Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2

The CubeSat DTUsat-2 was designed and built by students and faculty at the Technical University of Denmark and launched to low earth orbit on June 2014. Its mission was to aid ornithologists in bird migration research. Shortly after launch and orbit injection, it became apparent that all was not nom...

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Main Author: René W. Fléron
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:International Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8428167
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author René W. Fléron
author_facet René W. Fléron
author_sort René W. Fléron
collection DOAJ
description The CubeSat DTUsat-2 was designed and built by students and faculty at the Technical University of Denmark and launched to low earth orbit on June 2014. Its mission was to aid ornithologists in bird migration research. Shortly after launch and orbit injection, it became apparent that all was not nominal. To understand the problem and find the causes, a forensic investigation was initiated. The investigation used recorded Morse-encoded beacons emitted by the satellite as a starting point. This paper presents the real-life data from DTUsat-2 on orbit and the methodologies used to visualize the key element in the investigation, namely, the correlation between orbit position and the beacon counter. Based on the data presented, an explanation for the observed behaviour of DTUsat-2 is given.
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series International Journal of Aerospace Engineering
spelling doaj-art-5646ae22c14b483689a10f0da34f73a22025-08-20T02:05:56ZengWileyInternational Journal of Aerospace Engineering1687-59661687-59742019-01-01201910.1155/2019/84281678428167Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2René W. Fléron0DTU Space, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, DenmarkThe CubeSat DTUsat-2 was designed and built by students and faculty at the Technical University of Denmark and launched to low earth orbit on June 2014. Its mission was to aid ornithologists in bird migration research. Shortly after launch and orbit injection, it became apparent that all was not nominal. To understand the problem and find the causes, a forensic investigation was initiated. The investigation used recorded Morse-encoded beacons emitted by the satellite as a starting point. This paper presents the real-life data from DTUsat-2 on orbit and the methodologies used to visualize the key element in the investigation, namely, the correlation between orbit position and the beacon counter. Based on the data presented, an explanation for the observed behaviour of DTUsat-2 is given.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8428167
spellingShingle René W. Fléron
Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2
International Journal of Aerospace Engineering
title Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2
title_full Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2
title_fullStr Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2
title_full_unstemmed Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2
title_short Satellite Forensics: Analysing Sparse Beacon Data to Reveal the Fate of DTUsat-2
title_sort satellite forensics analysing sparse beacon data to reveal the fate of dtusat 2
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8428167
work_keys_str_mv AT renewfleron satelliteforensicsanalysingsparsebeacondatatorevealthefateofdtusat2