TY - GEN
T1 - The Australian space eye
T2 - 68th International Astronautical Congress: Unlocking Imagination, Fostering Innovation and Strengthening Security, IAC 2017
AU - Horton, Anthony
AU - Spitler, Lee
AU - Mathers, Naomi
AU - Petkovic, Michael
AU - Grin, Douglas
AU - Barraclough, Simon
AU - Benson, Craig
AU - Dimitrijevic, Igor
AU - Lambert, Andrew
AU - Previte, Anthony
AU - Bowen, John
AU - Westerman, Solomon
AU - Puig-Suari, Jordi
AU - Reisenfeld, Sam
AU - Lawrence, Jon
AU - Zhelem, Ross
AU - Colless, Matthew
AU - Boyce, Russell
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 International Astronautical Federation IAF. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The Australian Space Eye is a proposed astronomical telescope based on a 6 U CubeSat platform. The Space Eye will exploit the low level of systematic errors achievable with a small space based telescope to enable high accuracy measurements of the Cosmic Infrafred Background (CIB) and low surface brightness emission around nearby galaxies. To date absolute measurements of the CIB have proven elusive; the variability of atmospheric emission and scattering at these wavelengths make ground based measurements di cult while attempts to use sounding rockets have struggled to accumulate su cient exposure time. An dedicated orbital telescope is required for a robust measurement, and Space Eye has been designed to fill this role. The scientific payload of Space Eye is a 90 mm diameter, clear aperture, all refractive telescope for wide field imaging using a set of 6 broadband filters in the i (700–850 nm) and z (850–1000 nm) bands. The telescope design is optimised to minimise all sources of stray light which, when combined with the advantages of the space environment, will enable the most accurate measurements of the CIB so far. This project is also a demonstrator for several technologies with general applicability to astronomical observations from nanosatellites, in particular arcsecond level instrument pointing stability and e cient image sensor temperature control. These crucial capabilities are commonplace in larger scientific satellites but have yet to be flight proven in a CubeSat platform. For the former we have developed a two stage ADCS concept combining high precision star trackers, reaction wheels, and sensor shift image stabilisation in the science instrument focal plane. Detailed system modelling, incorporating in flight performance data for many of the components, has verified that the design can achieve sub-arcsecond level pointing stability. We have also designed a thermal control system and concept of operations that enables passive cooling of the image sensor to below −40◦C despite a thermally unfavourable low Earth orbit.
AB - The Australian Space Eye is a proposed astronomical telescope based on a 6 U CubeSat platform. The Space Eye will exploit the low level of systematic errors achievable with a small space based telescope to enable high accuracy measurements of the Cosmic Infrafred Background (CIB) and low surface brightness emission around nearby galaxies. To date absolute measurements of the CIB have proven elusive; the variability of atmospheric emission and scattering at these wavelengths make ground based measurements di cult while attempts to use sounding rockets have struggled to accumulate su cient exposure time. An dedicated orbital telescope is required for a robust measurement, and Space Eye has been designed to fill this role. The scientific payload of Space Eye is a 90 mm diameter, clear aperture, all refractive telescope for wide field imaging using a set of 6 broadband filters in the i (700–850 nm) and z (850–1000 nm) bands. The telescope design is optimised to minimise all sources of stray light which, when combined with the advantages of the space environment, will enable the most accurate measurements of the CIB so far. This project is also a demonstrator for several technologies with general applicability to astronomical observations from nanosatellites, in particular arcsecond level instrument pointing stability and e cient image sensor temperature control. These crucial capabilities are commonplace in larger scientific satellites but have yet to be flight proven in a CubeSat platform. For the former we have developed a two stage ADCS concept combining high precision star trackers, reaction wheels, and sensor shift image stabilisation in the science instrument focal plane. Detailed system modelling, incorporating in flight performance data for many of the components, has verified that the design can achieve sub-arcsecond level pointing stability. We have also designed a thermal control system and concept of operations that enables passive cooling of the image sensor to below −40◦C despite a thermally unfavourable low Earth orbit.
KW - CubeSat
KW - Extragalactic background
KW - Low surface brightness
KW - Nanosatellite
KW - Space telescope
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051424774&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
SN - 9781510855373
T3 - Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC
SP - 4233
EP - 4247
BT - 68th International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2017
PB - International Astronautical Federation, IAF
Y2 - 25 September 2017 through 29 September 2017
ER -