Canadian Researchers Demonstrate First CubeSat Formation Flying

[DocM]

Mil-Spec cubesat swarms anyone?

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/12/31/canadian-researchers-demonstrate-cubesat-formation-flying/#sthash.nICwIDxF.dpuf

Canadian Researchers Demonstrate First CubeSat Formation Flying

In only four months following launch, the CanX-4 and CanX-5 dual satellite formation flying mission has been accomplished ahead of schedule.

During the month of October, the CanX-4&5 nanosatellites used on-board propulsion, GPS-based relative navigation, and intersatellite radios to execute a series of precise, controlled, autonomous formations, ranging from 1 km range down to 50 m separation. In each case, more than 10 orbits were accomplished with sub-meter formation control and centimeter-level relative navigation, feats which (to SFLs knowledge) have never before been accomplished at the nanosatellite scale.

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Using carrier-phase differential GPS techniques for extremely high-precision relative navigation, the mission first undertook along-track orbit (ATO) formations at 1000m and 500m, after which the two spacecraft were reconfigured to perform projected-circular orbit (PCO) formations (in which one satellite appears to circle the other from a ground observers standpoint) at 100m and then 50m range. All guidance, navigation and control algorithms were developed in-house and executed autonomously on-orbit, with no ground intervention required during formation flight.

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The technologies and algorithms demonstrated on CanX-4&5 have several applications for a wide range of missions, such as on-orbit inspection and repair, sparse aperture sensing, interferometry, and ground moving target indication.

Both satellites continue to perform exceptionally well, and we still have a very large fraction of our propellant remaining in CanX-5, and close to a full tank in CanX-4, said Bonin.

SFL intends to begin publishing the detailed results of the CanX-4 and CanX-5 experiments over the next several months. The two spacecraft were designed, built, tested, and are being operated from SFLs Microsatellite Science and Technology Center (MSTC) in Toronto, Canada.