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DEOS Phase B

In phase B of DEOS a contract has been awarded by DLR agency to SpaceTech GmbH to design the platform for the demonstrator target spacecraft (Client).

The Client is executing different attitude manoeuvres to simulate a satellite being out of service, starting from an Earth-oriented attitude mode at the beginning to a spinning and at least tumbling attitude behaviour increasing the complexity of the experimental program. Within the experiments berthing operations by a manipulator system of the approaching Servicer spacecraft and docking will be executed. In the coupled configuration fixed by the manipulator system the Client is executing orbit manoeuvres for lowering the orbit altitude during the planned one year in-orbit period and will terminate the mission by a controlled atmospheric re-entry of the coupled configuration of Client and Servicer over the South pacific.

The Client consists of a satellite platform and the on-orbit servicing payload. The platform equipment comprises the on-board computer, power control and distribution unit, two Li-Ion batteries, magnetometers, magnetorquers, gyroscopes, a coarse-Earth/Sun sensor, GPS system, a star camera with two camera heads, a S-band communication system, a cold gas (nitrogen) propulsion system for attitude control and a hydrazine monopropellant propulsion system for orbit manoeuvres. All platform equipment is redundant. For the power generation the satellite's circumferential surfaces are covered with GaAs triple junction solar cells. The accommodation of the equipment is shown in the following figure.

DEOS Client Accommodation Concept
Client equipment accommodation concept (SRR baseline)

The payload of the Client consists of the passive part of the docking/berthing mechanism and the on-orbit servicing elements, a camera system and a refuelling demonstration system.

The phase B Client contract of DEOS was performed on behalf of the Agency of the German Aerospace Center funded by the Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology, funding code 50 RA 0922.

The responsibility for the overall mission, the Servicer spacecraft, the robotic system and GNC were contracted separately to OHB-System AG, Astrium GmbH and Kayser-Threde GmbH.

A German version of the information of this page is available at TIB Hannover.