Adapting the Battery Model in the Mission Planning System of Ageing Satellites

Abstract

In June 2017 the 10th and the 7th anniversaries of the TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites respectively were celebrated. Both have exceeded their design-lifetime in orbit being both in great condition and fully operational. The inevitable ageing of the satellites is the main driver for the optimization of the batteries-utilization in the joint TerraSAR-X / TanDEM-X Mission Planning System. In addition, the sun-synchronous "Dawn-Dusk" orbit of the satellites and the different flying formations, together with dedicated acquisition campaigns, enforce the TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X Mission Planning System to be adapted in order to face the new challenges that are rising. In this paper we describe all actions taken in the TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X Mission Planning System along with the strategies foreseen for the future, in order to cope with the energy model of the ageing batteries of the TerraSAR-X and the TanDEM-X satellites, continuing at the same time the automated and unattended Mission Planning operations.