Mission Analysis of Earth-Orbiting Microsatellites to Observe the Cislunar Environment

Abstract

The Cis-Lunar environment is becoming progressively busier, increasing the necessity fortracking objects to maintain safety. With the rise of SpaceX and CubeSats an affordable method for monitoring this environment has emerged. Using simulation and modeling, this Thesis applies a Systems Engineering approach to establish requirements for a Microsatellite in Earth orbit designed to observe the Cis-Lunar environment and identify commercial components via a market study. The Thesis examined a ground station and a satellite in different common orbits around Earth and compared their visibility of an object executing a transfer orbit from Earth to the Moon. It compared Line of Sight (LOS) affected by Earth and Moon occultation, Sun and Moon Exclusion angles, and magnitude. It looked for the most cost-effective and performed an attitude analysis via an applied attitude control logic to determine the torque requirements. Finally, the Thesis conducted a market survey on components meeting the requirements.