Flexible S-Band TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking, and Command) for Small Spacecraft in LEO

The increasing demand for commercial and institutional missions with smaller spacecraft has been a catalyst in the development of smaller and higher efficiency technologies for space applications. Additional pressure from ever evolving standards and the need to adapt to conditions in-flight (when necessary) has been driving the development of a new generation of small, flexible products able to modify in-flight the operational parameters. The S-Band TT&C transceiver presented in this paper is based on ECSS class-3 component selection and represents the latest generation of products developed by COM DEV in its Aylesbury facility in Europe. The class-3 philosophy combined with exhaustive testing has been employed to verify the equipment’s ability to function in space and achieve the high degree of flexibility required for the type of missions this product range is targeting. Careful component selection is also used to enable a route to miniaturization leading to an S-Band TT&C transceiver with mass of 2.2 lbs, and a volume envelope of 7 x 5.5 x 1.8 in. The product architecture and characteristics are presented in this paper together with some of the available mission-specific options focused around mission architects needs to evolve and adapt missions after launch