Spacecraft buses or satellite platforms form the core of satellites, handling essential functions like power, propulsion, communication and attitude control.
The Webb telescope’s Spacecraft Bus was an octagonal structure constructed to house its engineering subsystems. Powered by software commands sent from Earth via radio signals, its main purpose was to perform multiple functions for operations at the observatory.
1. Power
Buses serve a key function: providing electrical power for payload and spacecraft systems. This may be accomplished using solar panels to collect solar radiation and convert it into current, batteries that store energy to be used during periods when the satellite is in Earth’s shadow, or other methods such as ion engines.
At all times, power systems must operate reliably for missions that last from minutes (launchers) to decades (interplanetary probes and the International Space Station (ISS)), ranging from few watts (CubeSats) up to several kilowatts (big telecommunication spacecraft and interplanetary probes), making the power system one of the most crucial elements in satellite design; its operation impacts all other spacecraft subsystems directly.
2. Communication
The communication subsystem enables a spacecraft to send and receive instructions and telemetry from Earth as well as transmitting data between satellites in orbit. Radio waves are used for this transmission process and must be modulated and encoded with software commands from ground controllers in order for information transmission and receipt.
Distance, atmospheric conditions and quality of hardware/software on board the spacecraft all play an integral role in their effectiveness, such as being able to transmit time data with precision is vital for telecommunicating purposes.
Standardized bus designs make the integration and testing processes for payloads simpler; however, these designs may not meet individual mission’s unique requirements or constraints. Furthermore, using this standardized technology may limit its capabilities or lifespan.
3. Attitude Control
Attitude control, an essential spacecraft bus subsystem, ensures proper orientation and pointing of satellites during operations, thus determining their lifespan or decommission as space debris. Its success can determine whether they continue their lives beyond their planned lifetime spans.
Attitude control relies on sensors that measure vehicle position and orientation in three dimensions, actuators that apply torques to rotate it to its new orientation, and control algorithms that derive actuator commands based on both (1) sensor measurements of current attitude as well as (2) specification of desired attitude. This field of study encompasses sensors, actuators and algorithms – it’s called guidance navigation and control.
The system comprises two blocks known as satellite attitude control and reaction wheel desaturation. The satellite attitude control block’s job is to bring and keep a satellite in its desired attitude state.
4. Thermal Control
Temperature-stabilized components, like optical sensors and atomic clocks, are critical to any mission’s success, necessitating that the spacecraft bus maintain a specific temperature range during every mission.
At RTGs, heat rejection is achieved by employing radiators, shunts and louvers in combination to maximize infrared radiation into space for heat rejection. Radiators should be designed to absorb maximum power dissipation while louvers help increase thermal efficiency by changing their surface emissivity as necessary.
Loop heat pipes are widely utilized due to their non-electric operation and ability to transport large amounts of heat over distances without relying on power from outside sources. Ammonia serves as their working fluid while being managed by an orbital-level control computer working alongside ECLSS systems.
5. Control Systems
Control systems provide the means for organizing, synchronizing, and managing spacecraft operations and payload operations as well as command and control communication with mission.
Your control system is crucial in achieving precise satellite pointing, from active mechanical vibration cancellation (jitter) to accommodating large slew maneuvers for optimal satellite aiming.
Integrated SCE provides real-time system status, monitoring, and error reporting using software functionality and hardware for time distribution among all components.
Built-In Self Test (BIST) technology automatically tests modular subunits, subassemblies, and systems at printed circuit board (PCB) and application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) levels – an approach that facilitates end-to-end spacecraft harness verification in minutes while mitigating development risks and production risks.