Celestia TTI takes big steps forward on the NAUCRATES project
The team is making excellent progress on the “Microsatellite for Geostationary Orbit Surveillance and Intelligence” project, or NAUCRATES for short, after one year of collaboration on this important programme.
The aim of NAUCRATES is to design, manufacture and test the technological demonstrator of a micro satellite intended for the optical intelligence of objects resident in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO).
The NAUCRATES microsatellite will have the ability to approach other objects in GEO as close as 10km to take images with centimeter resolution with the on-board optical camera. Placed in a stable orbit outside the GEO belt, it will not create any inconvenience to other satellites or disturb their transmissions.
The acquired images will be transmitted via infrared laser.
The NAUCRATES satellite can be launched directly into GEO and could remain in orbit for 3 to 5 years. NAUCRATES is the first GEO satellite with mass less than 100 kg, and the first European satellite for SSA in GEO.
The project is developed by a consortium of European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) whose coordination and management is the responsibility of the Italian company On-Air Consulting & Solutions. This is the first SME team to offer a GEO satellite designed and manufactured in Europe.
Celestia TTI is participating in the consortium as one of the project beneficiaries with responsibility for the design and development of the S-band High Power Radio Frequency Amplifier (SSPA) within the satellite’s TT&C subsystem. The CDR has been successfully completed and integration and testing work is progressing well and expected to be completed this year and next.
This project has received funding from the European Defence Fund (EDF) under grant agreement 101102517 NAUCRATES EDF 2021 OPEN D.
“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Defence Fund (EDF). Neither the European Union nor the European Defence Fund (EDF) can be held responsible for them.”
