Orbital LEOStar-3 User Manual

LEO

Satellite Bus

LEOStar™-3 Bus

Flight-Proven, Standard Modular Spacecraft Bus

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Design

The LEOStar-3 spacecraft is the most capable of Orbital’s buses. Originated to support long-life

missions, the standard, modular bus design incorporates improvements and upgrades from Orbital's

subsequent bus developments and their highly successful missions. For each new contract, Orbital

selects the ight-proven core-design best matched for the specic mission, then scales, adapts, and

optimizes the design for the mission’s needs. This modularization and design re-use concept has

resulted in shorter schedule times and reduced risk.

The LEOStar-3 is featured in NASA Goddard’s Rapid Spacecraft Development Ofce (RSDO) catalog. It

is optimized for LEO missions, but can be congured to support deep-space/interplanetary, MEO, HEO,

or GEO applications.

The LEOStar-3 architecture utilizes open frame avionics with standard backplane congurations

(e.g., cPCI), and externally accessible open payload areas with simple bolt-on structural and open

architecture electrical interfaces. Field Programmable Gate Arrays are used extensively to provide

re-programmability and to reduce parts count. Six and eight sided structure designs with honeycomb

panels and aluminum frames are used that can easily be re-sized in height and diameter as needed to

accommodate customer mission requirements.

Payload Accomodations

Single or multiple payloads are easily accommodated by the externally accessible modular payload

deck. This enables parallel integration and testing, reducing the overall delivery schedule, as well as

reducing the potential impact of unforeseen problems, incorporation of technology upgrades, and

requirements changes.

• Compatible with mid-sized launch

vehicles

• Missions own with launch masses

from 817 to 4,288 kg

• Onboard propulsion standard

• Available in NASA's RSDO catalog

• Extensive ight heritage: 12 launched

to date, 1 in production

• Supports multiple, complex payload

instruments

- Externally accessible decks

with simple bolt-on mounting

- Open architecture, standard

electrical interfaces

• Demonstrated contamination control

processes for sensitive instruments

• Single-string, selective, or full

redundancy

• All assembly, payload integration,

and system testing performed in

one of Orbital's two 135,000 square

foot satellite manufacturing facilities

(Arizona and Virginia)

Dulles, Virginia SMF Gilbert, Arizona SMF

• 21-36 months award-to-bus delivery

• 36-48 months award-to-launch

LEOStar™-3 Bus

Mission Services

Customers can procure a LEOStar-3 spacecraft bus alone or as part of a “turn-key”

service that includes mission design, payload/instrument integration, full satellite

system environmental testing, launch site operations, early orbit checkout, and

mission operations, including instrument data delivery to principal investigators. In

addition, the LEOStar-3 bus is compatible with Orbital's Antares™ launch vehicle.

Heritage

Twelve LEOStar-3 spacecraft have been launched to date in support of missions for

space and Earth science and Earth imaging. One of the missions is restricted.

The LEOStar-3 core design evolved over the years, continually upgrading

performance and increasing reliability to provide value to our customers. The Swift

mission for NASA GSFC provided never before seen insights into Gamma-ray

bursts and the Coriolis mission for the Air Force and the Ofce of Naval Research

demonstrated a new approach to measuring wind speed and direction over the

oceans. More recent LEOStar-3 missions include GeoEye's GeoEye-1 Earth Imager,

and NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Observatory and Landsat 8.

One LEOStar-3 spacecraft is in production. ICESat-2 will continue the precision

laser-ranging topography measurements initiated by the rst ICESat mission and

provide invaluable data needed to assess ice sheet mass balance and sea ice

thickness and to estimate biomass, helping scientists develop a better scientic

understanding of the Earth system and its response to natural or human-induced

changes.

The GeoEye-1 satellite is a precision printing platform
for high resolution Earth imaging

Options

• Structure can be tailored to suit the mission, instruments, and LV

• Redundancy can be tailored to meet required design life

For more information, please contact:

[e-mail]
[phone]

The Swift gamma ray observatory is a NASA MIDEX
program to detect gamma ray bursts (GRBs)

LEOSTAR-3 PROGRAMS

ICESat-2

Mission: Earth science
Launch: 2017, Delta II
Status: In development

Landsat 8

Mission: Earth resources monitoring
Launch: 2013, Atlas 5
Status: Operational

GeoEye-1

Mission: Earth imaging
Launch: 2008, Delta II
Status: Operational

Fermi

Mission: Gamma-ray observation
Launch: 2008, Delta II
Status: Operational

Dawn

Mission: Planetary exploration
Launch: 2007, Delta II
Status: Operational

Swift

Mission: Gamma-ray burst detection
Launch: 2004, Delta II
Status: Operational

*

Coriolis

Mission: Meteorological science
Launch: 2003, Titan-2
Status: Operational

FUSE

Mission: UV observatory
Launch: 1999, Delta II
Status: Mission complete

Topex/Poseidon

Mission: Sea surface measurement
Launch: 1992, Ariane 4
Status: Mission complete

EUVE

Mission: Extreme UV full-sky survey
Launch: 1992, Delta II

Status: Mission complete

UARS

Mission: Upper atmosphere measurement
Launch: 1991, Space Shuttle

Status: Mission complete

Landsat 4 and 5

Mission: Earth resources monitoring
Launch: 1982 and 1984, Delta II
Status: Landstat 4: Mission complete,
Landstat 5: Mission complete

* Unclassied missions only

LEOStar™-3 Bus

Spacecraft Features

Spacecraft Mass: 1,169 kg (typical)

Propellant Load: 353 kg (typical)

Launch Vehicle

Compatibility: Minotaur IV, Antares, Delta II, Delta IV, Falcon 9, Atlas V

Design Life: 7-10 years

Orbit Options: LEO, interplanetary

Total Radiation

Dose: 25 krad

Delivery of

Spacecraft Bus

Months after

Authorization

to Proceed (ATP): 21-36 months

Total Schedule,

Integrated Satellite

Months from ATP

to Launch: 36-48 months

Attitude Control Subsystem

Stabilization: 3-axis

Pointing Control: 120 arcsec, 1σ

Pointing Knowledge: <5 arcsec

Timing Accuracy: 40

Orbit Knowledge: 33 m, 1σ

Max Maneuver Rate: 0.125

Propulsion: Blowdown monopropellant hydrazine

Communications

Payload Data

Downlink: 2 Mbps S-band (standard), up to 740 Mbps X-band

Command Uplink: S-band

Space-to-Space

Mission Data: Optional Laser (LCT)

Payload Accomodation

Instrument Mass: up to 4,000 kg

Instrument Orbit

Average Power: 775 W

Onboard Instrument

Data Storage: 160 Gb

µs

°

/sec

(optional), 320 Mbps Ka-band

FACTS AT A GLANCE

• Onboard solid state mission data

storage available to 3100 Gb

• Mission wide band data downlink on

X or Ku-band; rates to 740 Mbps

• Commercial uplink command

encryption available

• Precision attitude knowledge, control,

and jitter performance

• Highly agile Earth and space pointing;

slew rates to 3°/sec

• Extremely low EM emissions to

accommodate sensitive instruments

• Various thermal control options,

including instrument isolation

• Propulsion sizing and propellant

capacity options, including none

• Conguration options support other

orbits and special missions

• On-orbit operations using Orbital's

Mission Operations Centers

Payload Flexure
Interface and GN&C
Optical Bench, Nominal
Instrument Volume:

1.8 x 1.8 x 1.4 m

Primary
and
Secondary
Structure

LEOStar-3 Structure

Frame Assembly

Propulsion Subsystem
Structure

Launch Vehicle
Adapter

Orbital Sciences Corporation

45101 Warp Drive

©2014 Orbital Sciences Corporation FS010_11_3316

•

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