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Satellite bus technology
What is the 'satellite bus,' the core component of a satellite?
Developing a standard satellite bus to make satellites faster and cheaper to build
A satellite is composed of a 'satellite bus' and a 'mission payload.'
The satellite bus is the part of a satellite that ensures its orbit and operation in space, providing the common functions and performance necessary. The mission payload, which is installed on the satellite bus, delivers the specific functions and performance tailored to the satellite's unique purpose, forming the 'satellite system.' To draw an analogy with automobiles, the components necessary for driving, such as the engine, tires, and steering wheel, correspond to the satellite bus, while the equipment prepared for specific purposes, like the pump and hoses on a fire truck or the bed and medical instruments in an ambulance, represent the mission payload.
The entire setup incorporating the 'ground system' used to control satellites from the Earth is referred to as the 'total system.' NEC is one of the few manufacturers in the world that can independently supply all components of this 'total system,' including the satellite bus, mission payload, and ground system.
The [satellite bus] plays a crucial role in ensuring correct operation and successful mission execution in the harsh environment of space.
The satellite bus consists of the following subsystems:
- Structural and thermal control systems
Maintain the satellite's structure and securely protect and fix its components, ensuring it withstands the vibrations during rocket launch as well as the extreme high and low temperatures of space - Power supply and solar array paddle systems
Generate electrical power using solar panels, store it in batteries, and supply power to various components - Communications and data processing systems
Receive radio commands from the ground and deliver them to each device on the satellite, and then wirelessly transmit data from each device back to the ground - Attitude and orbit control and propulsion systems
Control the satellite's orbit and orientation using gas thrusters and reaction wheels
Development of standard satellite bus
NEC specializes in small (around 500 kg) to medium-sized (around 1,000 kg) satellite buses. They support missions in a wide range of environments, including low Earth orbit (around 500 km altitude), geostationary orbit (about 36,000 km altitude), and deep space orbits.
Due to the increasing demand for space utilization and the expansion of needs from private companies and emerging countries, there is a growing demand for low cost and short delivery times for satellite systems. Providing standardized satellite buses makes it possible to manufacture satellites more affordably and rapidly. To meet these needs, NEC has developed the NEXTAR standard satellite bus. NEXTAR is used in optical observation satellites such as 'ASNARO-1' and radar observation satellites like 'ASNARO-2.'