Pounding loudspeakers and blaring vibrations – Space Norway has sent its ASBM satellites to a rock concert in order to simulate the conditions they will be subjected to during launch. In other words, the satellite has been through an important dynamics test.

Thermo vacuum test

Space Norway’s two large ASBM satellites that will be launched in mid 2024, are in a very important test phase. Both have successfully come out of the thermo vacuum test, and the first one is out of the dynamics test.

Space Norway has chosen to launch the two satellites using a Falcon 9 rocket, and consequently the test parameters are based on exactly the same sound characteristics as this rocket has.

Craftmanship put to the test

The satellites go through the dynamics test to make sure the mechanical design is good enough to withstand the extreme conditions inside the rocket fairing during launch. The craftmanship, together with the analyses made during building, are put to the test. Are they solid enough, have the analyses held up?

To make it as realistic as possible, the test is done with the solar panels and the reflectors folded, like they will be during launch. These are paid close attention to during testing, to make sure they don’t move or twist and losen or damage some of the equipment.

Three phases

The dynamics test has three phases; acoustic, vibration and shock. The testing starts carefully with increasing intensity until maximum agreed vibration is reached. Those of us who have seen rocket launches on TV have seen a lot of smoke and flames during take-off, and it is easy to imagine how severely the shaking and vibration is when the powers that lift the 7,200 kg load are released.

To simulate these conditions, the satellites are attached to a ring like the one used inside the rocket, and they are submitted to shaking, swinging and vibration along all the three axes.

Infernally loud

What the TV screen does not tell us, is the sound level of a launch. It is infernally loud. Sound is vibration being interpreted by our ears, and phase two of the test is done inside the acoustic chamber.

Northrop Grumman, who builds the satellites for Space Norway, have leased loudspeakers from the sound production company MSI, who deliver sound to live concerts.

Realistic simulation of a launch

The loudspeakers are stacked on top of each other in seven meter high columns, forming a circle around the satellites, giving a realistic simulation of a launch.

The satellites are placed on a platform in the middle of the room, exposed to around 135dB. The sound level of a rock concert is normally around 100dB or a bit above. But remember that the dB scale is logarithmic, meaning that 103dB is double the sound level as 100dB, and 106dB is double of that again.

In the Northrop Grumman chamber, the level is 135dB – 3,000 times louder than a normal concert.

Separation shock

In the third and last phase of the test, the satellites are given a separation shock. This simulates the push they are given when released from the rocket in their journey to orbit.

The Thermal Vacuum Test (TVAC) is one of the most important and comprehensive tests any satellite is subjected to before launch. TVAC simulates the conditions in the upper atmosphere and outer space and puts the systems and components through vacuum and extreme temperatures ranging from very hot to very cold, all in a completely controlled environment.

Continually testing

During the building process, satellites are tested continually. For each new unit that is mounted on the satellite, its functionality is tested, both alone and together with all the other units. Both ASBM-1 and ASBM-2 have more than 100 units each, and when all units are connected the satellite is tested over again several times.

One of the most comprehensive tests is the TVAC. It is imperative that the satellites be tested for all the different conditions they will experience, both during launch and in orbit.

Simulating space enviroment

TVAC simulates the space environment by removing air and thereby also pressure, and then subjecting the satellite to extreme cold and then extreme heat. This is done through radiation and thermal conduction, and liquid nitrogen is normally used for cold and radiation or conduction for heat.

During the test the temperature changes between hot and cold, and later the environment is kept warm over longer periods, then cold over longer periods. Tests are performed also during depressurization to vacuum.

Extreme temperature variations

Any damage to a component in space is usually caused by solar radiation since the effect of filtration through the atmosphere is not there. The ASBM satellites will orbit Earth in a highly elliptical path and are subject to temperature variations during each orbit.

The satellites are wrapped well, to keep the spacecraft body temperature stable, making sure the temperature does not vary between more than +10C and +40C. But on the outside of the spacecraft body, the temperature variations are extreme. Space lacks atmosphere, and consequently the side that faces the sun will be very hot and the reverse side will stay very cold.

During one orbit, the temperature outside and inside the satellite varies dramatically as well as the disparity between the two sides of the satellite. Over the southern hemisphere the satellite orbits closest to Earth, around eight thousand kilometers out, whereas over the northern hemisphere, they orbit at 43,500 kilometers away from Earth.

Each orbit takes 16 hours, and the warmest temperature is around +100C and the coldest around -60C. The ASBM satellites’ lifespan is expected to be around 15 years, resulting in ca 21,900 orbits – they need to withstand temperature variations.

Test chamber

The test chamber in which the satellites are placed are just about large enough. During testing the solar panels and antennas are not deployed, they are tested separately. The satellites are fastened onto a ring at one of the short sides which in turn is attached to an L-shaped bar before they enter the test chamber, and the whole test lasts around six weeks.

The Norsat-TD was launched into space with a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, California carrying Norwegian and European technology to be tested in space. Most important for Norway is Space Norway’s VDES payload enabling the testing of two-way data communication and navigation services via VHF.

Satellite VDES offers two-way communication outside the range of normal coastal stations, for example at open sea and in Arctic waters. The Norwegian government monitors vast areas of open ocean far away from land. VDES supports several services and applications that improve safety at sea and contribute to making the maritime sector more efficient and environmentally friendly, such as broadcasting ice charts, navigational support, information, and search-and-rescue services.

The satellite is commissioned and owned by the Norwegian Space Agency and is operated by Space Norway’s subsidiary Statsat.

“NorSat-TD is important because it enables companies to prove the feasibility of their technology in space, which is important for companies when presenting products to the space industry. At the same time, the Norwegian Space Agency together with Statsat show that they contribute actively to the Norwegian and international market for space services”, says CEO of Statsat, Ivar Spydevold.

The launch went according to plan, and the ground station was able to ping the satellite just minutes after the separated from the rocket. All the payloads have so far responded as expected, and the special VDES antenna unfolded perfectly. This antenna is the main reason that the Space Norway VDES payload delivers such high performing services.

The satellite will spend one year in a test phase where all payloads are tested and experimented with. Then, the satellite enters an operational phase with an expected lifespan of five years. Several of the payloads have been developed in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA).

In addition to the NorSat-TD, the SpaceX launch carried 50 satellites from various counties into orbit.

Security measures for a satellite operation means assessing everything from physical risk at a ground station to cyber attacks in space and space debris. The operation must be aligned with the current security threats. Simple, but very complicated.

Any Norwegian space project is international in its execution. We have world class competence, but we are a small player in the space industry. In 2024, Space Norway launches two highly elliptical satellites that will provide broadband to the Arctic. The two satellites in the ASBM programme (Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission) are being built in the US and will cover and transmit to American soil. We interact with both suppliers and customers here (read this article on Landing Rights in the US) in addition to our Norwegian and British customers.

Security is especially important when the operation takes place in space and on the ground at the same time, and it is equally important to cooperate well with customers and suppliers on security matters. The measures we must take into consideration span from physical and digital protection of the ground stations to operating the satellites in a secure fashion and to the protection of software and systems on board the satellites. Obviously, there is a whole range of different risks that can occur in such a wide scope. A satellite will not be exposed to the same physical threats as the ground stations, such as flooding for example, but the operation as an entity must consider everything that can happen on the ground and in space at the same time. Security is seen in three dimensions: Confidentiality protects the values; integrity protects information and makes sure it does what it is supposed to do and finally availability provides what you want when you want it.

So how does one cover such an elaborate and important issue, with so many variables and with customers and suppliers from different countries with different rules and demands? A common set of rules and standards is a good beginning.

To cover all these considerations as simply as possible in cooperation with our partners, Space Norway uses the American NIST as a framework. NIST (The National Institute of Standards and Technology) offers framework and guidelines using open standards and suggestions for measures to secure operations and information through developing policies and procedures tailor made for our needs. This institute does not have power of enforcement nor powers of revision, but it offers a wide range of security standards, from the smallest nano particle tool to global communication networks. They offer principles for procedures and detailed suggestions for the whole process.

Space Norway’s security team works with specialized consultants in implementing these procedures for our ASBM operation. To us, it is essential to be credible towards our national and international customers, and NIST is an important common basis for our security efforts.

Space Norway’s two highly elliptical satellites launch from Vandenberg, California. They are being built by Northrop Grumman (NG), also located in the US. The Arctic Broadband Satellite Mission (ASBM) programme has hired a team in the US to monitor the process leading up to launch.

Oddveig Tretterud is the project manager for the ASBM programme, responsible for the Space project and keeping an eye on the building of the satellite and the launch. Oddveig travelled to Dulles in Washington DC in 2020, where NG has its headquarters to put together our Field Office. She has extensive experience in building satellites along with having worked several years in the US before. She knows the business and she knows which skills are needed to manage the complicated business of building satellites.

The satellites Space Norway has bought from NG are by no means mass produced, they are very complex. Overseeing the building of this very logistically challenging operation requests technically demanding practical work. Decisions must be made quickly, and someone needs to be present at the supplier’s location every day. These processes never run smoothly, assessments and choices must be made continuously making client presence a necessity to ensure the best possible product delivery. In addition to Oddveig, her team consists of highly experienced consultants with detailed knowledge of the different disciplines of a satellite project. Her team is comprised by Jim, Roland and Chris, three engineers with decades of experience from similar programmes for Telesat, a large Canadian satellite company. Additionally, working together with our team are two people from our client Inmarsat and one person from the US Space Force.

The daily routine involves meetings with the supplier, first during the design phase dominated by analysis and assessments towards the program specifications. Once the design is approved, extensive testing on each component commences at the production site before delivery at NG for integration on the satellite platform. There, testing at system level starts. The process of testing is considerable, and all test results are discussed and assessed. If a test fails for some reason, detailed processes to identify, repair and recreate the failure are instigated. Agreement on why the failure happened and consensus that all measures are taken to ensure that it will not happen again, are needed before further testing can continue. The Field Office is involved in all these stages, all the while reporting back home on status, progress, areas of risk and measures. The team additionally coordinates communication between NG and the rocket supplier, SpaceX.

Our Field Office tracks the process from the design phase, through building and testing. When the building is complete and the satellites are ready, they are transported to the launch site. After launch, the test regimen continues in orbit. And then, finally, control of the satellites is transferred to satellite operations and the job is done for our Field Office.

The Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission is scheduled to launch in 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force announced Nov. 28 it delivered the second and final military communications payloads that will launch in 2023 on Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission known as ASBM.

The first Enhanced Polar System Recapitalization (EPS-R) payload was delivered in June. Both payloads are scheduled to launch to highly elliptical orbits on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Read the whole Space News- article written by Sandra Erwin here

Danish and Norwegian satellite operators, Sternula and Space Norway, who are the world’s first to launch and operate VDES satellites, will work together on satellite network roaming, search-and-rescue, and new maritime IoT services in a new ESA-funded research project to realize AIS 2.0.

The VDES technology has been developed over the past decade by IALA as the evolution of AIS for digital data exchange in the maritime VHF frequency band and has now matured to enable the digital transformation of the maritime industry. The technology, sometimes referred to as AIS 2.0, has been approved by the United Nations’ telecom agency, ITU, for global use in the maritime VHF spectrum. The world’s first VDES capable satellite, NorSat-2, launched in 2017, has allowed Space Norway to demonstrate a range of maritime digital services, and with the launch of NorSat-TD in April 2023 the VDES capabilities of Space Norway will increase further. Sternula is launching its first satellite in December 2022 as a pioneer VDES satellite operator.

VDES allows for two-way communication where AIS is a one-way system. The range of terrestrial VDES is limited to a station’s visibility above the horizon, which usually means a maximum range of approximately 70-100 kilometres. However, satellite VDES provides coverage also outside the range of coastal stations, such as open oceans and Arctic waters. VDES supports a wide range of services and applications that improve the safety of life at sea and helps the maritime industry become more efficient and environmentally friendly. This includes services such as distribution of maritime safety information, data exchange for improved situational awareness in rescue operations and route exchange for safer and more cost effective journeys.

In a new ESA-funded research project, Sternula and Space Norway will work together to develop and demonstrate maritime IoT services based on the VDES technology, VDES satellite network roaming and maritime distress alert detection in support of search and rescue. The project paves the way for new and innovative maritime digital data services in support of e-Navigation and the digital evolution of the maritime industry. Additionally, the project will test a roaming capability between Sternula and Space Norway’s satellites to deliver better services to the customers.  The system relays information from a ship’s components gathered by Sternula equipment via Space Norway’s satellite. While at sea, a ship’s need for maintenance or spare parts can be identified, making maintenance and repairs easy and time efficient when in port.