Dear readers,
Get ready for an enlightening conversation with the satellite engineer, Przemek Recha! Join us as we discuss the intricacies of constructing the satellite that was successfully launched into orbit this November.
Przemek Recha
Professionally, he is involved in programming embedded systems in satellites at KP Labs, where, among others, he programmed subsystems for the Intuition-1 satellite. He works in the Silesian Aerospace Technologies scientific club, where students try to conduct space-related events. He also co-organizes an event on space topics, We Need More Space in Gliwice.
Interviewer: Przemek, in November the satellite you worked on was launched into space - could you tell us more about it?
Przemek: Intuition-1 is a technology demonstrator whose main goal is to demonstrate the capabilities of on-orbit data processing using machine learning. The satellite is equipped with a hyperspectral optical instrument designed by KP Labs and a Leopard data processing unit (DPU).
An optical instrument equipped with a hyperspectral matrix can produce images that provide much more data about the imaged area than the classic RGB matrix used in cameras. The classic RGB matrix divides the visible band into 3 colors, and the hyperspectral matrix divides the visible band into 192 channels. This resolution allows, for example, to infer what substances/chemical compounds are present in the imaged area, so it’s possible to assess the condition of agricultural fields based on satellite images.
The Leopard data processing unit is a system dedicated to calculations using machine learning. Leopard is equipped with a redundant 4-core 64-bit system integrated with an FPGA matrix. The FPGA matrix allows the implementation of any logical structure in the system, which allows for a significant acceleration of calculations.
Using machine learning to process data in orbit allows for a significant reduction in the volume of data sent to Earth. Imaging an area of approximately 50 km x 100 km with a hyperspectral matrix generates approximately 16 GB of data. Sending such an amount of data via satellite radio links — which aren’t the fastest, mind you — would take very long. The use of machine learning allows you to reduce this size by 200 times and even reject photos that pose no real value because, for example, they are cloudy.
The Leopard data processing unit; source: KP Labs Interviewer: What exactly were your tasks?
Przemek: I dealt with both the software for the On-Board Computer (OBC) Intuition-1 and the software for the Leopard data processing unit.
It is important to emphasize here the difference between the on-board computer and the data processing unit. The main tasks of the on-board computer include:
autonomous deployment of antennas and solar panels after leaving the deployer during the LEOP phase (Launch and Early Phase Orbit); controlling other components of the satellite, e.g.: the power system (EPS - Electrical Power System), the orientation system (ADCS - Attitude Determination and Control System), the communication system and the payload (in the case of Intuition-1, this is optical instrument and Leopard); radio communication – sending telemetry, receiving and executing telecommands, detecting errors in subsystems and disabling them when the allowed telemetry ranges are exceeded (FDIR - Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery); enabling software updates.
In addition, the on-board computer should be capable of continuous and failure-free operation and is equipped with systems that ensure such operation, but details will be provided below.
The programmer’s task may also include programming a controller for a specific device; telecommands to operate this device via radio; and – above all else – writing operational tests of the device. They will allow us to test its function on the ground as best as possible, while we still have a lot of time to fix any errors.
Leopard, on the other hand, is a completely different system. It is turned on for several minutes at most, just to perform imaging or data processing. Normally, it is turned off to save energy. Additionally, Leopard runs the Linux operating system. However, it is not a desktop Linux, like Ubuntu or Debian, but rather a distribution specifically prepared for this platform. It is equipped with the tools we need to work and has a minimized size. The minimum image takes 30 MB. And I also worked on preparing the Linux distribution for the Leopard.
Interviewer: Let's talk about the moment of the rocket launch - can you tell us more about what it looked like?
Przemek: Intuition-1 was launched on the Transporter 9 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on November 11 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Transporter missions involve carrying large amounts of cargo with one rocket. Over 100 satellites were launched during this mission.
The very moment of the start is very exciting! Of course, the whole team gathered at the KP Labs office and together we watched the stream from the rocket launch. The most nerve-wracking are the first 2 minutes of the launch, when the first stage of the rocket is working. Any unexpected failures and explosions most often occur during this stage. When the second stage begins, you can relax a bit and just wait for the payloads to be released.
Interviewer: What does the satellite placement process look like?
Przemek: Intuition-1 is a satellite built in the CubeSat standard. These are small-sized satellites. In our case, it is 10cm x 20cm x 30cm, or a standard shoe box. Of course, SpaceX is not interested in such small payloads, so several such CubeSats are collected and loaded onto "space tugs" (Space tug, or OTV - Orbital Transport Vehicle). Such a ship with several CubeSats is just being placed on the rocket. About an hour after the rocket launch, the ship is released and then the Space Tug operators releases the loaded CubeSats one by one.
During the journey, the satellite hides in a dedicated pod. The power is turned off, and the antennas and solar panels are folded. After it is released from the container, the power is turned on and the on-board computer’s task is to autonomously deploy the antennas and solar panels. After the antennas are deployed, the first radio messages are broadcast by the satellite and we can hear them on our ground station in the KP Labs office.
Visualization of Intuition-1 in orbit; source: KP Labs Interviewer: So your satellite is already working? How do you use it?
Przemek: The release from the container took place on November 24, and on the same day, we received the first messages. From this point on, the commissioning phase of the satellite's subsystems begins and checks whether everything works properly. At this point, we have already managed to run the machine learning algorithms, which were performed successfully in orbit (https://twitter.com/labs_kp/status/1730158325000544420). We are currently working on calibrating the ADCS system so we can take stable photos. Once this process is complete, we will be able to take optical instrument images and perform full hyperspectral image processing in orbit.
Interviewer: What are the latest technologies and assumptions in the construction of future satellites?
Przemek: At KP Labs, we focus mainly on designing data processing units that use artificial intelligence to process data. Of course, what the data will be depends on the specific application of the data processing unit. We mainly focus on image processing, as in the case of Intuition-1, but also on the processing of telemetry data, which allows for early detection of failures in satellites.
Recently, artificial intelligence and machine learning have been developing rapidly and systems dedicated to supporting such calculations are being created. The challenge, however, is to adapt such a system to operate in space. Such a system must be prepared to operate in a hostile environment for which it has not been adopted. We are talking here both about cosmic radiation, to which the system will be constantly exposed. Solutions must be implemented to avoid the effects of this radiation. The other matter is the power demand in such systems. They release a large amount of heat, which must be skillfully dissipated.
Interviewer: There was a large solar explosion at the end of November - NASA issued a warning about it. Could you tell us more about this phenomenon?
Przemek: This is a coronal mass ejection, in which a star throws a cloud of plasma into interplanetary space, consisting mainly of protons and electrons. Such a cloud can be thrown towards the earth, then it interacts with the Earth's magnetic field and we can, for example, observe the aurora borealis.
Interviewer: How do solar flares affect satellites?
Przemek: Let’s start with what impact it may have on satellites, or better yet, let’s talk about what impact cosmic radiation may have on satellites, so we can imagine what may happen to a satellite that will be in the stream of protons and electrons after a coronal mass ejection.
Firstly, the silicon structure from which electronic components are made is constantly degrading under the influence of radiation. Each electronic component will stop working after receiving a sufficiently high dose of radiation.
Secondly, there are so-called SEE - Single-event effects, which result from the fact that a charged particle hitting an electronic element can change the internal state of the element's transistors. These effects can be both non-destructive, e.g.: a bit in the memory register changes, which leads to data corruption, or a transistor shorts out, which increases the current consumption of the system. Simply reset the power to this chip to remove these effects. There are also destructive effects, which cause the system to be short-circuited so that a high enough current will flow through it to destroy the device.
Now we can imagine what condition a satellite bombarded with protons and electrons might be in. Will it then work properly? This is doubtful. But will this destroy it? This is not necessarily the case.
Interviewer: How to protect your satellites from solar flares?
Przemek: First of all, it is taken into account what the mission is and how long it will last. If it is a few months in low Earth orbit, where the satellites are still protected by the Earth's magnetosphere, we can even use ordinary Earth electronics without any protection and our mission of several months will probably be fine. It looks completely different when we want to survive in space longer, or even fly further: to the moon or deep space.
Systems must be selected that will withstand the expected radiation dose for the length of the mission. The systems are tested to find out what radiation doses they can withstand and they can be selected accordingly. You can also test the systems to see if they contain harmful SEE and not use such systems.
Some systems are designed specifically for use in space missions. Due to the process of their creation, these systems are characterized by a very high total radiation dose that the system can absorb before it is damaged. Such systems are called radiation-hardened.
We can still use a few tricks to protect our data from damage by cosmic radiation. It is standard, for example, to use ECC correction codes in memories. This is additional data stored in memory that allows the data in memory to be corrected if it is corrupted by cosmic rays. Another popular mechanism is TMR – Triple Modular Redundancy. It involves the triple duplication of any data that is fed to a dedicated system that performs voting, which compares the input data and, in the event of irregularities, recognizes the majority of data as correct.
Interviewer: What would our lives be like if all satellites suddenly stopped working?
Przemek: We probably don’t even realize how much satellite technologies make our lives easier. But if they suddenly stopped working, I’m sure we would notice it quickly and the effects would be very negative. Just imagine that telecommunications, GPS, weather forecasts and everything that relies on these systems suddenly stopped working. This certainly guarantees widespread chaos.
Interviewer: In Dark Moon we move several dozen years forward, to the times when humanity colonized the Moon. The game begins with a massive explosion in the Sun, after which all electronics in sunlight stop working. How real do you think this scenario is?
Przemek: Considering what I said earlier on how much importance it is attached to ensuring that devices sent into space are resistant to space conditions, I rather doubt that everything, literally everything, would stop working. I could imagine that some devices and services are interrupted, or that non-critical infrastructure is damaged in some way. Apart from that, electronics are electronics, but you also need to ask yourself if people in such colonies are properly protected from radiation, because it may also affect them if this protection is not sufficient.
Interviewer: If you were in this situation, on the moon, what would your survival plan be? Or maybe you’d try to return to Earth?
Przemek: If all the electronics are damaged, well, I guess I can only admire the lunar landscapes. However, if the lunar electronics survived and the Earth’s electronics didn’t, then it all depends on whether the lunar base is self-sufficient. If not, it is best to return to Earth as soon as possible, because it may turn out that the return will be difficult after some time. If it is, then I can start visiting the Moon and not worry about survival. I just hope I won’t be alone there.
Interviewer: Do you think the number of satellites orbiting the Earth would affect the size of the disaster in the event of a solar explosion?
Przemek: Let’s move away from whether or not this is possible for a moment, let’s just assume that the satellites stop working and we lose all the services I mentioned earlier, and let’s ask ourselves what will happen to these several thousand satellites in low Earth orbit. If there were only a few of them, we probably wouldn’t have to worry, but with such a quantity, it can be a serious problem. There are already cases of satellites entering a collision course with each other. Fortunately, these are often satellites capable of on orbit maneuvers, so they can avoid each other. But when we lose contact with them, it will be a matter of time before some of them collide. When they do, a huge amount of debris will be created, which can hit subsequent satellites, cluttering up the orbit even more, and very quickly leading to a situation where we won’t even be able to conduct space flights anymore, because the orbit will be so cluttered. This scenario is called Kessler syndrome.
Interviewer: When do you think man will set foot on the Moon again and when will he most likely establish the first permanent base there?
Przemek: We live in interesting times as the race to the Moon has begun again. The Americans are running the Artemis program, according to which they plan to land on the Moon again in 2025 and start operating a lunar space station. We also see the development of space architecture, which seeks solutions to problems related to a permanent base on the Moon. Considering how much it is developing, I would be happy if such a base was created somewhere around 2030-2040.
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