Exploring In-Orbit Operations: Assessing Performance and Fault Management of the Student Small Satellite-1 (SSS-1)

Abstract

Small satellites represent a pivotal advancement in space technology, offering versatile platforms for conducting educational missions with reduced costs. Initiated by the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), the Student Small Satellite-1 (SSS-1) mission exemplifies this paradigm. SSS-1 is designed to validate the deployment of the coilable mast and conduct diverse space experiments in orbit. This paper provides a detailed exploration of the SSS-1 space experiments and the fault handling procedures. Firstly, the overview of SSS-1 is presented in this paper. Next, it details the results of various space experiments, including space imaging, remote sensing, electrical propulsion system tests, and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signal acquisition. The in-orbit performance of the platform subsystems is also delivered in this paper. Thus, the successful design and development of SSS-1 are explained and validated. Despite encountering challenges such as a single event upset (SEU) and attitude determination and control subsystem (ADCS) fault, SSS-1’s overall performance remained robust, and the fault’s influence was greatly reduced with the manual control. This study not only highlights the technological advancements achieved by the SSS-1 project but also provides valuable insights for future educational small satellite missions.