Rose

Quick facts

Overview

Summary

Mission Capabilities

The satellite is equipped with Aerospacelab’s first self designed and manufactured telescope to heighten Earth imaging capabilities, allowing Rose to capture the Earth’s surface at high spatial resolution. Rose incorporates improved payload electronics and Earth-Observation Imaging Systems compared to its satellite predecessors (Arthur-1, Grégoire, PVCC), increasing system functionality and observational prowess. The satellite is also equipped with a propulsion module.

The satellite is built to precisely monitor and analyse smaller ground features and phenomena. This data can be implemented into environmental protection and defence strategies including disaster response, urban planning and national security.

Performance Specifications

The high-resolution imager onboard Rose can capture images at resolutions on the order of a few centimetres to 1 m. Rose orbits Earth in a sun-synchronous, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 499 - 517 km, with a 97.48° inclination and a period of 94.79 minutes.

Space and Hardware Components

As a small, 113 x 70 x 70 cm, 138 kg spacecraft, Rose sources power from Airbus’ Sparkwing panels and batteries. Rose was part of a multi-satellite launch, alongside three modern intelligence operation satellites Riri, Fifi and Loulou, all to be integrated into their Versatile Satellite Platform (VSP).

Rose communicates with a polar ground station in Svalbard, Norway (KSAT) for Telecommand and Monitoring (TM/TC), which will also receive payload data. An S-band uplink of 2048-2049 MHz has been used, with downlink through S-band in the 2210 - 2216 MHz range and X-band in the 8140 - 8220 MHz range.

Overview

Rose is a Very High Resolution (VHR) earth observation satellite developed by Aerospacelab Belgium. Part of the company’s quadruple satellite launch, Rose launched on March 4, 2024 aboard a Space-X Falcon-9 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Station, on the Transporter-10 mission. The satellite aims to capture detailed images of the Earth’s surface to enhance geomapping, environmental monitoring, defence and disaster response.

Spacecraft

As a small 113 x 70 x 70 cm, 138 kg spacecraft, Rose is powered by solar cells and batteries. The spacecraft highlights Aerospacelab’s growing vertical integration capabilities as it is hosted on their Versatile Satellite Platform (VSP), which employs in-house manufactured avionics subsystems.

Solar components have been sourced from Airbus’ Sparkwing, with two, single-deployable 1070 x 570 mm wings with photovoltaic assemblies (PVA), hold-down systems, release systems and deployment functions. Two panels can operate in frequencies between 1.4-5.0 Hz, requiring operational temperatures of -108°C to +112°C.

The need for a resolved satellite integration method was born from the clunky situation of using subsystems from different companies in one satellite. Each new system has various cabling, hardware and CPU (Central Processing Unit) requirements in order for the systems to mesh effectively. This inherently increases satellite load in terms of weight and hardware, slowing processing capabilities and increasing incurred costs. These key issues are tackled by their in-house systems and vertical integration to deliver speedy and efficient satellite systems.

Rose was part of a multi-satellite launch alongside three modern intelligence operation satellites Riri, Fifi and Loulou, all to be integrated into the VSP. 4) 5)

Launch

The satellite was launched on March 4, 2024 at 2.05pm PT, aboard a Space-X Falcon-9 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Station, on the Transporter-10 mission. 6)

Rose orbits Earth in a sun-synchronous, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 499 - 517 km, with a 97.48° inclination and a period of 94.79 minutes. 7)

Mission Status

• April 8, 2024: Commissioning is completed for Rose, and data processing begins. 8)
• March 4, 2024: Rose is launched aboard a Space-X Falcon-9 from Vandenberg Space Force Station on the Transporter-10 mission.

• February 29, 2024: Integration of Rose, alongside the other three payloads, is completed at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of the Transporter-10 mission.

Sensor Complement

The satellite is equipped with high-resolution imaging capabilities, allowing it to capture the Earth’s surface in pixels ranging in size from a few centimetres to less than a metre. This heightens its precise monitoring and analysis capabilities of smaller features and phenomena. This data can be implemented into environmental protection and defence strategies, disaster response, urban planning and national security. The project has been supported by the Walloon region of Belgium. 5)

Rose builds upon the capabilities of previous missions (Arthur-1, Grégoire, PVCC), and incorporates newer payload electronics and Earth-Observation Imaging Systems to heighten observational prowess. The satellite is equipped with Aerospacelab’s first self designed and manufactured telescope to heighten earth imaging capabilities.. 9) 10)  

Launched alongside Rose, the three three radio frequency sensing (RFS) satellites Riri, Fifi and Loulou will complement observation capabilities, accurately locating emission sources on Earth. 11)

Rose’s very high imaging capabilities will be complemented by the three radio frequency sensing (RFS) satellites launched alongside, Riri, Fifi and Loulou.

Ground Segment

A polar ground station in Svalbard, Norway (KSAT) will communicate with Rose for Telecommand and Monitoring (TM/TC) and receive payload data.

An S-band uplink of 2048-2049 MHz has been implemented, with downlink through S-band 2210 - 2216 MHz and X-band 8140 - 8220 MHz. 5) 8) 10)  

Aerospacelab utilises a Data Collection Software to allow clients access to historical archives or requested data capture through a private software-hardware device or a Software-as-a-Service for their global constellation. 12)

References

1) “Achieving Agility in Satellite Manufacturing”, Satellite Today. URL: https://interactive.satellitetoday.com/via/september-2024/achieving-agility-in-satellite-manufacturing 

2) “Rose” Gunter’s Space Page. URL: https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/rose.htm

3) “Sparkwing solar panels selected to power Aerospacelab’s first Very High Resolution satellite. Sparkwing”, Sparkwing, 31 March 2021. URL: https://sparkwing.space/sparkwing-solar-panels-selected-power-aerospacelabs-first-very-high-resolution-satellite/ 

4) “Aerospacelab Achieves Milestone with Quadruple Satellite Launch”, Space War. URL: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Aerospacelab_Achieves_Milestone_with_Quadruple_Satellite_Launch_999.html

5) “Aerospacelab to Launch Four Satellites on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 Mission”, Aerospacelab, 29 February, 2024. URL: https://www.aerospacelab.com/blog/press-releases-1/aerospacelab-to-launch-four-satellites-on-spacexs-transporter-10-mission-1

6) “Successful deployment for Aerospacelab’s four new satellites”, Aerospacelab, 6 March 2024.  URL: https://www.aerospacelab.com/blog/blog-articles-2/successful-deployment-for-aerospacelabs-four-new-satellites-2

7) “VSP ROSE, 59124”, SATCAT. URL:https://www.satcat.com/sats/59124 

8) “Aerospacelab satellites are operational post-launch”, Aerospacelab, 8 April 2024. URL: https://www.aerospacelab.com/blog/press-releases-1/aerospacelab-satellites-are-operational-post-launch-17 

9) “Launch Payload Data 2024-043”, orbit.ing-now.com. URL:https://orbit.ing-now.com/launch/payload/data/2024-043/

10) Bourgeat, Pierre L Dorian. “Environmental Impact Assessment”, Aerospacelab, 2023. URL: https://www.belspo.be/belspo/space/documents/2023-03_ANN2.pdf

11) “White Paper: Radio Frequency Sensing”. Aerospacelab, 2024. URL: https://www.aerospacelab.com/document/share/45/a09d6c5e-beec-4696-990e-df2bbb9761bd

12) Aerospacelab. URL: https://www.aerospacelab.com/