- Spain’s ANSER CubeSats, set to launch on Vega’s VV23 flight, will use wing-like flaps to maintain formation, leveraging airflow at Earth’s top atmosphere.
- The trio of CubeSats, managed by INTA, will image Iberian waters and use a specially-developed algorithm for ‘Differential Lift and Drag’ maneuvers.
September 28, 2023 – Spain’s innovative ANSER CubeSats, scheduled for launch on Europe’s upcoming Vega flight, VV23, are designed to emulate a flock of birds in orbit. These shoebox-sized satellites, developed by the Spanish Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), will collaboratively image the Iberian waters, functioning as if they are a singular standard-sized mission. Remarkably, they will deploy wing-like flaps to maintain their relative positions, capitalizing on the minimal airflow present at the Earth’s atmospheric apex.
The ANSER project, which stands for Advanced Nanosatellite Systems for Earth-observation Research, consists of three CubeSats. Santiago Rodriguez Bustabad, who oversees the mission, drew a parallel to the wild goose, known as ANSER in Latin, highlighting their leader-follower flight formation, which the mission seeks to replicate.
These CubeSats will orbit approximately 500 km above the Earth, maintaining an optimal 10 km distance from one another. Notably, they lack onboard propulsion systems. Instead, they adjust their relative positions by deploying flaps against the trace amounts of air in the upper atmosphere. This deployment increases their wingspan sixfold, granting them the ability to move downward or shift upward and sideways.
Bustabad elaborated on the technology, stating, “A specially-developed algorithm will be used to plan these ‘Differential Lift and Drag’ manoeuvres on the ground for telecommand uplink to the satellites.” He further explained the aerodynamic intricacies, noting that, on average, no more than 72 hours would be required to achieve a 10 km along-track separation.
One of the CubeSats will serve a leadership role, handling communications with Earth and linking to the others through inter-satellite connections. This leader will spearhead joint observations of ANSER’s primary objective: assessing the quality of inland Iberian lakes and reservoirs, as well as similar water bodies globally.
The leader satellite is equipped with a panchromatic camera to detect clouds and validate the utility of the hyperspectral images before ground processing. The follower satellites, on the other hand, house miniaturized hyperspectral cameras with integrated micro-spectrometers. These instruments cover the visible to near-infrared spectrum, supported by the panchromatic camera, and provide insights into water body contents, including pollution levels and potential toxic microorganisms.
Highlighting the evolution of CubeSats, Bustabad remarked on their transformation from educational tools to valuable assets for various sectors, praising their rapid development, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced functionality. However, he acknowledged the challenges posed by their limitations and the risks associated with non-space-qualified components.
Without onboard propulsion, the operational lifespan of an ANSER cluster is estimated at two to three years. Yet, the fractionated platform approach offers a silver lining: the ability to regularly introduce replacement CubeSats to the cluster, facilitating in-orbit hardware upgrades.
Bustabad concluded by emphasizing the significance of the European Commission’s In-Orbit Demonstration/In-Orbit Validation programme, which has been instrumental in supporting the ANSER project, especially during challenges like the COVID pandemic.
The Vega flight VV23 is set to launch next week from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, carrying multiple CubeSats, including ESA’s PRETTY mission and other IOD/IOV CubeSats.
