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MMM project, local proposal at Inova Aerodefesa
Last week, Defense & Technology / Space Blog Panorama was in Porto Alegre (RS), the headquarters of AEL Sistemas and met Marcos Arend, Director of Technology, to learn a little more about the proposed development of Military Multimission Microsatellite (MMM), presented by the company together with other companies and universities of this area, in the Program Inova Aerodefesa, FINEP, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social (BNDES), Ministry of Defense and the Brazilian Space Agency. This is also one of the first initiatives of the Technological Pole for Space Systems of Rio Grande do Sul, created in last April, it has major support from the local state government.
The proposal was developed in order to call the Inova Aerodefesa for small size platforms, also taking into account the growing use of small satellites for applications in the defense sector, and the possibility of developing a solution that is not classified as COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) to meet the Strategic Space Systems Program (SHEP), the Ministry of Defense, and the integration of space capabilities available in Rio Grande do Sul, both companies and universities.
If approved, the first step of the MMM would involve the development of a small platform to put in orbit in 2015, most likely in the first flight of the launch Cyclone 4, taking off from Launch Center (CLA) in Maranhao. This first mission, called MMM-1, would be about 20 kg of mass and count on AEL Sistemas developments regarding energy supply systems - today one of the specialties in the field space, platform and control systems. At Digicon, based in Gravatai (RS), it would supply the structural part and integration of solar panels, and the whole mechanism of deployment of the antennas, representing their return to the space industry since the eighties and nineties participated in the projects of SCD and the first generation of CBERS. The Ukrainian company Yuzhnoye, with plans to soon settle in Brazil, help with advice and educational support. Note that, although AEL Sistemas is controlled by the Israeli Elbit Systems, a technology training space is local, independently of the matrix.
Three universities are also part of the project: UFRGS, which should contribute their skills in analyzing radiation for electronic components; PUCRS, which has great expertise in radio frequency communications and digital transponders, and UNISINOS, participating with their skills in microelectronics in particular, knowledge of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), which would be applied in the development of an electric thruster. UNISINOS, incidentally, has collaborated with institutes in South Korea and Switzerland in research and design of this technology.
The MMM-1 would have a basic platform with passive attitude control without orbit control, designed to operate at an altitude of 700 km. No definition of what would be its payload, and the decision would be under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. But among the possible alternatives would be a device SIGINT (abbreviation for signals intelligence), which would allow even the creation of a teaching job in this capacity by the Brazilian Armed Forces.
Next step of the project MMM would be given a second model, the MMM-2, with a total mass of approximately 30 kg not classified as COTS. This model already count on attitude control, with the next model, the MMM-3 electric drive based on MEMS technology.
AEL Systems in the space sector
AEL Systems has 20 years of experience in the field of space, having developed and produced various electronic equipment for Brazilian satellites, in particular, energy supply systems. The company also participates in Project SIA - Inertial Systems for Aerospace Application, development, production and testing on-board computer (OBC).
More information and details about the MMM, Polo Space RS and space industry in the South will be in space report in the September issue of Technology & Defense.
MMM project, the proposal Gaucho at Inova Aerodefesa
Last week, Defense & Technology / Space Blog Panorama was in Porto Alegre (RS), the headquarters of AEL Sistemas and met Mark Arend, Director of Technology, to learn a little more about the proposed development of microsatellite Military Multimission ( MMM), presented by the company Gaucho together with other companies and universities of Rio Grande do Sul, in the Program Inova Aerodefesa, FINEP, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social (BNDES), Ministry of Defense and the Brazilian Space Agency. This is also one of the first initiatives of the Technological Pole Space Systems of Rio Grande do Sul, created in late April, and it has major support from the local state government.
The proposal was developed in order to call the Inova Aerodefesa platforms for small, also taking into account the growing use of small satellites for applications in the defense sector, and the possibility of developing a solution that is not classified as COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) to meet the Strategic Space Systems Program (SHEP), the Ministry of Defense, and the integration of space capabilities available in Rio Grande do Sul, both companies and universities.
If approved, the first step of the MMM would involve the development of a small platform to put in orbit in 2015, most likely in the first flight of the launch Cyclone 4, taking off from Launch Center (CLA) in Maranhão. This first mission, called MMM-1, would be about 20 kg of mass and count on the AEL Sistemas developments regarding energy supply systems - today one of the specialties in the field space, platform and control systems. At Digicon, based in Gravesend (RS), it would supply the structural part and integration of solar panels, and the whole mechanism of deployment of the antennas, representing their return to the space industry since the eighties and nineties participated in the projects of SCD and the first generation of CBERS. The Ukrainian company Yuzhnoye, with plans to soon settle in Brazil, help with advice and educational support. Note that, although the AEL Sistemas is controlled by the Israeli Elbit Systems, a technology training space is local, independently of the parent.
Three universities are also part of the project: the UFRGS, which should contribute their skills in analyzing radiation for electronic components; PUCRS, who has great expertise in radio frequency communications and digital transponders, and UNISINOS, participating with their skills in microelectronics in particular, knowledge of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), which would be applied in the development of an electric thruster. The UNISINOS, incidentally, has collaborated with institutes in South Korea and Switzerland in research and design of this technology.
The MMM-1 would have a basic platform with passive attitude control without orbit control, designed to operate at an altitude of 700 km. No definition of what would be its payload, and the decision would be under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. But among the possible alternatives would be a device SIGINT (abbreviation for signals intelligence), which would allow even the creation of a teaching job in this capacity by the Brazilian Armed Forces.
Next step of the project MMM would be given a second model, the MMM-2, with a total mass of approximately 30 kg not classified as COTS. This model already count on attitude control, with the next model, the MMM-3 electric drive based on MEMS technology.
AEL Systems in the space sector
AEL Systems has 20 years of experience in the field of space, having developed and produced various electronic equipment for Brazilian satellites, in particular, energy supply systems. The company also participates in Project SIA - Inertial Systems for Aerospace Application, development, production and testing on-board computer (OBC).
More information and details about the MMM, Polo Space RS and space industry in the South will be in space report on September issue of Technology & Defense.