Design and performance of the flash satellite “Ladybeetle-1”

Abstract

The first satellite which can flash Morse code on orbit is introduced in this paper. The design of the system includes light energy estimation, attitude mode design, elevation angle analysis and flash time design. It is a 100 kg satellite with two LED arrays on 547 km. When it flashes, the satellite points to the observation location. The LED rays flash as the rule of Morse code. The satellite was sent to the orbit in Dec 2018 and the test of flash was completed within one month after then. The photo taken by star sensor can compare the apparent magnitude by the gray level. The results of the analysis show that the satellite can achieve 0 apparent magnitude, which is consistent with the design of the system. As a meaningful scientific experiment, “Ladybeetle-1” links space technology with popular science education and also provides a reference for space applications.