Satellite Technology And Research Centre

05 March 2019

Modern life relies on satellites. Everything from using credit cards and tracking flights, to weather apps and video calls, are only made possible by the complex network of man-made spacecraft orbiting our planet. What’s more, as terrestrial technology gets more intricate and connected via the Internet of Things, satellites will become even more essential in the future.

Today, there are nearly 5,000 satellites in space, and according to the United Nations Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space, this figure is snowballing annually. However, while the number of orbiting satellites continues to grow, their relative size and weight has been shrinking in recent years. In fact, if we were to define a small satellite as weighing less than 100kg, then more small satellites were launched in the previous two years than in all of human history.

To explain this rapid reduction in size of modern satellites, Professor Low Kay Soon from the Satellite Technology and Research Centre (STAR) at NUS Engineering gives his insights on their utility in the digital age.

Used mainly for weather monitoring and surveillance applications, satellites were traditionally about the dimensions of a public bus and weighed several tonnes. “Satellites like these cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take many years to build,” explained Prof Low. As such they could only be constructed by governments or very large aerospace organisations.

Now, smaller satellites have democratised the industry as they no longer require vast resources to build and launch. Definitions vary, but a satellite in the range of 10 to 100kg is usually classified as a microsatellite, while anything less than 10kg can be called a nanosatellite.

“Micro and nanosatellites can be built in a much quicker time frame for a fraction of the cost. Universities and commercial companies can now afford to experiment with satellite technology, and exciting new applications can be explored,” Prof Low explained.

“For a large satellite that costs a few hundred million dollars, you cannot afford to take risks and would have to be extremely conservative in choosing any new parts. Whereas with smaller satellites we can be more daring. We can use cutting-edge components and state-of-the-art instruments to conduct really interesting experiments.”

“Another advantage of smaller satellites is mass production using commercially available parts, such that dozens of satellites can be built and launched in fleets,” said Prof Low. Networking them together opens up the possibilities of new applications and greater resilience — if one satellite malfunctions, the rest of the fleet are still operational.

“These micro and nanosatellites can be built in a much quicker time frame for a fraction of the cost. Universities and commercial companies can now afford to experiment with satellite technology, and new exciting applications can be explored.”

12 November 2018

IAS/PELS Singapore held workshop at STAR on wide bandgap semiconductor and application

IEEE Industrial Application Society/Power Electronics Society (IAS/PELS) Singapore Chapter held a technical talk at the Satellite Technology And Research Centre on wide bandgap semiconductor and application. This event was organized in collaboration with Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES) Semiconductor & IC Design Sub-Committee (SICD SC) of the Electronics and Computer Engineering Technical Committee (ECETC).

There were a total of 4 presenters to share on the different topics related to wide bandgap power devices. Assistant Professor Xin Zhang from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University first gave a presentation on current imbalance in Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs connected in parallel and approaches to mitigate the problem. This is followed by Mr. Ban How Sin from Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions who share on semiconductor technologies to ensure reliability of the Gate Injection Transistor GaN. Finally, Professor Kay Soon Low and Dr. Bingyin Kang from the Satellite Technology And Research Centre (STAR) presented on application of GaN power transistors in power supplies for satellites.

The workshop lasted for four hours, which includes a Question and Answer (Q&A) session as well as a lab tour of STAR.

7 Oct 2018

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2 Feb 2018

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1 Feb 2018

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25 Jan 2018

25 Jan 2018

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25 Jan 2018

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25 Jan 2018

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20 Oct 2017

Spacetech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia are positioning Singapore as a potential hub for spacetech exploration, and satellite development could prove a cornerstone of these efforts. Prof. Kay Soon Low, director of the Satellite Technology and Research Centre (STAR) at the National University Singapore, said domestic and foreign interest in satellites has ramped up in recent years, bolstering Singapore’s status as a hotspot for spacetech innovation.

“In recent years, several foreign satellite companies have set up bases in Singapore, and we have also seen a number of new satellite startup companies,” Low said. At the recent Singapore Space Symposium he organized, more than 350 people expressed interest in the growing industry. “While many of them may not be directly involved in spacetech, they are from engineering industries that may be potential players in producing components or subsystems for satellites in [the] future,” he said via email.

Singapore launched X-SAT, its first “indigenous satellite” in 2011, according to Low, who worked on the satellite team. He said the experience was “very challenging” for the team, which was largely comprised of engineers who were unfamiliar with the satellite development process. However, X-SAT’s successful launch spurred the creation of the ST Electronics joint venture company and the subsequent launch of a commercial satellite called TeLEOS-1 in 2015. Low noted that in addition to these, NUS and Nanyang Technological University developed satellites as well, and that there are currently 11 Singaporean satellites in orbit.

In addition to being STAR’s director, Low also helped establish the program. STAR conducts research in mission design, subsystem and component development, as well as training students to “to support the manpower needs of Singapore’s quest to build a new spacecraft industry.”

“The vision of STAR is to be a world-class center for advanced distributed satellite systems using multiple small satellites flying in formation, constellation or swarm,” Low said. “The mission of STAR is to support the advancement of Singapore’s space industry by providing state-of–the-art satellite technology.”

Dr. Bidushi Bhattacharya, a rocket scientist and founder of Bhattacharya Space Enterprises, told me earlier this year that she sees great potential in Singapore’s talent pool, although the pipline directly to spacetech is still rather short. However, engineering and other STEM fields are rich with talented individuals who could make natural transitions into spacetech, she said.

STAR and other university programs will play an important role in filling that pipeline, according to Low, who directed the Satellite Research Centre (SaRC) at Nanyang Technical University before founding the STAR program at NUS. “We hope to develop an ecosystem comprising a critical mass of talents as well as technical expertise to pioneer experimental satellite platforms, as well as to address scientific and engineering challenges of future innovative satellite programmes and applications,” he said.

Like Bhattacharya, Low sees great potential for Singapore’s spacetech scene to grow, thanks in large part to NUS’ and NTU’s engineering programs, both of which offer opportunities to hone space-specific skillsets. “With more satellite companies setting up in Singapore, more students are likely to be attracted to join our satellite program,” Low said.

Low noted that commercial interest in small satellites has been on the rise during the past several years, in Singapore and more broadly. He pointed to the Indian Space Research Organization’s launch of 104 satellites this year, most which weighed less than 10 kilograms, as evidence of this uptick. Growth in satellite development not only bodes well for Singapore’s economy, it also creates opportunities for nurturing young talent.

“Involvement in the satellite program provides students with good multidisciplinary team-based experience for real life project applications,” Low said.

He expressed optimism about market openings for Singaporean companies. “In this niche area, our companies could also avoiding direct competition with space veterans of large satellites. Investment for the infrastructure to produce and test small satellites is also relatively lower,” Low said. He also noted that Singaporean companies could offer niche specialization in small satellite constellation or formation flying as well. The growing industry is creating fresh excitement for Low and his colleagues because “This gives us the opportunity to nurture the next generation of satellite engineers,” he said.

8 Oct 2017

The space race of the Cold war may be long over, but the time is now for Singapore to fight for a slice of the satellite industry pie, says National University of Singapore’s Low Kay Soon.

SINGAPORE: In 1957, the first man-made satellite was launched into space by the Soviet Union. Since mankind’s first foray into space, we have not looked back.

Today, there are more than 61000 satellites In apace.

In the earlier decades of satellite development, the key players were governments, especially those of large countries, whose use for satellites were primarily for weather monitoring, remote sensing of environmental conditions and surveillance.

In recent years, many commercial applications have emerged, such as the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites for asset tracking, and the provision of satellite television programmes, telecommunication services and Internet sentences.

With Its many application, the annual market revenue for the satellite industry stands around US$260 billion

THE EVOLUTION OF THE INDUSTRY

Back in the early days, satellites weighed a few thousand kilogrammes and were huge, with a height of several storeys. Such satellites took years to build, and were typically very expensive.

The majority of them were owned by a monopoly of governments or large organisations.

over the last two decades, however, miniaturised satellites have been gaining popularity.

Such satellites typically weigh from a few to tens of kilogrammes, with a volume similar to that of a bar fridge.

While initially built by universities as technology demonstrators, the functionality of such small satellites following rapid advancements in technology has garnered interest from government space agencies and commercial companies.

For example, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to launch two briefcase-sized miniaturised satellites of 10kg each to Mars next year. These two satellites will help NASA monitor the Insight mission when It first lands by relaying information about the landing to ground controllers back on earth.

THE ADVANTAGE OP BEING SMALL

The key advantage of miniaturised satellites, particularly those with a mass less than 20kg, is the low cost of building and launching them into space. Building time is also significantly cut as these can be mass produced.

Their lower cost and smaller mass mean such satellites can potentially be built and launched in fleets of tens or hundreds. Having such large numbers of small satellites in space enables up-to-date monitoring of the earth across wide areas, for uses such as earth imaging and the collection of weather data. For Instance, a typical low Earth orbit satellite flies at a height of 500km above sea level at a speed of 26,000 km/h These satellites go around the earth about 14 to 15 times a day, requiring only 100 minutes to make one complete orbit.

If there are 10 of them In space, the same spot can be monitored every 10 minutes.

Commercial Interest In miniaturised satellites bas been growing since 20131 partlcu1arly In those that weigh less than 5kg. In total, there are more than 500 miniaturised satellites in space, and just about half of them are from the space industry

ID February this year, the Indian Space Research Organisation launched a total of 104 satellites, with 103 of them weighing less than 10kg each. Among them, 96 belong to two commercial companies, an Indication of the private sector’s Increasing Interest and capability to enter the space market.

SINGAPORE’S SPACE JOURNEY

Singapore has space dreams too. Our first programme to develop a locally-built satellite was in 2003.

The satellite, named X-SAT (eXperimental SATellite), involved DSO National Laboratories, Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore. It was completed in 2009, and launched on Apr 20, 2011.

The X-SAT allows us to perform remote sensing to monitor environmental change and detect forest fires, among other things. The programme’s other important objective was to build local capabilities in satellite engineering.

Its success led to the formation of a new satellite company ST Electronics (Satellite Systems) In 2011, which subsequently built and launched Singapore’s first commercial satellite TeLEOS-1 in December 2015.

This satellite is capable of Imaging the earth with a resolution of 1m, meaning to say that it can tell objects that are 1m apart from space, and its average revisit time, the time between observations of the same spot on earth, is around 12 to 16 hours.

With these capabilities, the satellite can facilitate quick response to maritime situations and disaster monitoring.

2 Jul 2017

14-15 Feb 2017

OpenGov speaks to Professor Low Kay Soon, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS) about his pioneering work in launching Singapore-made satellites, the potential applications of miniaturised satellites and more.

By Dean Koh Link to original article in OpenGov website

To date, Professor Low (above photo) has helped develop and launch 7 Singapore-designed and built satellites successfully into space and orbit – no small feat considering Singapore’s tiny size and lack of access to space launch facilities. OpenGov spoke to Professor Low at EmTech Asia 2017 to hear more about his new role at NUS, the trend towards miniature satellites and his thoughts on the burgeoning satellite industry in Singapore.

Could you share with us about some of the projects you are working on right now?

I was previously the Centre Director for the Satellite Research Centre of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). I have just moved to NUS and will be starting a new research centre at NUS on satellite technologies. The trend of satellites is moving towards miniaturisation and this is something we hope to go into.

You mentioned about the miniaturisation of satellites as a trend in the industry. Could you tell us about the advantages of making and launching miniature satellites?

With miniature satellites, the manufacturing and launch costs are lower compared to having one big satellite. Additionally, you can launch many miniature satellites. By launching a constellation of small satellites, you can actually cover the whole Earth and reduce the latency time. It is also possible to provide new services that were not possible in the past. Traditionally, the satellite industry always builds one big satellite which is 1000kg or a few tonnes in weight, each time, companies can only afford to build one.

Now, we can launch up to 50 or a 100 small satellites so they cover the whole Earth and each of them can pick up signals here and there. In the past, satellites are mainly deployed to perform remote sensing and take pictures.

Moving forward, satellites can do more than just take pictures – you can use them to track ships to enhance maritime security; all the ships generate some kind of radio signal to identify themselves. The signals from these ships are normally monitored land-based, for example the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) will pick up these signals and identify the various ships. But once a ship travels to the middle of a vast ocean, it is almost impossible to pick up the signal. So if you have satellites to pick up these signals, ship owners and insurance companies can know where the ships are and monitor their movements in real-time.

Another area that researchers have started looking at but not yet implemented related technologies is the tracking of aircraft. Aircrafts also carry a type of signal called ADS-B to identify their location, so it is possible for satellites to pick up this signal and track the aircraft. These are some examples of location tracking services that satellites can deliver.

Beyond these services, some of the more unique applications will be in the areas of Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M) communication. In the area of IoT, I have not really seen companies demonstrate the use with satellites yet but this may happen about 2 years later. What this means is that IoT devices can connect directly to the satellites and be monitored instantly even though they may be in a remote location.

There are some niche areas of applications involving IoT and M2M. For instance, IoT and M2M applications can be used to monitor mining activities that are conducted outside the city areas or in deserted areas.

You were pivotal in helping Singapore design and launch satellites into space. What were some of the challenges faced in doing pioneering satellite work in a nation not necessarily known for satellite-related development and research?

There was a lot of knowledge that we didn’t have in the beginning, as we were not trained in space-related work. We were all from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering so the challenge was in gathering a group of people to work and learn together. I think the main challenge is getting people who are willing to work together for a long period of 5 years or more. After building the satellite, we can’t be sure that it will be successfully launched, there are no guaranteed results.

So we really have to put in a lot of effort to gather the right people who will work together with a shared vision. I am heartened that in the teams that I had worked with so far, everyone puts forward his or her best effort to ensure the success of the projects. So far I have launched 7 satellites into orbit and all are successful. This doesn’t happen by chance, but it is because we had put in a lot of effort in testing the various components. The credit goes to the whole team, as no one person can do all these tasks.

For the satellites, how long do you intend for them to orbit in space?

Satellites are typically designed for a 3-year operational lifespan. Sometimes a satellite may go beyond that, for instance, the X-Sat (launched in 2011) – it is still doing well. The team still conducts regular telemetry to the satellite but we have scaled down its operations. When the satellite is newly launched, we worked intensely to conduct all the experiments because we have certain project deliverables. We make sure that all the experiments were conducted and gathered all the data needed, so that the information can be used for the next project.

You mentioned in a Channel News Asia report that Singapore has highly competent manpower to sustain a local satellite industry. What are your thoughts on the current development of the local satellite industry and what areas do you think the next phase of development should focus on?

In NUS, we have space related course modules and projects for engineering students. Through all these programmes, we train skilled manpower for the satellite industry, and this is an important component of the ecosystem that we are trying to build up. Besides ST Electronics (Satellite systems) Pte Ltd, we have seen a couple of small new companies coming to Singapore such as Spire, Astroscale and a few others. I think it’s evolving. Building a space programme is no easy task, it takes years to grow and nurture the programme.

You look at 10 years ago when the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) started to grow the aerospace industry, it took some years for the big companies to invest in Singapore. Space ventures are even more difficult – do we really have the engineers who can build the satellites when the big companies come over? How do we overcome these obstacles?

By demonstrating to the world that universities in Singapore are capable of building satellites, companies will take notice and be convinced that we do have a supply of engineers who have the skills to build satellites, if they are keen to come to Singapore.

Are there any specific programmes in NUS that offer satellite-related research and training?

NUS Engineering offers a Design-Centric Programme in which students can take space-related modules in their first, second and third years. These modules are designed to impart some basic knowledge on satellites. Students who are in the second, third and fourth year of study can also participate in satellite-related projects in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.