• simulator
• spacecraft
• validation

With the increasing interest towards the use of Electric Propulsion (EP), there is a corresponding need for accurate, sophisticated strategies for onboard power management.
This thesis presents the validation and the recent upgrade of the software suite SATSLab (Spacecraft Attitude, Trajectory and Subsystems Laboratory), a low-thrust spacecraft simulator developed as a collaboration between Alta SpA and the University of Pisa. SATSLab is a fundamental tool for mission analysis and spacecraft subsystem sizing for mission applications where the usage of electric propulsion systems is envisaged. SATSLab allows for an accurate assessment of orbital trajectory and spacecraft subsystems instantaneous energy status.
SATSLab has been upgraded with new functionalities: a new module for ground station visibility and for the computation of link budgets has been integrated; moreover, the NRLMSISE-00 (US Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter Radar) atmospheric model for atmospheric drag and torque computation has been added.
The validation has been carried out by comparing SATSLab results with analytical solutions and the software suite Systems Tool Kit (STK), a physics-based software package from Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) that allows engineers and scientists to perform complex analyses of ground, sea, air, and space assets.
The thesis outcome is the upgrade and validation of a fundamental tool for the electric propulsion mission feasibility and for the identification of proper energy management strategies.