Overview of the Spacecraft Bus 40

The evolution of application satellites has hinged on the development of more and more sophisticated spacecraft buses or platforms. The development of three-axis bodystabilized platforms have allowed the deployment of more capable and much higher gain communications antennas, high resolution remote sensing and meteorological sensors, and more precise navigational payloads. The most important development in spacecraft buses has been the development of precisely oriented body stabilized platforms that allow the deployment of very high powered solar arrays and very accurate pointing of high-gain antennas and sensor systems. Other challengeshaveincluded developinglowermassand structurallystrongspacecraft