CubeSat deep space X-band TT&C transponder (C-DST)

In recent years, there has been a clear trend of space mission projects to include planetary small spacecraft (e.g., CubeSats) that fly as secondary payloads, and are deployed at destinations to perform missions and communicate via the main spacecraft or direct to Earth. The added value for planetary science and exploration is twofold: (a) enhance primary science objectives; (b) enable new science and exploration in new, potentially dangerous environments. Furthermore, these small companion missions can be an excellent platform for testing novel technology demonstrators. In addition, science investigators are usually more inclined to accept higher risk by exploring dangerous/unknown environments using relatively low-cost platforms. Recent examples of this paradigm are the Mars Cube One (MarCO, launched on May 5th, 2018 (with the Insight mission to Mars). This was the first ever interplanetary CubeSats flown in deep space, and these twin communications-relay CubeSats were built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Another example is ESA’s proposed Miniaturised - Asteroid Remote Geophysical Observer’, or M-ARGO, a nano-spacecraft based on the CubeSat design employing a 12-unit CubeSat, that would hitch a ride on the launch of a larger space mission, to study a little-known class of asteroid: small in size and rapidly spinning. A key element of all these missions is the communication system, which needs to be DSN/ESTRACK compatible, small, light, and not power-hungry. Such a unit does not exist in Europe, at the moment. Bearing in mind JPL’s IRIS unit as a benchmark, we preliminarily proposed to ESA, in Feb 2019, our technical solution prepared by a consortium (IMT srl, Thales Alenia Space Italy, Sitael and CIRI Aerospace of University of Bologna) which brings together all necessary know-how and expertise in the field of CubeSat and SmallSat technologies, digital and analog RF TT&C systems, power systems, radio science experiments. Currently, the Project is in the MAIT phase. This paper describes the results gained so far in the design and development of the Model to be validated/qualified in view of LUMIO and M-ARGO (ESA missions) and HENON (ASI/ESA mission).