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<p>The Extremely Low-Earth Imaging and Technology Explorer (ELITE) is a microsatellite designed to demonstrate flight in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) through an intercollegiate, academia–industry program fully funded by the Singapore government and led by the Satellite Research Center (SaRC) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The spacecraft will be launched at an altitude of 550&#xa0;km and gradually maneuver its orbit into the VLEO regime (between 290&#xa0;km to 350&#xa0;km) to conduct sustained flights at various altitudes for data collection. Orbit maneuvers and drag compensation are achieved using a low-power Hall effect thruster capable of operating between 10 W and 100 W. To ensure sufficient margin for the propulsion system to sustain VLEO operations, accurate prediction of the aerodynamic drag is crucial for assessing optimal fuel requirements for the mission. Additionally, due to the thruster’s prolonged operation for drag compensation, there is a moderate level of concern regarding the thruster plume impingement. To this end, the ELITE program was built up on simulation capabilities that include: (i) a test particle Monte Carlo method-based reduced-order model that enables varying satellite drag coefficient in VLEO propagator, potentially reducing uncertainties in satellite positioning for conjunction avoidance maneuvers and minimizing antenna errors that may be sensitive to ground track deviations; and (ii) a three-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell solver code to model the thruster plume impingement, which indicated that the distribution and intensity of ion flux on the spacecraft surface depend on the grounding chosen and surface potential. Using these enhanced capabilities in VLEO simulations, along with in situ atomic oxygen sensing ability and more than 20 years of legacy of SaRC in satellite engineering, the team is cautiously optimistic that ELITE will overcome the challenges of a VLEO mission and return significant insights to both the scientific and commercial communities of space technology and research.</p>

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ELITE: A VLEO mission in Singapore developed with simulations and sensing

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月15日

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  • Sai Sudha Ramesh,
  • Simone Di Fede,
  • Ranjana Shivakumar,
  • Kashyapa Naren Athreyas,
  • Wee Seng Lim,
  • Siu Hon Tsang,
  • Edwin Hang Tong Teo,
  • Boo Cheong Khoo,
  • Wai Lee Chan

摘要

The Extremely Low-Earth Imaging and Technology Explorer (ELITE) is a microsatellite designed to demonstrate flight in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) through an intercollegiate, academia–industry program fully funded by the Singapore government and led by the Satellite Research Center (SaRC) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The spacecraft will be launched at an altitude of 550 km and gradually maneuver its orbit into the VLEO regime (between 290 km to 350 km) to conduct sustained flights at various altitudes for data collection. Orbit maneuvers and drag compensation are achieved using a low-power Hall effect thruster capable of operating between 10 W and 100 W. To ensure sufficient margin for the propulsion system to sustain VLEO operations, accurate prediction of the aerodynamic drag is crucial for assessing optimal fuel requirements for the mission. Additionally, due to the thruster’s prolonged operation for drag compensation, there is a moderate level of concern regarding the thruster plume impingement. To this end, the ELITE program was built up on simulation capabilities that include: (i) a test particle Monte Carlo method-based reduced-order model that enables varying satellite drag coefficient in VLEO propagator, potentially reducing uncertainties in satellite positioning for conjunction avoidance maneuvers and minimizing antenna errors that may be sensitive to ground track deviations; and (ii) a three-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell solver code to model the thruster plume impingement, which indicated that the distribution and intensity of ion flux on the spacecraft surface depend on the grounding chosen and surface potential. Using these enhanced capabilities in VLEO simulations, along with in situ atomic oxygen sensing ability and more than 20 years of legacy of SaRC in satellite engineering, the team is cautiously optimistic that ELITE will overcome the challenges of a VLEO mission and return significant insights to both the scientific and commercial communities of space technology and research.