Ground test of attitude control system for micro satellite RISING-2

This paper summarizes the attitude control system and evaluation system of the 50kg class micro satellite RISING-2, which has developed by Hokkaido University and Tohoku University from 2010. In 2011, the flight models of each component were completed and now the software of RISING-2 is adjusted in order to put into an orbit in 2013. The missions of RISING-2 are observation of the earth surface, cumulonimbus clouds and planets with a telescope, measurement of the earth surface and ocean temperature distribution using a bolometer array and photography of sprite luminescence phenomenon using thunder observation camera and fish eye camera. To accomplish these scientific missions, the attitude control system needs to satisfy the requirements of observation equipments. This satellite attitude is controlled by the 3-axis reaction wheels in order to point to an arbitrary target direction. Especially, in the case of bolometer array observation, the target direction needs to be changed from deep space direction to the Earth-Center or the earth surface direction. We tried this observation sequence using the static closed loop test system which is constructed by the pre-flight model. Then, the test results illustrate that the attitude control system satisfy the requirements.