The Young Professional Satellite – From Theory to Reality (episode 2)
In the second episode of this docu series, we take a closer look into what it took to build ESA’s Young Professional Satellite (YPSat). YPSat’s mission objectives are to capture the key moments of Ariane 6’s inaugural flight and take in-orbit pictures of Earth and space. To achieve this, the satellite requires the multiple sub-systems to work in harmony and adhere to a pre-defined mission sequence.
This episode zooms in four of the sub-systems: the Wake-Up System (WUS), Battery, On-Board Computer (OBC) and Telecommunications.
Running at ultra low power, the WUS circuit board was designed, tested and manufactured specifically for YPSat. Created to meet Arianespace’s requirement to be operational on the launchpad for 45 days, its function is to wake up the satellite during the launch to record the fairing separation.
Once the WUS detects the launch, it will signal to the battery to turn on the rest of the satellite. The battery has the challenge to maintain enough charge to power the remainder of the components.
The On-Board Computer (OBC) then takes the lead to orchestrate the rest of the mission. The OBC acts as the brain of the satellites; it sends commands to all the other sub-systems, including sending the commands to record the videos and pictures.
Once these are captured, the Telecommunications team takes over to coordinate with the ground stations to send the data back on Earth so it can be decoded into clear images. The challenge is to ensure enough communication between the satellite and Earth so the data is properly retrieved before the YPSat disintegrates upon re-entry.
One day prior launch, YPSat is now sitting in Ariane 6’s capsule. To get there, the satellite was subject to rigorous tests and certifications to meet the stringent standards of the European Space Agency and Arianespace. Will YPSat accomplish its mission objectives? We’ll find out in the next episode.
—————————————————
Credits:
Directed and produced by Chilled Winston: https://chilledwinston.com/ and Emma de Cocker
Powered by ESA – European Space Agency
Music from Epidemic Sound
—————————————————
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:12 – The Wake-Up System
04:20 – The Battery
07:01 – The On-Board Computer
08:38 – Telecommunications
13:12 – Outro
★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe and click twice on the bell button to receive our notifications.
Check out the YPSat LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ypsat/posts/?feedView=all
Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/SpaceInVideos
Follow us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/ESAonTwitter
On Facebook: http://bit.ly/ESAonFacebook
On Instagram: http://bit.ly/ESAonInstagram
On LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ESAonLinkedIn
On Pinterest: https://bit.ly/ESAonPinterest
On Flickr: http://bit.ly/ESAonFlickr
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Te…
#ESA #YPSat #Ariane6
Good luck. In this case it really is a matter of "Better to burn up than fade away".
So the OBC is a commercially available COTS part, but what is it? What brand, what model, … ?
This series is great! Show us more problem solving!
Pauline Carpi you are inspiring me !
Was my captions setting left on? I click the icon. No, they are off.
Seriously, ESA. Burnt-in text is a no-no in 2024 (always was). You lost this viewer and gained -1.
Go YPSat!! Looking forward to seeing the footage!
Interesting developments! I designed electric connectors for some 17 years and greatly enjoyed the field.
Yuppie Sat?
Reality check: Ariane is a failing space program. Also the EU is failing.