Slide 1 – Title & Context
On the slide:
Title:
STK Analysis & Philippine Space Systems Integration
Simulation of End-of-Life Satellite (Diwata-1) Deorbiting Maneuvers in STK
Bullets:
• End-of-life deorbit simulation for Diwata-1
• Focus: STK modeling + PH space facilities
• Aligns with debris mitigation and space sustainability
Small text at bottom:
Sources: NASA ODPO, IADC, ESA Space Debris Office, PhilSA PEDRO
Script (what you say):
“Good day everyone, I’ll be presenting the part of our project that focuses on Systems Tool Kit,
or STK, analysis, and the integration of Philippine space systems laboratories into our
mission design. Our main topic is the simulation of end-of-life deorbiting maneuvers for
Diwata-1, which is the first Philippine microsatellite placed in low Earth orbit. In this
presentation, my role is to show how we used STK conceptually to model orbital decay,
coverage, and communication performance, and then connect those results to real facilities such
as the PEDRO Ground Station and other local laboratories.
This is important because international guidelines from NASA, ESA, and the IADC emphasize
that satellites in low Earth orbit must have a clear disposal or deorbit plan to reduce the
buildup of space debris. At the same time, our professor’s instructions ask us not just to design a
mission on paper, but to make sure it is consistent with the actual capabilities of Philippine
space infrastructure. So, in my part, I will first explain how we set up the orbit and decay
modeling in STK, then I’ll discuss coverage and link budget analysis, and finally I’ll show how
the Philippine laboratories fit into assembly, integration, testing, and end-of-life monitoring for
this mission.”
Slide 2 – STK Orbit Design & Decay Modeling
On the slide:
Title:
STK Orbit Design & Decay Modeling
Bullets:
• Initial orbit from Diwata-1 TLE (Sun-synchronous, ~400–420 km)
• Use of HPOP + NRLMSISE-00 atmospheric model
• Includes drag, gravity harmonics, and space weather inputs
• Output: semi-major axis, perigee/apogee decay, reentry estimate
Footnote:
Tools: STK HPOP, NRLMSISE-00, Space-Track TLEs
Script (what you say):
“For the orbit design and analysis, we started by reconstructing the actual orbit of Diwata-1
using Two-Line Element sets or TLEs, which can be obtained from Space-Track and other
tracking databases. Diwata-1 was placed in a Sun-synchronous orbit at roughly 400 to 420
kilometers altitude with an inclination of about 97.5 degrees, and a period of around 90
minutes, which is typical for Earth observation microsatellites.
Inside STK, we first used the standard SGP4 propagator to match the historical orbit, and then
we switched to the High Precision Orbit Propagator, or HPOP, to model long-term orbital
decay more accurately. HPOP is important because it includes higher-order Earth gravity
harmonics, third-body effects from the Sun and Moon, and most importantly, atmospheric
drag. For the atmosphere, we selected the NRLMSISE-00 model, which is the same model used
by many NASA and ESA studies to estimate density at different altitudes based on solar flux
and geomagnetic activity.
We then analyzed how the semi-major axis, perigee, and apogee altitudes decreased over time
as drag continuously removed energy from the orbit. The simulation shows that as Diwata-1
slowly descends, the orbit becomes more sensitive to space weather conditions. Periods of high
solar activity increase atmospheric density and can accelerate the decay by up to tens of
percent, which is consistent with published studies on LEO satellite decay. Finally, we identified
reentry when the perigee altitude dropped into the 80 to 120 kilometer range, where thermal
loads cause the structure to break up, in line with NASA’s reentry survivability guidelines and
IADC debris mitigation criteria.”
Slide 3 – Coverage Analysis with PEDRO Ground
Station
On the slide:
Title:
Coverage Analysis – Diwata-1 & PEDRO Ground Station
Bullets:
• Modeled access between Diwata-1 and PEDRO (Quezon / Davao)
• Parameters: pass duration, revisit time, elevation angle
• Decay → shorter period, slightly more frequent passes
• ADCS degradation → impacts effective communication despite access
Footnote:
Facility: PhilSA PEDRO Ground Station
Script (what you say):
“Next, we used STK to perform a coverage analysis between Diwata-1 and the PEDRO
Ground Station, which is the main Philippine ground segment facility for telemetry, tracking,
and command. In the simulation, we inserted facilities at the actual latitude and longitude of
PEDRO’s Quezon and Davao stations and applied a realistic elevation mask of about 10
degrees, which is typical for S-band ground stations to avoid interference and low-elevation
losses.
STK’s access tool allowed us to compute pass duration, revisit time, and the look angles for
every pass. At roughly 400 kilometers, Diwata-1 typically has 5 to 12-minute passes over the
Philippines, with revisits on the order of 90 to 100 minutes, which matches published
performance for Sun-synchronous satellites. As the orbit decays, the orbital period becomes
slightly shorter, so the satellite passes become slightly more frequent, but the geometry of the
passes remains consistent with the inclination and local time of ascending node.
However, one important factor we highlight is that, even if STK shows good access and
visibility, actual communication can be degraded when the attitude determination and control
system begins to fail. As Diwata-1’s reaction wheels and magnetorquers degrade, it may start to
tumble, causing the antenna to misalign from the ground station. This means that the ground
station might still ‘see’ the satellite from a geometric standpoint, but the signal strength and
link quality can drop significantly. Our coverage results therefore help define the final window
where telemetry is realistically obtainable before the spacecraft becomes completely non-
responsive.”
Slide 4 – Link Budget Analysis in STK
On the slide:
Title:
STK Link Budget Analysis – S-Band TT&C
Bullets:
• Modeled Diwata-1 S-band downlink to PEDRO
• Inputs: TX power, antenna gains, system noise temperature
• Outputs: C/N₀, Eb/N₀, link margin vs. altitude
• Tumbling → loss of pointing, reduction in link margin
Footnote:
Based on NASA small spacecraft comms & ECSS standards
Script (what you say):
“We then extended the analysis to a link budget using STK’s Communications Module. In this
part, we treated Diwata-1 as having a typical S-band transmitter with about 1 to 2 watts of RF
power and a small patch antenna with a gain of around 3 to 5 dBi. On the ground side, the
PEDRO station is modeled with a high-gain S-band dish, typically in the 30 to 40 dBi range,
and a realistic system noise temperature on the order of a few hundred Kelvin, which is
consistent with ECSS and NASA design references.
Using these inputs, STK computes key RF performance metrics such as carrier-to-noise density
ratio, or C/N₀, energy-per-bit to noise ratio, or Eb/N₀, and link margin at different points
along each pass. As the satellite orbits lower, the slant range decreases, so free-space path loss
becomes smaller, and the received signal strength improves, at least from a purely geometric
standpoint.
However, again, we considered the effect of tumbling, which is common in end-of-life satellites.
When Diwata-1 can no longer maintain its attitude, the antenna main lobe may no longer point
toward the ground station. Literature and operational reports show that this mispointing can
reduce link margin by 10 to 20 dB or more, which can completely break the link even if the
geometry is still favorable. In our narrative, this means that there is a practical cutoff point
where, even though STK still shows access, the actual communications are likely lost due to
attitude and power limitations. That is why combining link budget analysis with realistic
subsystem degradation is important for a credible end-of-life assessment.”
Slide 5 – Hypothetical Maneuver Planning (Theoretical)
On the slide:
Title:
Hypothetical Deorbit Maneuvers in STK (Theoretical)
Bullets:
• Diwata-1 has no propulsion → passive decay in reality
• STK used to simulate theoretical retrograde ΔV
• Small ΔV (5–20 m/s) → significantly reduces lifetime
• Supports design lessons for future PH satellites
Footnote:
Guided by NASA ODMSP & IADC disposal guidelines
Script (what you say):
“Even though Diwata-1 does not have a propulsion system in reality, we used STK to
simulate hypothetical deorbit maneuvers for educational and design-trade purposes.
International guidelines, such as NASA’s Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices and
the IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines, encourage mission designers to consider
controlled or accelerated disposal whenever feasible. So, in our STK scenario, we modeled a
small retrograde ΔV, for example 5, 10, or 20 meters per second, applied at perigee.
STK then recalculates the orbital elements and shows how this impulse reduces the perigee
altitude and changes the overall orbital lifetime. Even a small ΔV can lower the perigee by tens
of kilometers and shorten the remaining lifetime from several years to possibly months or even
weeks, depending on the initial altitude and atmospheric conditions. These results are consistent
with published JAXA and ESA analyses of small satellite disposal strategies.
From a Philippine perspective, this exercise is important because it points to future design
improvements. While Diwata-1 relied on passive drag for a natural reentry, future Philippine
satellites could consider incorporating a miniature propulsion system or a drag enhancement
device, such as a deployable drag sail, to achieve a more predictable and faster disposal. Thus,
even though the maneuver planning is theoretical in this mission, it provides a strong design
lesson for the next generation of local spacecraft.”
Slide 6 – Integration of Philippine Facilities (PEDRO)
On the slide:
Title:
Role of PEDRO Ground Station in EoL Operations
Bullets:
• National TT&C hub for Diwata-1
• Provides tracking data & final telemetry for decay validation
• Supports comparison between STK predictions and real data
• Aligned with NASA/ESA best practices for EoL monitoring
Footnote:
Facility: PhilSA PEDRO Center
Script (what you say):
“Moving now to the Philippine space systems laboratories, the first major facility we
integrated into our mission design is the PEDRO Ground Station. PEDRO serves as the
national TT&C hub and was a key station used to operate Diwata-1 during its mission. In the
context of end-of-life operations, PEDRO’s role is to provide the final tracking data and
telemetry that help us validate our STK simulations.
In practice, PEDRO collects information such as Doppler shifts, received signal strength, and
decoded telemetry about battery health, attitude status, and system modes. These data can be
compared directly against the orbital elements and decay trends predicted by STK, which is
consistent with how NASA and ESA validate their own disposal analyses. If STK predicts a
certain rate of semi-major axis reduction or perigee lowering, the tracking data from PEDRO can
either confirm or refine those predictions.
Including PEDRO in the mission plan also shows that our design is not just theoretical. It
respects the actual ground infrastructure available in the Philippines, and it demonstrates
how local facilities can be used to monitor satellites all the way to the end of their life. This
integration reflects a systems engineering approach, where simulation, real data, and
operational capability are combined to make responsible decisions about satellite disposal and
space sustainability.”
Slide 7 – Other PH Labs: ASTI & UP Space Tech Labs
On the slide:
Title:
PH Labs for AIT, Testing, and Design Insight
Bullets:
• DOST-ASTI: thermal-vacuum, vibration, EPS testing
• UP & partner labs: ADCS, payload, and structural design experience
• Supports understanding of degradation and reentry behavior
• Guides future improvements in PH satellite designs
Footnote:
Labs visited: DOST-ASTI, UP EEEI / Space Technology labs
Script (what you say):
“Beyond PEDRO, we also considered other Philippine laboratories that support Assembly,
Integration, and Testing, or AIT, as well as mission design. At DOST-ASTI, there are facilities
such as thermal-vacuum chambers, vibration test equipment, and electronics testing setups.
These tools are crucial for understanding how satellites behave under realistic space conditions.
For example, thermal-vacuum testing helps us model temperature cycling, which has a direct
impact on battery degradation, onboard data handling performance, and ADCS sensor
reliability.
Similarly, vibration testing is used before launch to ensure that the spacecraft can survive the
mechanical loads, but it also gives insight into how structural weaknesses might manifest later
during reentry breakup, which is an important consideration in NASA’s reentry survivability
analysis. At the UP Space Technology and Microsatellite Laboratories, and through their
collaboration with Tohoku and Hokkaido, engineers gain experience in ADCS calibration, star
tracker alignment, reaction wheel integration, and payload mounting. All of these influence
the mass distribution and attitude behavior of satellites over their lifetime.
In our mission design, we referenced these capabilities to show that the way Diwata-1 was
originally designed, assembled, and tested has a direct effect on its end-of-life behavior, such as
how quickly it starts to tumble and how it will break apart upon reentry. For future Philippine
missions, these labs can be used not only to ensure nominal performance, but also to
intentionally design for safe disposal, such as adding deorbit systems, choosing materials that
fully burn up, and planning for reliable end-of-life operations.”
✅ Slide 8 – Key Takeaways & Transition
On the slide:
Title:
Key Takeaways from STK & PH Lab Integration
Bullets:
• STK provides a quantitative basis for deorbit decisions
• Diwata-1 naturally complies with 25-year debris rules
• Real PH facilities (PEDRO, ASTI, UP labs) make the design realistic
• Lessons guide future Philippine satellites toward safer EoL design
Script (what you say):
“To summarize my part, there are four main takeaways from the STK analysis and the
integration of Philippine space systems laboratories. First, STK gives us a quantitative basis to
analyze Diwata-1’s end-of-life behavior. It allows us to model orbital decay, coverage, and link
performance using realistic physics and environmental models, which match the methods used
by NASA, ESA, and other space agencies.
Second, the results show that Diwata-1, as a 50-kilogram microsatellite at around 400
kilometers, will naturally reenter within a time frame that satisfies the IADC 25-year debris
mitigation guideline, thanks to atmospheric drag. Third, our use of Philippine facilities,
especially the PEDRO Ground Station, DOST-ASTI, and the UP Space Technology labs,
ensures that our mission design is not just theoretical—it is aligned with actual national
capabilities for tracking, testing, and operations.
Finally, the combination of STK modeling and local laboratory integration gives us clear lessons
for future Philippine satellites: consider adding small propulsion or drag devices, plan for
disposal from the beginning of the mission, and use our growing local infrastructure to verify and
monitor compliance with global space sustainability standards.