Acquisition and Actuation modelling of RVSAT-1

RVSAT-1 was the first planned nano-satellite from India to carry a mass of microbes to space in a custom-designed apparatus. Microbes were carefully selected on the basis of their presence in human gastro-intestinal tract and a ground-based analysis was done beforehand. The satellite was designed as a 2U CubeSat standard design with 10 cm × 10 cm × 22.7 cm dimensions and an overall weight of 2.66kg. More on RVSAT-1 can be found in Hegde et al., 2019. For RVSAT-1, this work describes the selected Attitude Control Subsystem (ACS) specifications and elaborates on the metrics behind the selection. The prerequisite that the Attitude Control Subsystem (ACS) of any satellite should satisfy lies in efficient actuation. There has always been a dilemma over choosing a method that would control the orientation of the satellite in the best possible manner. Considering the case of nanosatellites, the best possible way of attitude control would be using magnetorquers which render stabilization to the otherwise intemperate satellite. RVSAT-1 uses magnetorquers in combination with 3-axis magnetometer to acquire the desired orientation. This work gives an insight on various possible methods for actuation and guides our way through the conundrum that control algorithms are. Ultimately, this work impacts the selection of an actuation system for RVSAT-1 and similar CubeSats.