MISSIONS and PROJECTS
ESTCube-2
ESTCube-2 is a mission in low Earth orbit to demonstrate the plasma brake for deorbiting and other technologies required for operating the electric sail in the solar wind. ESTCube-2 is a three-unit CubeSat developed for future deep-space applications in mind — reaction wheels, star tracker, cold gas propulsion and the rest of the spacecraft bus fits in one unit, leaving the rest for payloads. Below is an animation of ESTCube-2 tether deployment by Taavi Torim.
Space Imaging Simulator for Proximity Operations (SISPO)
Together with a group of volunteers, we are developing SISPO, a Blender-based open-source project which helps to create photorealistic scenes for space mission design and instrument development.
Multi-Asteroid Touring
Muti-Asteroid Touring is a mission concept to flyby hundreds of asteroids with tens of nanospacecraft propelled by the electric sail.
Comet Interceptor
Comet Interceptor has been selected as ESA’s new fast-class mission. Comprising three spacecraft, it will be the first to visit a truly pristine comet or other interstellar object that is only just starting its journey into the inner Solar System. UT Tartu Observatory leads the Optical Periscopic Imager for Comets (OPIC) development. The instrument is named after an Estonian astronomer Ernst Öpik who proposed a reservoir of comets which is now called the Öpik–Oort cloud, from where the Comet Interceptor target would originate.
Finnish Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Space (FORESAIL)
While working at Aalto, I was a FORESAIL team member. Two major areas of the project are space debris and radiation effects on satellites. FORESAIL-1 mission will demonstrate the plasma brake for deorbiting and measure radiation belt losses with PArticle TElescope (PATE). FORESAIL-2 will characterize ultra low frequency waves, Coulomb drag and radiation effects in various environments of altitudes ranging from low Earth orbit to several Earth radii. FORESAIL-3 aims to test the electric sail where it belongs — in the solar wind — which would require launching the satellite in lunar or other orbit that intersects with the solar wind.
Tradespace Analysis Tool for Constellations
I developed the TAT-C's orbit maintenance module which uses computationally-lightweight models to predict the long-term secular drift of relative orbital elements due to the gravitational 'J2' effects and the atmospheric drag. Simple orbital maneuvers are assumed to estimate the ∆v budget, propellant consumption and the frequency of maneuvers. This allows to explore a large set of constellation designs in a short time frame without propagating orbits.
ESTCube-1
ESTCube-1, launched in 2013, was the first satellite that attempted to test the electric solar wind sail. Below is an animation how the mission was intended. The reality was much more fun and it is presented in "ESTCube-1 In-Orbit Experience and Lessons Learned".