RADARSAT Constellation Mission:
“The Making of”
Representation courtesy of MDA Systems Ltd
Alain Carrier, Director Earth
Observation Projects
RCM Project Manager
Outline
• Project Description
• Design Parameters
• Nomenclature and Outcome
• System Description
• Project Status
• Industrial Team
2
Outline
• Project Description
• Design Parameters
• Nomenclature and Outcome
• System Description
• Project Status
• Industrial Team
3
RCM Description
• Scalable Constellation of three small SAR1 satellites
• Primary objective is to support the operational requirements
of Canadian Government departments
• Canadian Government-owned and operated
• Prime contractor: MDA Systems Ltd
(1) Synthetic Aperture Radar
4
RCM Description – Three Segments
• Space Segment
• Ground Segment
 Order Handling
 Three satellites (Bus, SAR
 Mission Planning
payload, AIS)
 Spacecraft Control
 Ground support equipment
 S-band/X-band Grd Terminal
(mechanical, electrical)
• Launch Segment
 Reception and Archiving
 Launch system
 Launch interface
 Supporting equipment
 Product Generation
 Image Quality
 Spacecraft Simulator
5
Outline
• Project Description
• Design Parameters
• Nomenclature and Outcome
• System Description
• Project Status
• Industrial Team
6
Design Parameters – Key Drivers
• Continuity of C-Band SAR for Operational Users
• Improved revisit over wide areas
• Responsive Ground Segment (Fast tasking and latency)
• Smaller, more cost efficient satellite development
• Improved reliability (i.e. redundancy and scalability)
• Evolution from RADARSAT-2 to wider Operational use
7
Design Parameters – Mission Requirements
• Three satellites with a potential of six
• Average daily coverage of Canadian
waters and regular land coverage
• Average daily global access
• Data analyzed in near real time for
operational applications
RADARSAT Constellation daily coverage
• 4-day Coherent Change Detection
using SAR interferometry
• Gradual implementation with two
launches separated by16 months
• Gradual replacement of aging
satellites
RADARSAT-1 or 2 daily coverage
8
Outline
• Project Description
• Design Parameters
• Nomenclature and Outcome
• System Description
• Project Status
• Industrial Team
9
Nomenclature and Outcome– Phases A and B
• Phase 0/A – Initiation and
Planning
• Phase B – Preliminary
Definition
Opportunity Assessment
Detailed requirements flowed
down
Advanced studies and
concept design
Risk reduction activities
continued
Industrial capability
establishment
Preliminary design cycle
completed
Critical technology risk
reduction
Launch environment defined
Preliminary cost and
schedule estimates
Mission Preliminary Design
Review
Development & confirmation
of requirements
10
Nomenclature and Outcome– Phases C and D
• Phase C – Detailed Definition
• Phase D – Implementation
Completes design of all
spacecraft elements
Manufacturing, AIT1, launch
& commissioning of each
spacecraft
Establishes implementation
baseline
Design, manufacturing, AIT
of ground segment
Baseline launch vehicle selected
Operations development
LLI and associated NRE initiated
Training of operations &
maintenance personnel
Ground segment subsystem
requirements established
Constellation Commissioning
Complete Review
Ground segment Preliminary
Design Review
Mission Critical Design Review
11
(1) Assembly, Integration & Test
Nomenclature and Outcome– Phase C Milestones
•
Payload Critical Design Review









•
AIT Dev Plan
Ops Development


Ops Dev Review
Draft LEOP plan and Rehearsal plan
Bus Critical Design Review











SW CDR
Power Distribution Unit CDR
T/R module CDR
Payload Electrical Model complete
Antenna CDR
Tile Controller CDR
Payload Controller Unit CDR
Central Electronic Unit CDR
AIS PDR
Mission AIT Planning

•
•
•
Power CDR
Attitude Determination & Ctrl Syst. CDR
Power Control Unit Qual. Status Review
Propulsion CDR
MGSE CDR
SW CDR
Command & Data Handling QSR
Thermal CDR
Communication CDR
Structural CDR
Harness CDR
Ground Segment Development




GS PDR
SIM PDR
SCS PDR
System Requirements Review for:


Restoration & Archiving / Product Generation / Image
Quality subsystems
Order Handling / Mission Planning subsystem
Mission Critical Design Review
Nomenclature and Outcome– Phase D Milestones
• Ground Segment Final
Acceptance Review
• Bus, Payload & S/C Test
Readiness Review
• Manufacturing Readiness
Review
• Mission Preliminary
Acceptance Review
• Operations Readiness
Review
• Flight Readiness Review
• Commissioning Complete
Review – Proto-Flight Model
• Commissioning Complete
Review (Flight Model 1,
Flight Model 2)
• Constellation Commissioning
Complete Review
13
Nomenclature and Deliverables – Sequencing
Launch 1
Launch 2
14
Phase C
Phase C Milestones
Outline
• Project Description
• Design Parameters
• Nomenclature and Outcome
• System Description
• Project Status
• Industrial Team
16
System Description – Specifications
Bus
Canadian Smallsat Bus
Launcher
Falcon 9 specifications
(for design) can use PSLV, DNEPR
Total Mass
1400 kg
Antenna
9.45m2
Power
<1600 W peak; <220 W average
Orbit
600 km, 100m radius orbital tube
Polarisation
Single Pol / Dual cross selectable
pol & Compact polarimetry available
on all modes; One fully polarimetric
mode
Imaging Time
12 minutes/orbit (peak 20 minutes
every three orbits)
10 minutes continuous imaging
Lifetime
7 years (each satellite)
17
Drawing courtesy of MDA Systems Ltd
Bus Description – RCM Bus
Pictures courtesy of Industrial team
GPS
Reaction Wheel
Sun Sensor
Magnetometer
Battery
Star Tracker
Power Control Unit
Torque Rod
N2
S-Band Antenna
S-Band Transponder
System Description – RCM Payload
Representations courtesy of Industrial team
Power Distribution Unit
Tx/Rx Module
SAR Antenna
Tile Controller Unit
Payload Controller Unit
Mass Memory Unit
N2
Central Electronic Unit
AIS
System Description – Ground Segment Baseline
St-Hubert (X+S), Svalbard (X+S), Masstown and Aldergrove (X)
20
Outline
• Project Description
• Design Parameters
• Nomenclature and Outcome
• System Description
• Project Status
• Industrial Team
21
Project Status – Schedule and Cost Distribution
Y1
Y2
Y3
Y4
Y5
Y6
Y7
Y8
Y9
Y10
Y11
Y12
Phase A
Phase B
Phase D
Now
Ops Phase
22
N
Y13
Y14
Y15
Outline
• Project Description
• Design Parameters
• Nomenclature and Outcome
• System Description
• Project Status
• Industrial Team
23
Industrial Team
24
Industrial Team – Contract Arrangement & Control
• Typical contract structures:
 Cost reimbursable (Progress payments)
 Firm Fix Price (Milestone payments)
• Canadian content
• Regional distribution
• Earned Value Management
25
N
Back Up
RCM Description – Primary Objective
• Support the operational requirements of Canadian
Government departments in the delivery of services to
Canadians in areas of :
• Maritime surveillance
• Ecosystem monitoring
• Disaster management
N
System Description – Spacecraft
28
N
System Description – Spacecraft Exterior Layout
System Description – Security Level
•
•
•
•
High-grade crypto on-board the satellites
(Crypto Flight Unit) and on the ground (Crypto
Ground Unit) to encrypt all commands and
telemetry as well as classified science data (as
needed)
RCM will be capable of handling both classified
and unclassified Orders and Products
Unclassified science data will be encrypted to a
lesser level (commercial grade)
Crypto Ground Units will encrypt commands
originating from the CSA operations center as
well as decrypt classified and unclassified
telemetry and science data
Representations courtesy of Industrial team
Crypto Flight Unit
Crypto
Ground Unit
30
Payload Description – Automatic Identification of Ship (AIS)
•
An additional payload is being
considered to receive AIS signal
•
Would allow real time coherent
acquisition of AIS signal with SAR
image to identify vessels of interest.
31
Payload Description – Model Philosophy of Main Units
32
Bus Description – Model Philosophy of Bus Ssyst/Unit
33
RCM Description – System Diagram
1
(1) SXGT: S/X Band Ground Terminal
34
Roles & Responsibilities – PMO Level Integration
• Project Management
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Schedule, Cost, Risks
Technical progress & integration (Space & Ground)
Implementation analysis
Intellectual Property
Mission Management
Data Policy
Data Utilization
Application Development
Commercialization License
Governance (Approval and Reporting)
35
35
Project Status – Requirements Evolution
36
[SYS2010] Imaging Time Per Orbit. Each spacecraft in the
system shall be capable of imaging at any time when all of the
following constraints are satisfied:
1.No more than 36 minutes of imaging in any moving window
time period of duration equal to three orbital periods.
2.No more than 20 minutes of imaging in any moving window
time period of duration equal to one orbital period.
3.No more than 10 minutes of imaging in any moving window
time period of duration 20 minutes.
4.The spacecraft is not in eclipse.
[SYS3100] AIS Operating Time Per Orbit. Each spacecraft in
the system shall be capable of collecting AIS at any time when
all of the following constraints are satisfied:
1.No more than 51 minutes of AIS collection in any moving window
time period of duration equal to three orbital periods.
2.No more than 25 minutes of AIS collection in any moving window
time period of duration equal to one orbital period.
3.No more than 15 minutes of AIS collection in any moving window
time period of duration 25 minutes.