IADS - Inflatable Antenna Deployment System
The Inflatable Antenna Deployment System is a novel technology that CatSat will demonstrate. During launch, IADS is packed inside the spacecraft, safely tucked into a compact container. After launch, the antenna will deploy from its container, inflate to 0.5 meters (1.64 feet) across, and begin operating as a high speed data link. CatSat represents the first demonstration of this system in orbit, though many more will surely follow.
Small satellites, such as Cubesats, are an increasingly popular form of space exploration that enable new science with a lower cost, difficulty, and barrier to entry than traditional satellites. However, due to size and mass constraints, small satellites are typically limited to low bandwidth communications. This typically limits missions of this type to Earth orbit. An inflatable antenna would provide high bandwidth communication, with a small mass and pre-deployment volume. IADS is expected to provide up to 50 Mbps downlink speeds.
IADS has been developed by Freefall Aerospace.
The HD Camera is a high definition camera designed to image the surface of the Earth. From orbit, the camera has an approximate footprint of 783 by 626 kilometers (487 by 389 miles) with a ground resolution of approximately 612 meters (2008 feet) per pixel. This means that, in one picture, the satellite could see almost all of Arizona! The images from this instrument will be useful as detailed imagery and will be used as data to prove the functionality of IADS.
The Weak Signal Propagation Reporter, or WSPR (pronounced “whisper”) antenna is a long antenna designed to pick up WSPR signals from HAM radio stations across the world. After launch, the antenna is deployed from its folded up launch configuration and protrudes from the bottom of CatSat.
WSPR transmissions follow a precise format which includes information about the location and power of the device transmitting the signal. By taking what the signal should look like based on the transmitted information and contrasting it with the way the signal arrives at the receiver, variations and properties of the atmosphere can be determined. One particular interest to the scientists behind this antenna is the effect of the day and night cycle on radio transmissions.
IADS (Inflateable Antenna Deployment System) ni mfumo wa kupanua antenna unaotumiwa na satellite ya CatSat. Wakati wa uzinduzi, IADS hupakiwa ndani ya chombo cha angani, kikiwa kimefungwa kwa usalama ndani ya chombo chenye nguvu. Baada ya uzinduzi, antena itafunguliwa kutoka kwenye chombo chake, kupanuka hadi mita 0.5 na kuanza kufanya kazi kama kiungo cha data cha kasi. CatSat inawakilisha maonyesho ya kwanza ya mfumo huu katika mzunguko, ingawa wengi zaidi bila shaka itafuata. Satelaiti ndogo kama vile Cubesat ni aina ya upelelezi wa anga ambayo inawezesha sayansi mpya kwa gharama ya chini, ugumu, na kizuizi cha kuingia kuliko satelaiti za jadi. Hata hivyo, kwa sababu ya ukubwa na uzito vikwazo, satelaiti ndogo ni kawaida mdogo kwa mawasiliano ya chini bandwidth. Hii kwa kawaida hupunguza misheni ya aina hii kwa mzunguko wa Dunia. Antenna inflatable itatoa mawasiliano ya bandwidth ya juu, na wingi mdogo na kiasi cha kabla ya kupelekwa. IaaS inatarajiwa kutoa hadi 50 Mbps downlink kasi. IADS imebuniwa na Freefall Aerospace. Kamera ya HD ni kamera ya ufafanuzi wa juu iliyoundwa kupiga picha ya uso wa Dunia. Kutoka kwenye mzunguko, kamera ina alama ya takriban ya kilomita 783 kwa 626 na azimio la ardhi la mita 612 kwa pixel. Hilo lamaanisha kwamba, katika picha moja, setilaiti hiyo ingeweza kuona karibu eneo lote la Arizona! Picha kutoka kwa chombo hiki itakuwa muhimu kama picha za kina na itatumiwa kama data kuthibitisha utendaji wa IADS. Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) ni antenna ya muda mrefu iliyoundwa kuchukua ishara za WSPR kutoka vituo vya redio vya HAM duniani kote. Baada ya uzinduzi, antenna ni kupelekwa kutoka folded juu uzinduzi Configuration na protrudes kutoka chini ya CatSat. Uhamisho wa WSPR unafuata muundo sahihi ambao unajumuisha habari kuhusu eneo na nguvu ya kifaa cha kutuma ishara. Kwa kuchukua kile ishara inapaswa kuonekana kama kulingana na habari iliyopitishwa na kuipinga na njia ambayo ishara inafika kwa mpokeaji, tofauti na mali za anga zinaweza kuamuliwa. Jambo moja linalowasumbua sana wanasayansi wanaofanya antena hiyo ni jinsi mzunguko wa mchana na usiku unavyoathiri mawasiliano ya redio.