Development of the MiniSIL™ structural design

Abstract

There is a wide range of launch opportunities currently available for small- and medium-sized satellites, although the launcher constraints and costs are quite variable. In order to reduce the cost of small satellites it is desirable to define a spacecraft bus which is compatible with as wide a range of vehicles as possible. One of the most promising methods of providing this compatibility for mini-satellites in the range 100–500 kg is by using a stack configuration where the mini-satellite is positioned between a launcher primary payload (LPP) and the launch vehicle. This paper describes the design process for the structure of MiniSIL™, a small satellite bus which is being designed and produced by Space Innovations Limited.

Keywords

mini-satellites structural design structure launch loads spacecraft testing

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References

Barrington-Brown

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