PROITERES

Project description and goals

PROITERES (Project of OIT Electric-Rocket-Engine Onboard Small Space Ship) or 大阪工業大学 電気推進ロケットエンジン搭載小型スペースシッププロジェクト in Japanese is a satellite launched by ISRO in 2012 for Osaka Institute of Technology(OIT). This small (15 kg) boxlike system, with solar panel on hull, is the testbench for the 4.4 W Pulsed Plasma Thruster^[1] operating on the microsatellite platform. Total power budget of satellite is 15 watt. Also, secondary goals were stated by manufacturer:^[2]

• Experiments of two-way radio signal propagation characteristics using amateur radio (430 MHz) band.
• Communication tests of satellite communication technology using off-the-shelf consumer-grade components.
• Tracking and communicating by radio amateur around the world.
• Monitoring with a high-resolution camera the Yodogawa basin near Osaka and other parts of Kansai District

It is equipped with 3-axis magnetic torquers and gyro-sensors for attitude control, magnetic sensor on boom, solar sensor and CMOS camera.^[3]

Failure

As in 2013, PROITERES does not respond to any ground commands, although still broadcasting telemetry data. According to PROITERES development team report 17 January 2014 at JAXA annual symposium, the PROITERES had a design error resulting in flight computer boot loop. The root cause of the boot loop was the electromagnetic compatibility issue, resulting in reset signal being generated if power-up ramp rate of flight computer is high enough. The Osaka Institute of Technology team have abandoned attempts to restore communications with PROITERES satellite and proceeds with the PROITERES-2 design.

See also

• Miniaturized satellite

References