Milani
Milani CubeSat inside the Tyvak International cleanroom
Mission typeDeep Space CubeSat and Asteroid orbiter
OperatorEuropean Space Agency
Websitewww.heramission.space/hera-mission-milani-cubesat
Mission durationPlanned: 6 months on orbit
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type6UXL CubeSat
ManufacturerTyvak International
Launch mass12 kg (26 lb)
Dimensions13 x 24.6 x 36.6 cm
PowerSolar array x 2
Start of mission
Launch date7 October 2024 (planned)[1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
ContractorSpaceX
Deployed fromHera (space mission)
65803 Didymos orbiter
Orbital insertion2026

Milani is a CubeSat developed by Tyvak International together with a consortium of partner companies, universities, and research institutes from Italy, Finland, and the Czech Republic for the European Space Agency, to examine 65803 Didymos asteroid following Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impact. Together with Juventas, it will be carried by the HERA mothercraft from the Low Earth Orbit to the Didymos binary system of asteroids, where it will be deployed to start its mission.

Milani was appropriately named after the Italian mathematician and astronomer Andrea Milani, a leading figure in Europe’s space science community, and a pioneer of asteroid risk analysis.​

Spacecraft

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The Milani CubeSat is a 6UXL spacecraft [2] of 13 x 24.6 x 36.6 cm, with a weight of 12 kg. Its energy is provided by deployable two solar arrays. It is 3-axis stabilized and the attitude is maintained by 3 reaction wheels, 4 sun sensors, one star tracker, one inertial measurement unit and two cold gas propulsion systems.

 
View of the Milani CubeSat instruments
 
View of the Milani CubeSat instruments

The development of the spacecraft has been carried out by a consortium[3] of partner companies, universities, and research institutes from Europe:

Propulsion

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Milani is equipped with two IANUS cold gas propulsion systems, developed by T4i in collaboration with Tyvak International. They provide up to six degrees of freedom, can be used both for attitude control and orbit manuevers.

Autonomous Navigation

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The spacecraft is also equipped with a navigation camera [4] developed by the collabroation between Tyvak International and the Deep-space Astrodynamics Research & Technology (DART) Group of the Politecnico di Milano, that will help Milani to autonomously navigate and perform scientific operations. A LIDAR is also present on the satellite, and considering the relatively small range, it is complementary to the primary NavCam.

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Once released, communication between ground and Milani would be achieved through an Inter-Satellite Link between Milani and Hera [4], using the mothercraft as data relay.

Scientific Payloads

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Hyperspectral imager (ASPECT)

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The primary payload on Milani is the miniaturized hyperspectral imager (ASPECT) developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Volatile In-Situ Thermogravimetre Analyser (VISTA)

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The secondary payload on Milani is the Volatitle In-Situ Thermogravimetre Analyser (VISTA) developed by INAF.

References

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  1. ^ "Hera". ESA. September 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  2. ^ "AIT and System Level Verification for ESA Interplanetary Cubesats (Juventas and Milani), ready to piggyback on the ESA Hera Mission".
  3. ^ "CubeSat will sift asteroid secrets from reflected sunshine".
  4. ^ a b "The Hera Milani Mission".
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