---
project: icarus-orbital-systems
file: 04_system_architecture
tags: [icarus, architecture, dragonfly, ptot, ops]
---

# Icarus Orbital Systems — System Architecture

> *The technical architecture · three components · operational model. Source for all pitch content.*

---

## Three-component fleet architecture

```mermaid
graph TB
    subgraph SPACE["LEO Operations · ELEO 200-2000km"]
        PTOT[Primary Tele-Operated Tug<br/>Command + Control Hub]
        DF1[Dragonfly DF-1 Drone Flotilla<br/>Active capture · 6-DOF]
        OPS[Orbital Processing Stations<br/>Phase 2 · sort + refine]

        PTOT -->|directs| DF1
        DF1 -->|captures| DEBRIS[(Orbital debris<br/>1U CubeSat → fragments)]
        DF1 -->|transfers| PTOT
        PTOT -->|stages| OPS
        OPS -->|recovered material| SUPPLY[In-orbit supply chain]
        DEBRIS -.->|controlled deorbit alt| EARTH[Earth atmosphere]
    end

    subgraph GROUND["Ground Operations"]
        OPS_CTR[Tele-op + AI assist console]
        OPS_CTR -.->|commands| PTOT
    end

    style PTOT fill:#E0B25E,stroke:#B8893A,color:#0B1120
    style DF1 fill:#B8893A,stroke:#8B5E3C,color:#fff
    style OPS fill:#4FD8FF,stroke:#2B7AB8,color:#0B1120
    style SUPPLY fill:#3D7A4E,stroke:#1F4D4A,color:#fff
```

---

## Component A: Primary Tele-Operated Tug (PTOT)

**Role:** Command-and-control hub.

| Attribute | Spec |
|---|---|
| Operation mode | Human-supervised + AI-assisted |
| Crew | None (uncrewed; ground-controlled) |
| Function | Coordinates Dragonfly fleet · stages captured material · interfaces with OPS |
| Direct debris contact | No — directs, doesn't capture |
| Loss profile | Centralized · not in contact zone |

---

## Component B: Dragonfly DF-1 drone flotilla

**Role:** Active debris interaction.

| Attribute | Spec |
|---|---|
| Configuration | Modular · distributed fleet · 6-DOF maneuverability |
| Propulsion | Hall-effect (xenon) primary + hydrogen peroxide RCS thrusters |
| Capture systems | Articulated end-effector (stable targets) + deployable nets (poly-mylar + carbon-strand for tumbling fragments) |
| Target range | 1U CubeSat → large fragments |
| Resilience | Distributed — loss of one unit = degraded ops, not failure |

---

## Component C: Orbital Processing Stations (OPS) [Phase 2]

**Role:** Sort · refine · stage recovered material for in-orbit reuse or controlled deorbit.

| Attribute | Spec |
|---|---|
| Location | ELEO (Equatorial Low Earth Orbit) · 200-2000km altitude · ±5° latitude |
| Why ELEO | Geometry minimizes inclination changes between debris-dense zones |
| Output | Recovered metals · composites · fed back to in-orbit supply chain |
| Phase | 2 (after demonstration mission validates capture economics) |

---

## Operational model — Orbital Dredging

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A[1. Identify debris-dense corridor] --> B[2. Position PTOT]
    B --> C[3. Deploy Dragonfly flotilla]
    C --> D[4. Capture · stabilize · transfer]
    D --> E{5. Process or deorbit?}
    E -->|process| F[OPS · refine · stage]
    E -->|deorbit| G[Controlled re-entry]
    F --> H[Material recovery revenue]
    D --> I[Removal contract revenue]
    style I fill:#3D7A4E,stroke:#1F4D4A,color:#fff
    style H fill:#3D7A4E,stroke:#1F4D4A,color:#fff
```

Each step is independently revenue-generating. Phase-1 economics (debris removal) close before OPS comes online.

---

## Why distributed beats monolithic

| Architecture choice | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|
| **Distributed Dragonfly fleet** (chosen) | Loss of 1 unit = degraded ops · scalable · parallel work | More units to manufacture · coordination overhead |
| Single large tug (alternative) | Simpler ops · one mission · centralized control | Single point of failure · serial work · risk concentration |

Distributed wins for resilience + parallelism. Coordination overhead solved via PTOT + AI-assist.

---

## Why tele-op + AI assist beats fully autonomous

| Architecture choice | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|
| **Tele-op + AI assist** (chosen) | Insurance approval · regulatory posture · human-in-loop trust | Slower than fully autonomous · ground crew cost |
| Fully autonomous | Faster cycles · no comms latency | Insurance · regulatory · fail-mode liability open question |

Tele-op + AI gets us to operations sooner. Fully autonomous is a Phase-3 transition, not a Day-1 decision.

---

## Cross-references

- [[01_strategy]]
- [[02_action_plan]]
- [[../IOS_03_System_Architecture]] — full technical spec source
- [[../IOS_05_Technology]] — propulsion + capture details
- [[../Dragonfly Design Project/Dragonfly_Drone_Concept_Design]]
