SAMARA, October 20. /TASS/. Russia's Federal Service for Intellectual Property, commonly known as Rospatent has granted a patent to Samara National Research University named after academician S.P. Korolev for the model of the AIST-3 universal small satellite platform, the Samara University's press service told TASS with reference to one of the patent's authors, Ivan Tkachenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Space Engineering.
"Having assessed the prospects of space technology development, we decided to create a universal small satellite platform AIST-3 on the basis of the AIST-3D apparatus. The platform can be equipped with various sets of target equipment, such as opto-electronic, infrared, a radar for remote sensing and telecommunications, as well as to provide broadband Internet access for the Internet of Things. In 2021 we received financing from the Samara Region Innovation Fund, and by December we had already finished preparing documentation in the volume of the technical proposal. Now the platform we developed has received patent protection", the press service quotes Tkachenko as saying.
Small Satellite Platforms
The basis for the small satellite platform was the project of a small spacecraft for remote sensing of the Earth AIST-3D, developed at Samara University in 2017-2019. It was designed taking into account modern trends in space technology with its mass half that of AIST-2D, which was jointly designed by Samara University and the Progress Rocket and Space Center (part of Roscosmos).
The patented small AIST-3 satellite platform is a complex of onboard systems and equipment. It can maintain orbital flight, orientation with the necessary accuracy and full functioning of the target load with the power consumption up to 1 000 watt. The weight of the target equipment ranges from 70 to 100 kg, at the same time the weight of the onboard equipment and systems is 169.3 kg. It is possible to rapidly develop a line of small spacecraft for various purposes on the basis of AIST-3.
While developing the platform, the Samara scientists faced the issue of accelerating and simplifying the process of technological preparation for serial production of such spacecrafts. The authors of the patent proposed simpler and more constructive solutions, which were compared with the three earlier patented space platforms. As a result, the patent office recognized the novelty and usefulness of the Samara University development.
"We proposed to abandon the milled support structure of the spacecraft. This is a common solution, but the milling process is very laborious, moreover, we need to make equipment for welding, annealing and subsequent mechanic processing of the structure. Our suggestion is to use riveted structures. Digital modeling has shown that this technology can be applied. It simplifies production, which is especially important now, when the world is on the way to producing hundreds and even thousands of identical spacecrafts," explained Maxim Ivanushkin, a member of the authors' team and an assistant of the Department of Space Engineering.