Roger Birkeland | Norwegian University of Science and Technology (original) (raw)

Papers by Roger Birkeland

New Space, 2017

Authors: Laszlo Bacsardi, Roger Birkeland, Andreas Hornig, Mansoor Shar, Brandon Morrison, Yevgen... more Authors: Laszlo Bacsardi, Roger Birkeland, Andreas Hornig, Mansoor Shar, Brandon Morrison, Yevgeny Tsodikovich
During the Space Generation Congress 2015, held in Jerusalem, Israel, students and young professionals representing 14 countries participated in the Space Communication—Space Internet working group. The group investigated the possibilities, risks, and opportunities of using satellites, drones, and high-altitude balloons to provide widespread access to the internet. The group focused on one of the barriers for worldwide connectivity—the lack of economic viability for providing internet access using land infrastructure, and the possible solutions that will address this problem. As a result of these findings, the working group participants proposed several recommendations. These recommendations take into account the numerous challenges that come with developing air- and space-based internet access; whether it be by balloons, drones, satellites, or a combination of these. These challenges range from acquiring regulatory approval to technical and practical limitations, such as the potential for damage to property and issues related to orbital debris. Due to our group's consensus that worldwide internet availability would ultimately be beneficial, given both humanitarian and economic concerns for poor and wealthy nations alike, we propose 4 “game changing” ideas that have the potential to positively impact the space economy. We first suggest that market studies be conducted to illustrate demand for the service. With sufficient demand, a phased approach to the solution should then be instituted. We further propose that national governments, which currently are not involved in the projects, serve as anchor tenants and expedite regulatory processes. Finally, to ensure commercial sustainability, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be considered potential distribution partners for the system. Our article deals with the current status and the future of space-based internet services, and details our recommendations.

2017 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), 2017

—In recent years, the interest for the Arctic area has been increasing. Harvesting of scientific ... more —In recent years, the interest for the Arctic area has been increasing. Harvesting of scientific data and environmental monitoring are key activities. The Arctic has poor communication infrastructure, both by terrestrial and satellite systems. Launching a free-flying constellation of small Cube-Sats is one proposal to help mitigate this service gap. CubeSats are traditionally built with industrial-grade components, which reduces the development time and hardware cost. Since the cost of one satellite is low, it is possible to launch several together. The CubeSats are generally launched without any station keeping capabilities, as this increases cost and complexity in both the production and operational phase. Without station keeping, the swarm satellites will drift relatively to each other. The governing parameter of the drift is the velocity difference of the satellites at the time of deployment. This paper shows how a freely drifting swarm can improve the coverage for sensor networks in the Arctic, when an effort is made to optimize this velocity difference at deployment. E.g., a free-flying constellation of three satellites will have better coverage properties than a fixed two-satellite constellation for more than 80% of the time.

The work performed in this project is part of the Test Satellite student project at the Norwegian... more The work performed in this project is part of the Test Satellite student project at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Setting up a ground station for CubeSats is a complex task requiring considerable resources and knowledge in several fields. Extensive work
and time is required if all modules and parts of the base station are developed from scratch.
This work is an effort to simplify the development process by creating a module/building block for receiving, sending and displaying CubeSat data.
Communication with the satellites is achieved through a software defined radio. A network protocol called CubeSat Space Protocol is used. The protocol unwrapping software will run as a background process on a web server, continuously listening for data transmissions from the satellite. Communication between the software defined radio framework and the server will use User Datagram Protocol or Transmission Control Protocol. Whenever a packet is received
its content should be written to the server, either to a database or to a text file, ensuring a persistent data structure.
The data stored to the server shall be accessed through a graphical user interface taking the form of a web page. It is written in Python using the Django web framework, making it easy to extend and maintain.
The GUI will also have the ability to send simple commands to the satellite, requesting data transfers or in other ways command the satellite. The commands will be stored as a time tag list and transferred when the satellite is in range. Commands, defined through Django’s
administrative pages, are given via a text field.
Even though the project is part of the NTNU Test Satellite project the framework is developed to be accessible and allow for uncomplicated integration into other projects. The only required protocols are CubeSat Space Protocol and User Datagram Protocol or Transmission
Control Protocol. Our goal is that a module of this kind, if user-friendly in its interface and implementation, may boost the motivation for creating a global network of base stations. Such a network which would ensure continuous contact with CubeSats through their orbits.

For users and systems located in the high north, communication is a difficult task. This is due t... more For users and systems located in the high north, communication is a difficult task. This is due to a challenging climate, missing land-based infrastructure and also a lack of suitable satellite systems. For example, operation of remote sensors and sensor networks in this area is more challenging compared to operation in areas with better infrastructure. A growing interest in the Arctic for economic reasons, and the recent developing changes in climate, cause many parties to see a greater use of the Arctic area in the future and an increasing need for infrastructure. In this paper we will present some existing satellite communication systems and some pro-posed communication systems that could serve as an example of systems to relay information from a sensor network located in the Arctic area. By looking at the existing systems, a gap in service coverage for users in the Arctic area is revealed. The lack of coverage in the Arctic area is widely recognized, but there are only a few pro...

For users and systems located in the high north, communication is a difficult task. This is due t... more For users and systems located in the high north, communication is a difficult task. This is due to a challenging climate, missing land-based infrastructure and a lack of suitable satellite systems. For example, operation of remote sensors and sensor networks in this area is more challenging compared to operation in areas with better infrastructure. A growing interest in the Arctic for economic reasons and the recent developing changes in climate causes many parties to see a greater use of the Arctic area in the future and an increasing need for infrastructure. In this paper, we will discuss and present how a small satellite with a suitable payload can be used as node in a sensor network. For many systems and services, a high bandwidth system is needed or at least preferable. For other systems and networks, a narrow band system can be sufficient. In the CAMOS (Coastal and Marine Operations and Surveillance) project at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), we are stud...

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has been involved in two previous CubeS... more The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has been involved in two previous CubeSat projects (nCube-1 and -2). The current CubeSat project, NTNU Test Satellite (NUTS), is part of the national student satellite program in Norway, and our project is meant to be a genuine student satellite project. Initially the plan was to base all the work, except project management, on students master's thesis. One of the major experiences from the nCube-projects was that such a complex project hardly could be handled by students only. However, even if the project manager resides in the project for a long time, the work force is ever changing. Due to the nature of the ed-ucation program at NTNU, students usually spend a maximum of 9 months as a project member. In this period, they need to understand the complexity of the project as a whole and their own part in the system as responsible for a subsystem or part of such. Further they need to understand and evaluate previous works, ...

The NTNU Test Satellite (NUTS) project is a student satellite project at the Norwegian University... more The NTNU Test Satellite (NUTS) project is a student satellite project at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The project is part of the national student satellite program in Norway, managed by the Norwegian Centre for Space related Education, NAROM. The NUTS project aims to design, develop, test, launch and operate a double CubeSat by 2014. Students from different study programs will do the main part of the work, supported by project management and technical staff. The work will be per-formed as part of the student's project-and master thesis. The design has been chosen to be generic and modular, so the satellite-bus can support dif-ferent payloads. As a payload for this satellite, an IR-camera will be imple-mented. Recruitment and education of skillful students constitute a main part of the projects goals. Through hands-on experience, the students will be able to master different skills needed in their jobs after graduation. NTNU is a university offering ...

This paper will deal with the educational benefits and challenges for the Norwegian student satel... more This paper will deal with the educational benefits and challenges for the Norwegian student satellite program, ANSAT. The program has been running since 2007 and will end in 2014. The paper will present the main goal and organization of the ANSAT management, the three satellite teams, and the actual program. The three satellites and how the different institutions deal with their local project, student organization, staff and resources are presented. The paper also present the status of the three satellites, how they cooperate with each other and with the industry. The lessons learned since the program started in 2007 are presented, especially the challenge of continuity associated with student projects running over long periods.

The NUTS (NTNU Test Satellite) is a satellite being built in a student CubeSat project at the Nor... more The NUTS (NTNU Test Satellite) is a satellite being built in a student CubeSat project at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The project was started in September 2010 and is a part of the Norwegian student satellite program run by NAROM (Norwegian Centre for Spacerelated Education). The NUTS project goals are to design, manufacture and launch a double CubeSat by 2014. As the payload an IR-camera observing waves in the air-glow layer is planned, as well as a short-range RF experiment. The satellite will fly two transceivers in the amateur radio bands. Final year master students from several departments are the main contributors in the project.

Emerging technologies of CubeSat communication and navigation systems enable new approaches such ... more Emerging technologies of CubeSat communication and navigation systems enable new approaches such as larger bandwidths, spectrum and security decrement and high speed communications. In order to create a vantage point, young professionals and students from the four corners of the earth had performed a comprehensive study at the 2014 Space Generation Congress in Toronto, Canada under "CubeSat Swarms Communication Networks and Policy Challenges" working group. While potential possibilities are endless for the structure of Cubesat networks, decisions made amongst the group were based on existing technologies and guidelines. Therefore, the working group discussed (1) short and long term technical challenges (2) policy requirements, (3) radio communication bandwidth limitations, (4) data collection and transmission regulations and (5) the standardization of the CubeSat communication system. Technical challenges for small satellite missions involve limitations of link budgets, the size of the deployable high gain antennas, optical and laser communication and the restriction of the link budget due to the interferences. In addition, policy issues have immaturities for frequency allocation and registration complimenting the short lifespan of CubeSats. The standardization of mission operations enables a space communication network architecture that of which is similar to the internet, incorporated into CubeSat Swarms. The group suggests a CubeSat network system architecture including inter-swarm and intra-swarm constellations, optical and laser communications and delay-tolerant networks (DTN). The proposed CubeSat communication network also consists of inter-swarm constellation communications along with intra-swarm constellations sustained through four different basic data links, a mother-daughter satellite framework, and net-neutrality throughout the network. In the meantime, policy regulation recommendations allow global communication by reducing data downlink time. Governments, as well as service providers, treat all data used online the same regardless of its origins, platform, and users. The standardization of the CubeSat network system was formed by operator expectations for high downlink speeds, equal priority for data transfers, and streamlined registrations. The simplified registration process for CubeSat-Swarms is more efficient by establishing new baseline legal framework, rules, and standards. This would help all users and operators in this sector, including entrepreneurs, licensing bodies, and end-users. Saving time for everyone while achieving maximum efficiency, utilization of the time and results are the end result of proposed system architecture by the working group.

Conference Presentations by Roger Birkeland

The lack of infrastructure in maritime and Arctic regions has a strong impact on many operations ... more The lack of infrastructure in maritime and Arctic regions has a strong impact on many operations , such as the retrieval of scientific data. Nowadays, data logged during these operations must either be collected by manned missions or transmitted over existing satellite links. Unfortunately, both methods face challenges regarding availability, as well as energy and link budget constraints. When considering the throughput of existing satellite links, the effective amount of data that can be transmitted is limited by the links' throughput, periodicity and economic cost. Consequently, it is a common practice to visit research sites in order to manually collect data recorded over extensive time periods, usually spanning from several months to years. However, manual collection of research data, in particular in harsh maritime environments, poses a risk to crews and also incurs significant costs. In order to overcome current communication limitations, the use of small satellites and unmanned vehicles for remote and in-situ sensing has been proposed by several authors. This is motivated by the growing availability of small satellite platforms as well as by the foreseen increase in launch availability, enabling the creation of novel dedicated small satellite missions. Constellations or swarms of small satellites, such as CubeSats, can work together with other unmanned vehicles and play a key role in integrated communication systems. Unmanned vehicles can act as relay nodes or as data mules. The relay node can be used when a vehicle or small satellite is simultaneously in communication-range with research sites and supporting infrastructure, such as other relay nodes. Alternatively, data-mules may also cover regions outside the range of existing infrastructure and reach distant research sites where data is being gathered. In the area of destination, data-mules collect and store data, delivering in when returning to supporting infrastructure. In this paper, we propose an integrated network, consisting of a combination of dedicated small satellite systems and unmanned vehicles to help in scientific data retrieval in remote locations. The main contribution consists in addressing the communication challenges of heterogeneous unmanned platforms and how they can support different scenarios and experiments. The proposed approach is defined and described in a testbed suitable for a selected set of maritime scenarios.

The Norwegian Student satellite program was established in 2007 and is now coming to an end. Afte... more The Norwegian Student satellite program was established in 2007 and is now coming to an end. After running the program for several years, the tangible output from the program is one CubeSat in orbit and two still under construction. This paper gives an overview of the achievements during this period. The student satellite program had several goals, not limited only to the launch of 3 CubeSats. Several students have attended conferences and workshops; some presented their work at international conferences or even published their work in scientific papers. There are multiple spin-off projects and lessons learned from this program. Some examples of these, in addition to the main results from the satellite program will be presented. An analysis of which of the objectives have been accomplished and why others have not been reached will be presented. During the project period, there has been an increasing interest in continuing work with student satellites at university level. Two participating universities now have ongoing activities on scientific payloads for CubeSats for various applications. Andøya Space Center has, together with partners, investigated the possibility of establishing a launch facility for nano-and micro satellites. If this becomes a reality, it will open many opportunities for universities and the space industry in Norway. Space technology is often a strong field of interest for young students, and can be an important recruitment factor for STEM studies.

Space technology plays an ever larger role in our society, even though most people are unaware of... more Space technology plays an ever larger role in our society, even though most people are unaware of this fact. Luckily, an increasing interest in space technology among students has been observed over the last years. At some universities, space related courses are available as part of a physics degree or an engineering degree with a special focus on e.g. satellite communications or aerospace engineering. In Norway, there exists no specialized aerospace education resulting in a Bachelor or Master's degree. Introductory courses and project work, both within the curriculum and as volunteer activities, are used as a " first contact " between students, space technology and space industry. At NTNU project classes such as the multidisciplinary group work course Experts in Teamwork (EiT) and more long term group projects, such as the NUTS project are examples of this. Many students are very fond of space and space technology and it is often a motivational factor for STEM-studies in general. Unfortunately, only a few students get the chance to directly work with space technology during their studies. Space related project work will therefore further nourish the space interest. Even if the space industry in Norway is quite substantial with a turnover of around 640 M EUR / year, it is fairly unknown both to most students as well as to the general public. As a consequence, space related job opportunities (both nationally and internationally) are not well known. An improved connection between students and the industry will hopefully lead to the most motivated students getting relevant industry jobs after graduation. The industry plays an important role in making relevant jobs both known and available. This year, the Kongsberg Group launched the Starburst summer intern program in close cooperation with NAROM. Even without any aerospace program, several space related projects are available at NTNU. One example is NTNU Test Satellite (NUTS) where students are designing and prototyping hardware and software for a CubeSat. EiT offers a wide range of topics. Projects are diverse and spans from creating a " Mars lab " on Earth, working as part of an international project investigating how to better track satellites during the initial launch phase or building new payloads for a student rocket in close cooperation with NAROM. As space technology is international and multidisciplinary, it is important to allow students to both share and gain experiences by participating at relevant international conferences and workshops .

During the Space Generation Congress 2015, held in Jerusalem, Israel, students and young professi... more During the Space Generation Congress 2015, held in Jerusalem, Israel, students and young professionals representing 14 countries participated in the Space Communication-Space Internet working group. The group investigated the possibilities, risks, and opportunities of using satellites, drones, and high altitude balloons to provide widespread access to the internet. The group focused on one of the barriers for worldwide connectivity-the lack of economic viability of providing internet access using land infrastructure, and the possible solutions that will address this problem. As a result of these findings, the working group participants proposed several recommendations. These recommendations take into account the numerous challenges that come with developing air and space-based internet access; whether it be via balloons, drones, satellites or a combination of these. These challenges range from acquiring regulatory approval to technical and practical limitations, such as the potential for damage to property and issues related to orbital debris. Due to our group's consensus that worldwide internet availability would ultimately be beneficial, given both humanitarian and economic concerns for poor and wealthy nations alike, we propose four " game changing " ideas that have the potential to positively impact the space economy. We first suggest that market studies be conducted to illustrate demand for the service. With sufficient demand, a phased approach to the solution should then be instituted. We further propose that national governments serve as anchor tenants and expedite regulatory processes. Finally, to ensure commercial sustainability, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be considered as potential distribution partners for the system. Our paper deals with the current status and the future of space-based internet services and details our recommendations.

With highly distributed and internet-connected systems, global community driven sensor networks b... more With highly distributed and internet-connected systems, global community driven sensor networks become possible and offer new opportunities for existing monitoring services to augment and expand their mission goals. The mission statement for the Distributed Ground Station Network, a novel network concept of small ground-stations which are connected via the internet for performing automatic scans for satellite and other beacon signals, was initiated under the slogan "measuring everything". It was selected due to the usage of Software Defined Radio (SDR) systems, which allows an operation beyond the main task of an open service for satellites realizing this worldwide broadband RF-spectrum analyser. During the European Space Agency (ESA) Summer of Code in Space 2014 (SOCIS), further possible fields of application of the DGSN were investigated. It was evaluated that the RF-spectrum is not only an important limited resource for space exploration and services, but also for terrestrial services. The permanent and global monitoring of it would allow to have direct value to the general public and its regulatory committees like the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and it would provide indirect and basic research of artificial and natural phenomenons, which can be measured by its influence on certain bands of the RF-spectrum. For achieving this, it was proposed to commission the network of ground stations in multiple phases which ultimately lead to the capability to fully track satellite and beacon signals. The ongoing first phase consists of the deployment of a sensor network equipped with low-cost software defined radio devices for ground based monitoring of the radio spectrum between 50 MHz and 2 GHz. During the testing phase it is intended to integrate it with the existing Constellation infrastructure, a globally distributed network of 60,000 PCs, which could serve as sensor nodes. This paper describes the development undertaken that enables the global monitoring of the RF-spectrum and the navigation services as a citizen science project. It starts with the critical mission points and architecture drivers and will conclude the integration in the overall system of the Distributed Ground Station Network and its benefit for the new space community. It will put an emphasis on the open-sourcing of software and hardware for the sensors and post-processing, due to several reasons like personal data-security and fostering creative use of this data. Furthermore, it is an official project of the NASA Space Applications Challenge 2015 to involve the community in the development and big-data analysis.

The development of CubeSats allows for the conception and implementation of new approaches and te... more The development of CubeSats allows for the conception
and implementation of new approaches and technologies.
In this paper we present a spin-off and technology inno-
vation resulting from the NTNU Test Satellite (NUTS).
NUTS is a 2U CubeSat under development by students
of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. The satellite is due to
launch in 2017 and is based upon in-house developments.
We will describe the innovative carbon-fibre frame, ra-
dio systems and proposals for an infrared camera for at-
mospheric gravity waves observations. A NUTS spin-
off, the Cosmic Particle Telescope (CPT-SCOPE), will be
presented in greater detail since it has been selected for
the BEXUS 20 campaign in autumn 2015. CPT-SCOPE
is a Norwegian-German compact radiation monitor pro-
totype developed by students.

The NTNU Test Satellite (NUTS-1) is an educational CubeSat project aiming to launch a student des... more The NTNU Test Satellite (NUTS-1) is an educational CubeSat project aiming to launch a student designed and manufactured satellite. The project is one of three participants in the Nor-wegian CubeSat program ANSAT. The current primary goal is to have an engineering model ready by August of 2016. Communication with the ground segment will be in the VHF and UHF bands, allowing for full duplex transmission. The ground segment will be based upon a Software Defined Radio (SDR) to enable an easier and more flexible configuration. The SDR-platform used is the Ettus Research USRP, supported by a GNU Radio implementation on a computer. The link layer packet protocol implemented in the prototype is NGHam, a link protocol partly inspired by AX.25. In order to improve the link reliability, it features Reed Solomon codes for Forward Error Correction (FEC). This makes the data transmission more robust compared to i.e. AX.25, which does not implement FEC on the link layer directly. The required GNU Radio modules have been designed and implemented. An end-to-end communication between the USRP and the NUTS VHF module has been proved. A ground station based on traditional HAM radio equipment requires several bits of hardware, such as a radio, TNC or third part modems in order to enable packet transmission. By replacing this with a SDR setup the ground station will be more flexible; it will be easier to receive data from different satellites that might be using different link protocols and message formats. Utilising open source software, such as GNU Radio, gives radio amateurs around the world the opportunity to receive data from NUTS using cheap SDR hardware such as the RTLSDR USB dongles. Finally, as an SDR system can support a wide range of frequency bands, it will be easy for other project groups to implement support for their satellite mission using such an SDR based system. Support for other link protocols can easily be implemented. Messages received from the satellite(s) can easily be made available online.

New Space, 2017

2017 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), 2017

For users and systems located in the high north, communication is a difficult task. This is due t... more For users and systems located in the high north, communication is a difficult task. This is due to a challenging climate, missing land-based infrastructure and a lack of suitable satellite systems. For example, operation of remote sensors and sensor networks in this area is more challenging compared to operation in areas with better infrastructure. A growing interest in the Arctic for economic reasons and the recent developing changes in climate causes many parties to see a greater use of the Arctic area in the future and an increasing need for infrastructure. In this paper, we will discuss and present how a small satellite with a suitable payload can be used as node in a sensor network. For many systems and services, a high bandwidth system is needed or at least preferable. For other systems and networks, a narrow band system can be sufficient. In the CAMOS (Coastal and Marine Operations and Surveillance) project at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), we are stud...

In recent years, CubeSats have evolved from mere toys and technology demonstrators into real tool... more In recent years, CubeSats have evolved from mere toys and technology demonstrators into real tools for remote sensing, communications and other services. Since the satellites' lifetimes are short by design, they must constantly be replenished in order to maintain a continuous service. CubeSats are traditionally built with COTS components, which reduces the development time and hardware cost. This makes the satellites well suited for replenishment. CubeSats are often power-or data-throughput limited. It can therefore be beneficial to launch several CubeSats together. The desired service can then be based on a CubeSat swarm where the load is shared between the swarm members. The CubeSats are generally launched without any station keeping capabilities, as it increases cost and complexity in the production phase and the operational phase. Without station keeping, the swarm satellites will drift relative to each other. This means that the level of coverage and service will change with time. The governing parameter of the drift is the relative velocity difference received at the time of deployment. This work focuses on a swarm of CubeSats with payloads providing a communication infrastructure for an Arctic sensor network. Central issues for the space-as well as the ground-segment are presented. The space segment shows the properties related to deploying and operating a swarm of Cube-Sats in polar orbit, covering the high Arctic area. For the ground segment, fundamental operation aspects are discussed, as well as the degree of expected service improvement compared to using only one satellite or a well-designed constellation with station keeping. A key element of this mission scenario is the orbit determination of the drifting CubeSats. For this, solutions based on services like NORAD's CelesTrak and a Distributed Ground Station Network (DGSN) are discussed as possible solutions. All solutions are compared with respect to the requirements of availability of service, including scalability and load-sharing. The focus here will be on a dedicated service controlled and operated by the CubeSat mission itself and a crowd-sourced citizen science approach based on the " Internet of Things " (IoT).