4 ms·
Unfolding some lightweight structure is certainly possible, but the attitude-keeping requirements are harsh. Uplink path of DSN is capable of significantly hig
by dfox 9y ago
Unfolding some lightweight structure is certainly possible, but the attitude-keeping requirements are harsh.
Uplink path of DSN is capable of significantly higher power levels than 20kW, several orders of magnitude more. Also the whole transceiver electronics are especially fiddly, with various cryogenically cooled and/or high-power microwave valves without meaningful solid-state replacements, which is not something you want to have in GSO without any chance of mainteance.
- jacquesm 9y ago> but the attitude-keeping requirements are harsh. Yes, that's exactly what I wrote upthread, that's the hard requirement. And that is what will fail and then you've got a very expensive doorstop in an orbit outside of any repair capability. Inability do do maintenance / repairs is the killer.
- dfox 9y agoMy point was that the actual payload is mainteance-heavy. On the other hand it is certainly true that RCS of such satellite would require exceedingly large stores of RCS supplies which will invariably run out and have to be somehow replenished. Edit: even hall thrusters require stores of xenon and with the precision required the amount consumed is far from practical.