| Popis: |
LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite) SYSTEM was the first payload of the new VEGA European launcher successfully launched from Kourou spaceport on 13th February 2012. LARES SYSTEM primary goal was to deploy the LARES satellite. The LARES satellite main goal is the measurement with high accuracy of the Lense-Thirring effect. Two secondary objectives were assigned to the mission: to provide a separation platform for additional payloads and to support the launcher qualification. LARES System successfully deployed ALMAsat-1, an Italian microsatellite, and seven ESA Picosatellite Cubesats, educational payloads. In order to support Vega qualification, the system included standalone telemetry avionics devoted to monitor the payload bay environmental conditions during the different flight phases, and providing video recording of lift off and launcher stages separation, and of payloads ejections, by two cameras. This paper describes the thermal control system of the LARES SYSTEM, and the last-minute recovery actions carried on the hardware, to cope with the updated environmental conditions, communicated few months before the launch, when the hardware was already stored and ready for integration on the launcher. In addition to that, the LARES satellite thermal description is provided; a set of thermal models has been built. A very detailed reflector model exchanged information with a satellite model (a massive tungsten sphere), in order to estimate identified critical parameters for the optical performance. Results are reported, which have been used to define and verify the LARES satellite configuration. |
