Alenia
Spazio has created a center for the A.I.T. of small satellites,
where the output reached the rate of one satellite per week.
Located in Rome near other Alenia Spazio production sites for easy
access to consolidated expertise in specific related disciplines,
the plant covers an area of 6,000 m2 and includes a
4,000 m2 class 100,000 clean room, maintained at a
relative humidity of 55% and a temperature of 20° C.
The layout of the
Alenia Spazio Small Satellite Center is based on the use of
"islands" and working areas where a series of
homogeneous activities can be performed, at the end of which the
rate and quality of output can be checked.
An advanced data management system allows the real-time collection
and analysis of test results. This approach has the flexibility to
allow the integration of small satellites for different types of
mission.
Each island can be sized autonomously in terms of human and
equipment resources. Through the parallel use of resources it is
possible to ensure the correct production flow without forming
bottlenecks, thereby keeping production on schedule.
Some islands can work in parallel with each other reducing product
lead-times.
As each island always carries out the same operations, there is a
greater effect of the learning curve and a reduction in the margin
of error.
The flexibility of the island arrangement makes it possible to
minimize disruptions in the production flow caused by possible
malfunctions in the product or the test equipment.
Two
separate production lines are currently available with eight
islands each for spacecraft and antenna A.I.T.
Satellite Island
1. Propulsion A.I.T.
2. Bus and payload integration
3. Alignment verification
4. Satellite performance test and thermal cycling
5A/B Vibration test and solar array installation and deployment
6 Mass properties
7 Packing and shipping
8 Troubleshooting
Antenna Island
1a/b Antenna pre-assembly
2a/b Hard-line test
3a Final integration
4a Thermal cycling
5a Vibration test
6a Near-field test range
7a Far-field test range
8a Troubleshooting
The arrangement of the islands and the size of the equipment are
decided on the basis of production flow simulation. That
simulation, which includes a realistic failure case, allows
equipment redundancies and human resources to be adjusted properly
to the actual work load.
Test Facilities
The Small Satellite Center is equipped with a complete set of
electrical and environmental test equipment able to check
spacecraft and antenna behavior in the real operative conditions.
Most of the equipment is automated and connected to a data
management system to collect and analyze test results.
The main test facilities are:
- 3 x 3.5 x 2.5 m
vacuum chamber for propulsion leakage tests
- Four 3 x 3 x 4 x
3 m thermal chambers for spacecraft thermal behavior tests
- 4 m diameter
thermal vacuum chamber for thermal balance and acceptance
tests
- 267 kN and 160
kN shakers for dynamic tests
- Mass, Momentum
Of Inertia (MOI) and Centre Of Gravity (COG) determination
system with load capacity of 1,600 kg.
- Two 4 x 4 x 4.5
m anechoic chambers for spacecraft performance tests
- Three automatic
hard-line test facilities equipped with robots for active
antenna electrical tests
- 11 x 11 x 5.8 m
near-field test range for active antennas
- 8.5 x 6 x 6 m
far-field test range (1:10 GHz) for active antennas
Data
Management System
A Data Management System has been developed to support and monitor
all production activities.The system is integrated with the
reception, storage test data analysis, documentation and resource
management.
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