The Columbus polar platform (PPF) system requirements, configuration, payload complement model, subsystem concepts, and operational aspects are discussed. The PPF is intended to be a large general purpose spacecraft supporting scientific and operational users in a high inclination Earth orbit. Earth observations represent a large percentage of the potential user community, whose requirements essentially determine the design and performance of the PPF. The PPF design is planned to be relatively classical and conservative except for technology for an on-orbit servicing, maintenance, and upgrading capability to extend the life of this large vehicle, and in particular repair, upgrade, and modernize in-orbit the user instruments on board of the PPF, and to bring new instruments up to the PPF at determined intervals after the launch of the spacecraft and its initial payload complement.
ESA (European Space Agency) Columbus Polar Platform Design Concept
1986
4 pages
Report
No indication
English
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