NEMO-AM Small Satellite Mission

Developer Country: Canada

Developer Organizations: University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and Indian
Space Research Organization
Description of The Mission: The first spacecraft to use this new bus technology is the
NEMO-AM (Aerosol Monitoring) spacecraft, which is designed to perform multi-spectral
observations in the visual band. The satellite will detect aerosol content in the atmosphere
with a nominal equivalent ground resolution of 200 m.
Physical Dimensions, Mass: 20 cm x 20 cm x 40 cm 16.1 kg
Estimated Launch Place, Date and Time: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, INDIA;
2017; Unknown
Estimated Mission Duration: 5 years
Subsystems and Their Tasks:
Structural: The functions of the structural subsystem are to enclose, protect and support the other
spacecraft subsystems and to provide a mechanical interface with the launch vehicle.
Thermal: The purpose of the spacecraft thermal control subsystem is to control the temperature of
individual components to ensure proper operation through the life of the mission.
Attitude and Orbit Control: The attitude and orbit control subsystem (AOCS) provides attitude
information and maintains the required spacecraft attitude during all phases of the mission, starting
at spacecraft separation from the launch vehicle and throughout its operational lifetime.
Power: The design objectives of the power system include: providing sufficient power to the
electrical subsystem, minimizing power drain from the batteries, ensuring efficient recharging of the
batteries, and minimizing weight and volume.
On-Board Computers(OBC): The on-board computers(OBC) subsystem of a spacecraft is the
subsystem which carries and stores data between the various electronics units and the ground
segment, via the telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) subsystem.
Communications: The spacecraft communications subsystem provides the conditioning,
transmission, reception, and routing of attitude telemetry and mission data signals for the GOES
space segment.
Payload: This section presents the NEMO-AM imager design. The signal to noise analysis is one of
tasks. The other task is the polarimetric accuracy analysis for the payload. The capability of the
system to correct for smear due to relative charge accumulation in storage during readout is third
task.
References:
1) Freddy M. Pranajaya, Robert E. Zee, "The NEMO Bus: A Third Generation High-Performance Nanosatellite
for Earth Monitoring and Observation," Proceedings of the Symposium on Small Satellite Systems and Services
(4S), Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, May 31-June 4, 2010
2) Information provided by Robert E. Zee, Director of SFL, Toronto, Canada.
3) https://www.wmo-sat.info/oscar/satellites/view/659
4)S.C.O. Grocott, N. S. Ibrahim, D. Diaconu, M. Dwyer, J. Elliott, D. Kekez, I. Majid, F. Pranajaya, M. Stan, R. E.
Zee,"NEMO-AM: HIGH FIDELITY AUTONOMOUS NANOSATELLITE FOR EARTH OBSERVATION AND AEROSOL
MONITORING",2014
5) http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/space/primer/spacecraft_design_structure_ops.pdf