Thruster Performance Assessment
Satellite thruster performance validation is crucial for ensuring the success of satellite missions. At Globanav Solutions, we meticulously validate thruster performance, ensuring propulsion systems power satellites with precision. Our expertise significantly impacts mission success, enhancing reliability and accuracy in satellite maneuvering. This process is essential for achieving precise orbital insertion, maintaining station-keeping, and executing orbital transfers.
With our extensive experience and dedication, we consistently contribute to mission success, extending mission lifetimes and maximizing operational accuracy.
Explore our past projects and detailed publications below.
Satellite mission: GRACE-A/B
Mission Objective: Measures variations of the Earth's gravity field by tracking the range and range-rate between Grace-A and -B satellites.
Operational Altitude: ~500 km
Our Contributions: The study examines the method for calibrating remote sensing satellite thrusters using high-precision GPS measurements. The method proved to be four times more accurate than the existing operational method, particularly for long maneuvers, and significantly enhanced the overall precision of the satellite's orbit. Furthermore, the method ensures consistent and precise calibration, improving mission performance and reliability.
Publication: Precise Maneuver Calibration for Remote Sensing Satellites
Image credit: NASA
Satellite Mission: MetOp-A & MetOp-B
Mission Objective: Operational climate monitoring from low Earth orbit, improving global weather prediction and understanding of climate change. In addition, it has substantial contribution to environmental monitoring such as sea surface temperatures, wind speeds, and soil moisture.
Operational Altitude: ~817 km
Our Contributions: This study tackled a critical challenge in out-of-plane (OOP) maneuver calibration for EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) satellites. The authors employed a multi-segment calibration approach to overcome the challenges of MetOp-A OOP thrust profile. The reconstruction of a more accurate attitude model from spacecraft telemetry data further refined the calibration of each maneuver segment, revealing a potential misalignment in Metop-B's thrusters. This has significant implications for future EPS missions, allowing for more accurate orbit determination and improved planning of maneuvers for Metop-C and EPS-SG satellites.
Publication: Precise Calibration of Multi-Segment Maneuvers for EUMETSAT Polar System Operations Planning
