The Role of Small Satellites in NASA and NOAA Earth Observation Programs (2000) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
8 Findings and Recommendations
8 Findings and Recommendations
Pages 58-66
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 58... ...
MISSION COSTS Earth observation mission life cycle costs are the sum of all those incurred for developing, fielding, operating, and maintaining all elements of the system; these include the sensor payload, satellite, launch vehicle, and ground segments (command, communications, control, and data processing)
|
From page 59... ...
MEETING MISSION GOALS: OPPORTUNITIES WITH SMALL SATELLITES Much of the interest in small satellites stems from a desire to "do more with less" and an assumption that small satellite missions result in lower costs. A more pragmatic objective reflecting recent budget realities might be to "spend less and do as much as possible." Small satellites clearly provide a vehicle for accomplishing the latter.
|
From page 60... ...
For example, operational missions may use small satellites in a replacement strategy to ensure minimum gaps of critical data records, whereas research missions may use small satellites for maximum programmatic flexibility and to ensure minimum "time to science." PAYLOADS The potential to design smaller satellites for Earth observation missions is driven by advances in microelectronics and other technologies that facilitate the design of smaller and lighter sensors and spacecraft subsystems. However, there are fundamental laws of physics that in some cases restrict the degree of miniaturization that can be achieved while retaining sufficient performance to meet the observation requirements.
|
From page 61... ...
MISSION ARCHITECTURES The relative merits of small, mid-size, and large platforms are a complicated function of the overall mission objectives, available budgets, and success criteria. These criteria are significantly different for research and operational missions.
|
From page 62... ...
Although the impact of a launch vehicle or spacecraft bus failure on a multisensor platform is obviously severe, these events have relatively low probability as multisensor spacecraft are typically designed with redundant systems,2 and candidate launch vehicles such as the Delta II have historically demonstrated high reliability. Managers of operational missions consequently typically choose the multisensor, common bus approach.
|
From page 63... ...
It also includes developing comprehensive plans for cross-sensor calibration, data validation, and prelaunch sensor characterization. Third, with the assistance of the science community, management should undertake quantitative evaluations of how data quality varies under different assumptions regarding sampling frequency and individual sensor quality.
|
From page 65... ...
Appendixes l
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.