Optimising satellite geometries to minimise drag in very low Earth orbits

航天器几何形状在极低地球轨道高阻力区的确切影响尚待研究。这对于有效操作、阻力最小化和精确的姿态控制至关重要，并且将证明对于利用这些高度的未来卫星的设计是非常宝贵的。这项工作将吸收适用于不同应用的航天器系统工程方法和外部几何形状，以生成实用的卫星配置，最大限度地减少阻力并优化系统在阻力、发射要求、姿态稳定性、可控性、它将使用来自DISCOVERER项目的关于气体表面相互作用的数据来生成适当的GSI模型，因为这些模型会影响最佳几何形状。存在对DISCOVERER CubeSat活动的输入，该活动将通过支持卫星的硬件开发和/或控制机动来验证更新的GSI信息，以在平台上实施它们并帮助CubeSat操作，和/或后处理飞行姿态数据以提取GSI信息。

The precise effect of spacecraft geometry in the high-drag regime of very low Earth orbit has yet to be investigated. This is essential for efficient operation, drag minimisation and accurate attitude control, and will prove invaluable for the design of future satellites utilizing these altitudes. The work will assimilate spacecraft systems engineering methods and external geometries for different applications to generate practicable satellite configurations that minimise drag and optimize the performance of the systems in terms of drag, launch requirements, attitude stability, controllability, etc. It will use data from the DISCOVERER project on gas surface interactions to generate appropriate GSI models as these effect the optimum geometries.The opportunity also exists to have input to the DISCOVERER CubeSat activity which will provide the validation for the updates GSI information, through supporting the hardware development and/or control manoeuvres for the satellite, on to implementing them on the platform and helping with the CubeSat operations, and/or post processing flight attitude data to extract GSI information.