description
- Nano-satellites are becoming a reality and are being used for increasingly complex missions. However, to facilitate more advanced scientific missions greater capabilities are needed in terms of mission life-time, communication bandwidth and attitude determination and control. Many science applications of nano-satellites are currently being explored for future implementation, especially in the US, and the SEAM project will ensure that Europe develops the required technology to maintain and strengthen our current leading role in the nano-satellite market. The SEAM project has as objective to develop and demonstrate a robust & reliable 3kg satellite platform developed specifically to support science missions. Special emphasis will be put on magnetic cleanliness of the spacecraft, which will allow magnetosphere missions to be conducted with the platform. To meet requirements for magnetic cleanliness new developments are needed for many of the subsystems to be provided by the consortium partners. The project is lead by KTH, Sweden, representing a science customer for a nano-satellite platform and the platform development will be undertaken by a group of leading SMEs in the emerging market for nano-satellites representing both a system integrator (GOM) subsystem developers (AAC, ECM, KAYSER) and payload technology providers (BLE, LEMI). Finally SSC is responsible for the S-band ground network support. The consortium thus represents the complete value chain for a scientific mission and the project will demonstrate a complete scientific mission development and operations process. ECM who has access to launch opportunities in Russia will procure the launch of the satellite. With the result of the project in terms of the SEAM satellite and the proven effectiveness of this platform and associated business network representing the value chain the consortium partners will be in a good position to start offering platforms and turn-key mission solutions to science users.