Multipurpose Units for Satellite Monitoring and Control

Terma has been awarded a contract by OHB Systems to study the application of its line of Micro Remote Terminal Units (µRTU) in future science and planetary exploration missions. The main objective of the study is to identify any changes or additional features needed for those types of missions.

The µRTU product line is so far. Terma is already manufacturing configurable µRTUs for the SARah radar reconnaissance satellites and for the Electra and H2SAT telecommunications platforms and the product line is used in OHB’s standard data handling architecture. Extending usage to science and planetary exploration missions could offer another opportunity, where a detailed investigation is considered valuable by both Terma and OHB.

The µRTU is a multipurpose unit used for monitoring and controlling satellite temperatures, sensor signals, equipment status and many other signals, whilst in parallel it is responsible for controlling reaction wheels, magnetic torques, thrusters, heater power and deployment of solar arrays.

Unlike a typical RTU tailored to a specific satellite, Terma’s µRTU is a highly configurable and modular design that can be adapted by the customer as late as the satellite’s assembly phase. The design furthermore enables easy expansion of functionality required for science and exploration missions. The µRTU is developed with part funding from the European Space Agency’s ARTES program granted by the Danish delegation to ESA.