VHR Optical Satellite

Electric propulsion is characterized by a substancially higher  specific impulse w.r.t. chemical propulsion. This feature can be exploited to  reduce  the launch mass of spacecraft in a high-delta_V missions  typical of spacecraft injected in very low altitude orbits, or intended to perform interplanetary transfers. 

For commercial, optical, remote sensing Missions where  the ground resolution is limited by the optical technology and the orbit altitude, using  electrical  instead of chemical propulsion, means :

• lowering the orbit altitude while retaining a drag compensation capability without increasing the propellant mass;
• achieving better resolutions  without increasing the available mirrors' diameters
• maintain a reasonably moderate overall spacecraft mass, at more affordable costs,  

Spacesys performed an in-house study of a competitive spacecraft architecture. Key results were presented to ASI (october 2009 ) and a paper was presented at the 16th Ka_band Communications Navigation and Remote Sensing , Milan Oct 2010.

That Study was the forerunner of the AROSAT project: indeed it addressed several aspects of low.flying spacecraft which were instrumental to outline  the operational scenario and feasible performance;