RU2772156C1 - Stand for thermal-vacuum testing of cubesat-standard satellites with a communication interface - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: rocket engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to rocket and space equipment, namely, to apparatuses used at the stage of ground-based thermal-vacuum testing of CubeSat-standard satellites. Stand for thermal-vacuum testing of CubeSat-standard satellites of 1U to 12U formats comprises a vacuum chamber, a solar emission simulator, and a swing apparatus. The swing apparatus provides simultaneous rotation around and movement along its own axis, has a replaceable basket for loading into the chamber of the spacecraft. The chamber is additionally equipped with a flange with an observation window allowing for visual monitoring of the movement of the spacecraft, and an optical communication interface based on spaced optocouplers, combined with the swing apparatus.

EFFECT: simplified installation of the spacecraft on the swing apparatus.

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Description

The invention relates to rocket and space technology, and in particular to devices used at the stage of ground-based thermal vacuum testing of CubeSat satellites.

There are a number of devices based on a vacuum chamber for thermal vacuum testing of satellites. Patents RU 2205140 C1, RU 2302983 C1, RU 2564056 C1 describe vacuum chambers equipped with various equipment simulating space factors (cryoscreens, external heat flow simulators, solar radiation simulators), in which the spacecraft is fixed. Devices are also known in which there are moving individual elements of the chambers: cryoscreens (patent RU 2208564 C1) or spatially positioned screens (patent RU 2565149 C2). The disadvantages of these devices include the fact that the reliability of the results of tests in them is lower than in chambers with KA turntables (patent RU 2734681 C1).

The closest in technical implementation to the proposed invention is a stand for thermal vacuum testing of spacecraft under conditions simulating full-scale, presented by patent RU 2734681 C1. This stand includes a vacuum chamber with a loading lid, an evacuation system, a cryogenic screen, a solar radiation simulator, a turntable for spacecraft placement, a vacuum chamber operation control system, and a spacecraft operation control system. The vacuum chamber is made in the form of two perpendicular cylinders. The turntable is located in the lower part of the horizontal cylinder. The solar radiation simulator has two radiation sources - horizontal and vertical. When the spacecraft is placed on a turntable, solar flux irradiation occurs with high accuracy characteristics in terms of the inhomogeneity of the density levels of the incident radiation flux, the non-parallelism and specific thermal power of the incident heat flux.

This stand is taken as a prototype.

The disadvantage of the prototype is that the slewing device with the spacecraft performs only rotational movements around its axis. There is no description of how the interaction with the spacecraft is carried out, which is in rotational motion in a hermetically sealed chamber made of a shielding material. Based on the presented scheme of the stand, it can be assumed that there are difficulties associated with installing the spacecraft on the turntable when lowering it into the chamber, there is no possibility of visual control over the rotation of the spacecraft in the vacuum chamber.

The technical problem solved by the invention is to create conditions that maximally imitate natural conditions when conducting thermal vacuum tests of a CubeSat standard spacecraft in formats from 1U to 12U, a simplified installation of a spacecraft on a turntable both in a horizontal and vertical position, in providing visual control and stable communication with the spacecraft located in the vacuum chamber, in order to automatically control the movement and information interaction with the spacecraft in situ , receive telemetry.

The need to solve such a technical problem is caused by an increase in the number of launches by a passing payload or by rockets of a light class of CubeSat satellites, in view of the prospects for their use. To be allowed to launch, each spacecraft must pass a series of tests, including thermal vacuum tests. The success of the entire mission of the spacecraft in orbit largely depends on the success of these tests.

The proposed device consists of a vacuum chamber made of connected T-shaped horizontal and vertical cylinders, equipped with a cryogenic screen located along the inner contour of each cylinder; solar radiation simulator in the form of two sources of cylinders mounted on the flanges; flange with viewing window; flange for connection of the pumping station; a turntable with a replaceable basket placed on the vertical flange of the outer pipe used to transfer rotational and translational motion to the turntable; an inner pipe for laying the communication interface to the flange at the end of this pipe; as well as supports, bearings, protective covers and vacuum gaskets that ensure optimal operation of the entire stand.

The difference from the closest analogue lies in the possibility of:

1. Not only rotate the spacecraft during thermal vacuum tests, but also move it along the axis of rotation, thanks to the horizontal placement of the turntable, which has received an additional degree of freedom.

2. Control the spacecraft and receive its telemetry in situ , automated control over movement, thanks to the optical communication interface combined with the turntable.

3. Install the spacecraft in a vertical or horizontal position due to the use of interchangeable baskets adapted to the turntable.

4. To carry out visual control of spacecraft movements in the vacuum chamber, due to the presence of a flange with a viewing window.

5. Perform easy loading of the spacecraft into the vacuum chamber due to the ability to extend the turntable with the basket out of the chamber.

The essence of the invention lies in the fact that in the proposed stand for thermal vacuum testing of CubeSat satellites in formats from 1U to 12U, including a vacuum chamber consisting of horizontal and vertical cylinders connected in a T-shape, equipped with a cryogenic screen located along the inner contour of each cylinder, a solar simulator radiation in the form of two sources of cylinders mounted on flanges, a turntable with a replaceable basket is used, which can simultaneously rotate around its own axis and move along it, and the spacecraft can be installed in the basket both in horizontal and vertical positions outside the vacuum chamber , additionally equipped with a flange with a viewing window for visual control, while information communication with the spacecraft is constantly maintained thanks to an optical communication interface based on spaced optocouplers, combined with a turntable.

The device is shown in the following drawings:

Fig.1 - General view of the stand for thermal vacuum testing of satellites of the CubeSat standard with a disassembled vacuum chamber (without instruments that simulate space factors);

figure 2 - stand for thermal vacuum testing of satellites of the CubeSat standard with a communication interface in the section;

figure 3 - interface panel contactless communication stand for thermal vacuum testing of satellites of the CubeSat standard.

The bench for thermal vacuum testing of satellites of the CubeSat standard with a communication interface consists (see Fig.1 and 2) of a vacuum chamber 1 on supports 7, equipped with flanges 2 and 3 with pressure seals and installed sources of sunlight simulator; cryogenic screen 28 located along the inner contour of each cylinder of the vacuum chamber; flange with sight glass 29; quick detachable flange 30 with a valve for connecting the corrugation of the pumping post; flange 27, through which passes the outer tube 18 moving the basket with the spacecraft, sliding through the bearing 16 in the casing 15; rigidly fixed on the pipe 18 by means of a coupling 14 of a slewing device with a removable basket 4 having a fixing KA frame 5; interface board (see figure 3) 10, fixed on the inside of the casing 9 and connected by a cable 8 with a satellite 6 of the CubeSat 12U standard (see figure 2), including four laser diodes along the edges of the board for positioning the spacecraft, one photodetector in the center of the board for the incoming control signal and one laser diode for the outgoing information signal, located between the photodetector and the extreme laser diode, fixed at the end of the inner tube 25, connected rigidly with the bearing 13 mounted on it, fixed by the overlay 12, equipped with a flange 26 with pressure seals on opposite end, electrically connected to the interface board 11, as well as a rack and pinion mechanism 19 for transmitting the translational motion of the spacecraft, a gear 20 for transmitting the rotary motion of the spacecraft, a gasket with a casing 17, a casing 23, a bearing 24 to support a pipe 25 freely sliding through it, a bearing 22 with a support 21 to keep the pipe 18 freely sliding through it.

The device works as follows.

At the initial stage, the turntable with the basket attached to it is extended from the vacuum chamber through the removed flange, and the spacecraft is installed in the basket. Figure 2 shows a basket adapted for a CubeSat 12U satellite. For satellites of other formats (1U-6U), baskets corresponding to their size are installed, while satellites can be installed in them both horizontally and vertically. Then the turntable is returned to the chamber, and the previously removed flange with gasket is installed in its original place. At this, as well as at subsequent stages, visual control over the spacecraft in the chamber is carried out by means of a flange with a viewing glass. If necessary, the viewing window is shielded. The corrugation of the pumping station is connected to the chamber through a quick-release flange, and pumping occurs to a pressure that excludes convective heat transfer in the vacuum chamber (up to 10 ^-3 Pa). Simultaneously with pumping out of the chamber, the cryogenic screen is cooled down. Then the spacecraft is tested using simulators of solar radiation. In this case, the satellite can simultaneously rotate and move along the axis of its rotation, which corresponds to conditions that maximally imitate natural ones. The rotation and movement of the basket with the spacecraft is due to the electric drive adapted to the gear and rack mechanism, placed on a pipe rigidly connected to the turntable with the basket. Procedures for controlling the movement of the spacecraft, its in situ control, and receiving telemetry are carried out through an optical interface consisting of several separated optocouplers. The first half of these optocouplers is connected to a converter placed in the basket and powered from the on-board network of the spacecraft, and the second half of the optocouplers is connected through the inner tube of the stand to a flange equipped with pressure seals. By means of pressurized inputs, the spacecraft is connected to the control and control equipment. Having completed the tests, the cryogenic screen is heated to room temperature, and the vacuum chamber is depressurized.

The technical result of the invention is to create conditions that maximally imitate natural conditions when conducting thermal vacuum tests of CubeSat standard spacecraft in formats from 1U to 12U, a simplified installation of the spacecraft on a turntable both in a horizontal and vertical position, in providing visual control and stable communication with the spacecraft located in the vacuum chamber in order to carry out automatic control over the movement and information interaction with the spacecraft in situ , receiving telemetry.

Information sources

1. Patent RU 2734681 C1,

2. Patent RU 2205140 C1,

3. Patent RU 2302983 C1,

4. Patent RU 2564056 C1,

5. Patent RU 2208564 C1,

6. Patent RU 2565149 C2.

Claims (1)

Stand for thermal vacuum testing of CubeSat satellites in formats from 1U to 12U, including a vacuum chamber consisting of horizontal and vertical cylinders, equipped with a cryogenic screen located along the inner contour of each cylinder, a solar radiation simulator in the form of two sources of cylinders mounted on flanges, using a support rotary device, characterized in that the turntable simultaneously moves not only around its own axis, but also along it, equipped with a basket for installing the spacecraft in a horizontal or vertical position outside the vacuum chamber, additionally equipped with a flange with a viewing window that allows you to visually control the movement The spacecraft, while information communication with the spacecraft, control, reception of its telemetry, automated control over the movement of the spacecraft are constantly maintained thanks to the optical communication interface based on spaced optocouplers, combined with a turntable.

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