Radiated EMC&EMI management during design qualification and test phases on LEO satellites constellation

The aim of the proposed paper is to present the global radiated EMC/EMI approach applied by Thales Alenia Space in the frame of a telecommunication Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites constellation program. The paper will present this approach in term of analyses, of specific characterisation and of sub-system and satellite tests since first design reviews up-to satellite qualification tests on Prototype Flight Model (PFM) and to production tests on reduced FMs. The global aim is: 1 - to reduce risk and cost (units EMC delta qualification, EMC tests at satellite level for the 81 Space Vehicles (SV) through appropriated EMC analyses (in term of methodologies and contours) provided in the frame of design reviews. 2 - to early anticipate potential critical case to reduce the impact in term of engineering/qualification/test extra cost and of schedule. 3 - to secure/assure the payload and SV design/layout. 4 - to define and optimize the EMC/EMI test campaigns to be performed on Prototype Flight Model (PFM) for complete qualification and on some FMs for industrial qualification/validation. The last part of the paper is dedicated to system Bite Error Rate (BER) functional test performed on PFM SV to demonstrate the final compatibility between the three on-board payloads and to the Internal EMC tests performed on PFM and some FMs to demonstrate the SV panel RF shielding efficiency before and after environmental tests and the Thales Alenia Space (TAS) and Orbital ATK (OATK) workmanships reproducibility.