Case Study

Plan-S Designs Satellite Constellations With STK Software

“At Plan-S, our digital engineering strategy focuses on leveraging simulation tools across multiple engineering domains to optimize satellite and constellation design..”

— Umut Kızılyamaç
Systems Engineer, Plan-S

How Plan-S Is Using Digital Engineering to Grow the New Space Economy

The new space economy (NSE) refers to an increasingly commercial space industry in which private companies are helping to advance space exploration. Plan-S aims to be a key driver of the NSE by utilizing digital engineering tools to make significant advancements in satellite design and operations. “Plan-S was founded to make space technologies faster, more accessible, and more impactful,” says Umut Kızılyamaç, systems engineer at Plan-S.

Through its innovative satellite technology, Plan-S hopes to enable real-world environmental, economic, and societal benefits.

Challenges

Advancing satellite and satellite constellation technologies requires overcoming several challenges. These include balancing reductions in costs and development time with optimizing performance and achieving mission requirements, such as sufficient constellation coverage and thermal stability.

Further, each satellite mission type presents additional hurdles for the Plan-S team to overcome, such as link budget constraints, power limitations, and regulatory boundaries.

The Plan-S Connecta IoT Network Constellation

Engineering Solutions

“STK software has been an invaluable tool across multiple mission phases at Plan-S,” says Kızılyamaç. For instance, Plan-S used STK digital engineering software to:

Refine satellite designs by performing comprehensive analyses (including thermal, structural, and radiation) across both subsystems and full systems
Validate mission requirements
Determine optimal satellite configurations and paths, including planning satellite initial passes, analyzing ground station passes, confirming appropriate coverage, and ensuring a smooth transition from Earth to in-orbit operation
Manage collision risks during operation
Achieve a new patent for optimizing the solar panel tilt angle of its satellites

A potential energy application of the Plan-S Connecta IoT Network Constellation

Benefits

By using digital engineering solutions, Plan-S is able to:

Reduce design cycle times while improving satellite performance and reliability
Enhance mission success by performing comprehensive system validation, improving operational efficiency, and minimizing risks
Achieve the scalability necessary to launch nine additional satellites in 2025, expanding its Internet of Things (IoT) and Earth observation constellations

“Ultimately, simulation helps us de-risk the design process, reduce development time, and ensure that the final constellation meets both technical and operational goals,” says Kızılyamaç.

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Technology Used

Ansys Systems Tool Kit® (STK®) digital mission engineering software
STK software’s Astrogator capability

Company Description

The vision of Plan-S is to aid humanity’s transition to satellite-based solutions as a premier space technology company. The company designs, builds, and operates Earth observation and IoT connectivity satellites and satellite constellations that can help address pressing global challenges. Through its work, Plan-S aims to make space technologies more agile, accessible, and impactful, driving progress toward a sustainable space economy.

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