CubeSats are changing both the market and the space industry, thanks to their low cost and fast development time. They are also playing an important role in the ‘democratisation of space’. With their deployment in constellations, CubeSats are facing also a new revolution that will lead them to be increasingly deployed as an alternative to or in synergy with traditional satellites in areas as remote sensing, surveillance tracking, astrophysics, space weather, Solar System exploration, etc.
In this context, the Italian Space Agency launched the ALCOR programme in 2022, dedicated to the development of enabling technologies and the realisation of application, scientific and technology demonstration missions using CubeSats. Yesterday 02. July the Agency organised a new edition of the workshop in order to update the national community on its achievements.
In such environment OHB Italia presented an Abstract on Saturn mission with Franco Boldrini, Chief Business Development and Sales Officer.
“OHB Italia completed for ASI, in the frame of the ALCOR program, a Phase A/B contract for a mission called SATURN (Synthetic AperTure radar cUbesat formation flyiNg), based on the key technology “Cooperative Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) Swarms of SAR MicroSats”.
In SATURN the SAR measurements, normally concentrated in a single, large and complex satellite, are distributed among small-sized and simpler systems, thanks to the proper combination of the signals from each single node of the swarm. Such constellation of swarms, deployed on different orbital planes, allows high revisit time and high performance, independently from the available daylight and cloud cover.
Simulations have confirmed that the SATURN mission can successfully achieve the resolution and swath coverage objectives. The SATURN team is actively engaged in research and development activities to further optimize the spacecraft’s performance. This forward-thinking approach ensures the mission remains at the forefront of technological innovation. As a result, SATURN will become the first ever Space SAR MIMO mission.
“SATURN swarms” configured from 3 up to 36 MicroSats will be a “super Earth Explorer” thanks to its great versatility and reconfigurability”. The MIMO Paradigm allows enhancing real-time 3D imaging associated with a very short revisit time, particularly suitable to change detection and early warning services.
The innovative SATURN mission architecture paves the way for the future of SAR imaging.”
The workshop arranged by ASI had the important target to promote awareness, to consolidate and improve the capabilities of the national supply chain and to stimulate relations, cooperation and networking between the players of the space sector.
