A Segmented Architecture Approach to Provide a Continuous, Long-Term, Adaptive and Cost-effective Glaciers Monitoring System Based on DTN Communications and Cubesat Platforms

CARLOS BARRIENTOS; JUAN FREIRE; PABLO FERREYRA; ANABELLA FERRAL; RAOUL VELAZCO; LEANDRO CARA; PABLO MADOERY

Buenos Aires

Simposio; 1st Symposium on Small Satellites: Advanced Technologies and Distributed Systems; 2017

International Academy of Astronautics & Instituto Colomb (UNSM-CONAE)

p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }Mountainglaciers are important because they work as precipitation buffers andwater sources for downstream populations. In addition, they have beena source of data for climate dynamics analysis. Measuring glaciersmeteorological variables, estimating the amount of black carbon, aswell as recording mass slides on a periodic basis becomes mandatoryto understand and drive effective environmental policies. While thesemeasurements are traditionally executed via expensive fieldcampaigns, they tend to be scarce and non-periodic. Thus, remotesensing alternatives have been explored by the community, they arebased in monolithic satellite architectures which besides the longdevelopment time, are bounded in mission lifetime. In this paper wepropose a Glacier Segmented Observation System (SOS), based on anumber of interconnected cubesats under the segmented architectureparadigm to provide frequent revisit times and extendable lifetimefor critical observation missions. We evaluate how SOS can support aworld-wide glacier remote sensing mission to then discuss relevantmission requirements, formation flying disposition of satellites andcommunication architecture challenges.