this way we were able to reduce the
oscillation amplification of the entire structure compared with
the level introduced at-the adapter of the 4th rocket stage to
below a factor of four. It was very important to save weight and
to use materials with small amounts of outgassing. In addition,
it was necessary to avoid ferromagnetic materials. Often these
parameters were contradictory, which was especially the case in
the steel outer shell. The collar support adapter and other
structural parts, as well as most of the component housing
pieces, were made of magnesium. For example titanium screws were
used based on magnetic considerations.

21
 The despin from l65(Scout'
4th stage) to 10 + 2.5 rpjn: is
performed by a normal yo-yo
system. The fine' tuning to
10 ± 1% irpm is provided by a
magnetic spin control system.

Two different configura-

tions were considered for
balancing the system. This
was 'the launch configuration
and the mission configuration.
The mission configuration be-
came applicable about one week
after launch, as soon as the.
experimental shields had been
dropped after a sufficient
degassing phase. These two
configurations could not be
Figure 12. Preparation for
space simulation test, balanced using only fixed
balance masses - of a structure'^
and a sufficiently accurate attitude control could not be provided
either. On the other hand, the arrangement of the sensorsxalong
the periphery was not arbitrary because among other things, the
planned data interrogation of the experiments was prescribed and
reference to the incident flow vector (flight direction) of the
satellite at a constant spin rate. Also the mutual angular posi-
tion of the sensors along the circumference of the cylinder is
prescribed by the constant spin rate of the satellite. This could
only be solved by using an additional balance mass, which is
jettisoned together with the coverings of the mass spectrometer
and NATE.- .

22
TABLE 1. PRIMARY MECHANICAL DATA

Dimensions
.-f* '

Altitude (maximum, without IS antenna): 7^0.1 mm.

Diameter-(without telemetry antenna) 914.0 mm
Mass: Launch ' 126.8 kg
Mission (tank filled) : 125.2 kg

Center of gravity (Mission configuration)

'Xs =' 0.18 ± 0.01 mm "|
. Y, = -0.86 ±0,01 mm '
' ' 2i =_ 389.5 i: 0,5 mm

Principal moment of inertia and moment ratios

(Mission configuration, tank filled).
' i, = i2.3kgm2~±i°/o; (around spin axis)
|,/I2 =. .1.152 ',
\il\3 = 1.106 '

Dynamic imbalance (Mission configuration) . .

~lxy: 276.2 kgcm2
Ix*: -2.4 kgcm2
' Iv2: -7,7 kgcm2 •

Origin of the coordinate systems:

Penetration point of the spin axis through the adapter

separation plane (Figure 2).

4.2 P_ropuls_ion_sy_st_em

The system (Figure 13) uses hydrazine as fuel. The spheri-

cal tank contains a membrane which separates the hydrazin
in the lower part from the propellant gas nitrogen. There are
fueling valves and lines for each of the media. It is possible
to fill and monitor the pressure of each from the outside when
the satellite is completely integrated [7].

23
Figure 13. Structure of the Figure 14. Block diagram of
AEROS propulsion system. energy supply.

For safety reasons, the fuel was; only loaded at the launch
site in order to not have to handle the dangerous hydrazine
..more often than necessary, the system was filled with alcohol or
with gas only for test purposes.

The thrusters consist of a two-seat magnetic valve. After

*«
it opens by remote control, the hydrazine enters the combustion
chamber. .The combustion chamber is lined with a catalyzer
where the hydrazine coming in is decomposed exothermally. There
is an electrical resistance heating system and additional instal-
lation in the combustion chamber and in the valve.

o
4.3 Energy _supp_ly_
4. 31'Requirements .

The primary sources based on solar cells carried a special

.control system ("Maximum Power Point Tracking" = MPPT) whTch'is used
to exploit the output power in an optimum way. Shadow times
TABLE II. TECHNICAL DATA OP THE PROPULSION SYSTEM

Tank volume: 7.4 Liters

Fuel . 4.7 kg hydrazine
,/•/
Propellant gas Nitrogen
Number of engines 2
Maximum operational pressure 42 ata
Minimum operational pressure • 14 ata
Thrust range per engine: 1.86 kp (42 ata),
0.77 kp (14 ata)
Possible velocity change 80 m/sec
for 125 kg satellite
mass
Heating cone valve 3-0 Watts
Combustion chamber 1.5 Watts

(1/3 of the revolution time) must be bridged by means of a

chargeable battery system. . ..

The secondary energy for the electrical users must be made

available in the form of direct voltage, of 28 V± 5/6.and
16 V±2JL

4.32 Functional description

Figure 14 shows the block diagram of the energy supply system

which satifies the requirements mentipned. It is characterized
by two parallel energy paths.
- Solar,generator - direct, converter - load
- Solar generator, - charge control - battery system
- Discharge control - load

25
 The energy flow in these two branches is determined by
means of a "higher level control". The MPPT control s-ystem is the
most important component of this device. With it, it is possible
to draw the maximum power from the solar generator. ,,,The maximum
power varies with temperature and irradiation conditions. In this
way, it is possible to minimize the number of solar cells, which
represents a substantial cost savings.

The energy flow itself is characterized by two states:

. • a) Consumer power < solar generator power.

In this case, the users are directly fed by the direct con-
verter, and the output voltage is controlled by the overvoltage
control system. The MPPT control circuit adjusts the input
impedance of the charge control in such a way that there is a load
matching between the total load and the solar generator. In this
way the entire excess energy is directed to the battery system..

b) Consumer power > solar generator power

In this case, the charge controller is blocked during the sun

phase and the input impedance of the direct converter is adjusted
based on power. The entire solar generator power then flows to
the users. The missing power is taken from the battery system
using the discharge controller, and the output voltage is con-
trolled by the undervoltage control system..

26
 TABLE III TECHNICAL DATA FOR ENERGY SUPPLY SYSTEM

- Solar generator
- 1300 1 ft cm n/p solar cells, 2 x 2 cm
output .power over temperature: 60-80 W
Weight: 1.3 kg (without structure) ' '
- Direct converter
Output power: 40 W, efficiency: 0.93
- Charge controller
Input power: 80 W, efficiency 0.93
- Discharge controller
Output power: 40 W, efficiency 0.91*
- 16 V converter
Output power: 11 W, efficiency: 0.91
- Ag-Zn battery: 22 cells
Capacity: 10 Ah, weight: 5.^5 kg
- Ni-Cd battery: 29 cells + 1 couloumeter cell
Capacity: 3 Ah, weight: 6.95 kg

The same holds true in the shade except that in this case the
solar generator and the charge controller do-'not operate. The
four direct voltage converters adapt the varying voltage levels.
The direct converter and charge controller operate according to
the "step-up" principle. The discharge controller and the
16JV^converter use the "step-down" principles.

The battery system consists of a Ag-Zn and Ni-Cd battery. The

state of charging is monitored by the .battery logic. The battery
connected with the system is easily selected autonomously by
the battery logic. Of course, it is possible to intervene here
using radio commands.. Finally, we would like to make a few
special features of this energy supply system:

27
 "Maximum Power Point Tracker" (MPPT)

Up to now, such a control system has only been used' once in a

satellite in the United States. The MPPT used in the AEROS and
.-''
which operates according to the "Characteristic principle"
(Dornier Patent) is remarkably simple and accurate. The corres-
ponding test results and flight results support this statement.

Rechargeable silver-zinc battery.

There is an unusual degree of rechargeability in this battery

compared with other missions. The battery is primarily used dur
ing the acquisition phase, but it could also be used as a
"stand-by redundancy" system for the cyclically Ni-Cd battery.

•< 4.. 4 Tel_ec_ornmuni_ca_ti^on s_ystem_

Telecommunication system processes analogue and digital data

from experiments and operational monitoring.systems using the
| PCM method. It is used to receive the ground commands corres-
ponding to the tone digital command system. •

The structure of the telecommunication system is shown in /57

Figure 15. The telemetry encoder processes the data of the
experiments and from the operational surveillance during the
measurement orbit. Part of the scientific data is first inter-
mediately stored in buffer storage units, in order to smooth the
discontinuous and high data rate of the experiments' mass spectro-
meter and counter' voltage analyzer. The data processing and
the control of the data interrogation from experiments 'are per-
formed according to four possible programs (four possible formats).

The synchronization of the data frame with the spin required

28 ' •
for certain measurement modes of the MS and the GSA based on
the ion sensor pulse is a task assigned to the time clock.
This device also contains the on board clock, revolution" counter
and orbit counter.
./»

The digital control is performed in such a way that the phase

comparison between the ion sensor pulse and the data frame pulse
is carried out. Phase deviations are transformed into the
corresponding bit rate changes, in order to correct the phase,
displacement. . .

Because of the fact that the bit rate is not constant, the
tape velocity of the tape storage units is also synchronized to
the bit rate in order to avoid disturbances of the storage rates.
Because of the dynamic behavior of the tape storage units, the
control behavior for spin synchronization is also designed
according to the properties of the tape storage unit. The fre-
quency jumps during the control are limited to 0.3% in absolute
frequency range — starting with an average value of ± 15?.

As from the Figure 15, only one data format is produced in the
telemetry encoder,, which is used for real time transmission as
well as for storage in.the tape storage units. Since two tape
storage units are provided, not only does redundancy appear but
there is also the possibility of bridging conditions when there
is unfavorable coverage by ground contact. In this case, there
is an increased storage capacity. The recording-to-transmission
ratio of the tape storage units, is 1:25. '

The high frequency transmission system makes it possible to

simultaneously transmit RT and TT data. Als'o it is possible to
transmit RT data alone. The telemetry encoder considered as a
data producing unit, is only turned on during the measurement orbit

29
 During the measurement orbit, the
I -a data from the encoder are simul- .
taneously stored on the tape
storage unit and they, are trans-
mitted to the ground as real time
data using HS. 'In .addition, if
necessary, it is possible to play
out the redundant device RT and TT
q
(1) Q
6 '-H Telemetry transmission during ground contact
•H AJ
M 0} transmitter during the measurement orbit in
• a.
<u; a>
»-i
x a, addition to recording on one of the
w o,
tape storage units. During the
o;
• o; <U idling orbit, it is possible to
OKI'
turn on the encoder in order to
f
'_!._. Command. .... perform housekeeping monitoring
Figure 15. Block diagram for functions. In the case where
telecommunications.
there is simultaneous RT and.TT
e
data transmission, (RT = 512 bps,
TT = 12,800 bps) both signals
are phase modulated in the transmitter on to the same HF carrier
(137-29 MHz) after suitable filtering.. By filtering with low
pass filters, the frequency spectrum of the RT data has an upper
limit of 2 kHZ in order to avoid cross talk into the TT spectrum.
t
No additional uncoupling filters are necessary.

Because of the increased ;b~Tt rate during taped data trans-

mission, the transmitter HF power is increased from 150 mW to 1.5
¥ by adding a power stagej considering the level balance of the
data transmission.

In the command link, the command decoder was modified from

AZUR. The threshold, the number of correct required "execute"
words (Tone-Digital-Command-System) and the decoder logic were'
changed.- The command length has proven itself well in orbit.

30

*f8f
 The command signals which are not directly routed on are
transformed in the command distributor into commands for con-
trolling the addressed devices. The command distributor con-
tains program generators and devices for the' delayed execution
of. commands. Also it can adjust the time duration of ..these
.commands. These-so-called delayed commands are required for arbi-
trary attitude maneuvers which have to be.carried out at
points along the orbit where the required magnetic conditions
exist but where there is no contact with the ground.

5. Ground system and operation.

The German ground system is used for monitoring and operating

the AEROS. (See contribution of M. Gass in this issue).

Only the trajectory measurement over the entire mission and

the monitoring during the acquisition phase (n) were assigned to
NASA.

When there is contact with the ground station, the full

magnetic tape is played in about 4 minutes. As a minimum require-
ment, about 30$ of all! earth revolutions should be measured. This
amounts to 5 measurement orbits per day.

A monitoring program is used for status analysis of the

satellite systems and for error in identification in real time
during -the satellite passes. This program provides the
operations engineers of the GSOC rapid decision aids. It is
also described in more detail in this issue (contribution of
E. Velten).

31
 REFERENCES

1. Project Documentation of the System Operation AEROS.

2. Special Issue "AEROS, German Research Satellite" .of the
Newspaper Dornier-Post, November, 1972.
3. Gass, M. The Scientific Mission of Research Satellites.
AEROS, DFVLR-Nachrichten, 7, 1972.
.4. . Gluitz, K. J. The German Aeronomy Satellite AEROS — Special
' Design Characteristics. Plug Revue 11/1972.
5. Trogus, W. AEROS-Acquisition Phase — Summary of the Sequence,
Dornier-Post 1/73 (to appear)
6. Leiss, F. Successful Acquisition Phase of the Aeronomy .
Satellite AEROS with Active Magnetic Attitude Control.
Dornier-Post 1/73 (to appear).
7. Schneider, E. Development of Fuel-Filling Installation
and Check-Out Systems for the Satellite Project TD-1A and
AEROS. RFF, Vol. 17, H. 1 1973.
8. Borucki, L., V. Lehmann and W. J. C. Muller. Backward
Scattering of Desorbed Gas Molecules from Space
Vehicles. RFF, Vol. 16,. H 4, 1972.
9. Gunther, R. D. Measurement Phase Optimization for the Re-
search Satellite AEROS. RFF, Vol. 16, H 4, 1972.

Translated for National Aeronautics and Space Administration

under contract No. NASw 2483, by SCITRAN, P. 0. Box 5456, Santa
Barbara, California, 93108

32
 STANDARD TITLE PACE

I. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Cotolog No.

NASA TT F-15,104
4. Till* ond Subtitle 5. Report Dote

THE GERMAN AERONOMY SATELLITE AEROS. 6. Performing Orgonizotion Code

7 . Author(s) • - . . - . 6. Performing Orgonizotion Report No.

U. Picker, E. Bachor, P. Soppa and W. Trogus 10. Work Unit No.

11. Controct or Gront No.

:••• I 9. Per forming Orgonizotion Nome ond Address NASw-2483
•:•'• I -*
SCITRAN
r . 13. Type of Report ond Period Covered
Jlox 5456
Santa Barbara CA_ Q11 Oft Translation
12. Sponsoring Agency Nome ond Address
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546 14. Sponsoring Agency Code

IS. Supplementary Note* ;

Translation of: "Der deutsche Aeronomiesatellit AEROS."

Raumfahrtforschung, No. 2, 1973, pp. 49-57.

16. Abstract '• , .

The German research satellite AEROS is described in this paper. After
summarizing the scientific payload a description of the mission follows..
This leads to the basic requirements for the technical concept and the
subsystems of the spacecraft. A brief .description of the most important
subsystems, is/ given. , ;-.. ,. . ."'.'' • •*, '

17. K.y Words (Selected by Author(t)) 16. Distribution Statement

Unclassified - Unlimited

19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Page* 22. Price

Unclassified Unclassified 33

33