CubeSats

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CubeSats

• NASA-Olin Summer Research
• SOS and ACS Teams

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What are CubeSats?

• Small pico-satellites
• Size 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm (1 liter volume)
• Mass 1 kg
• Developed by Stanford University and California
  Polytechnic Institute as an economical means for
  universities to launch their own satellites
• Standard set of off the shelf components available

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Deployment Mechanism

• P-POD Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployer
• Developed by Cal-Poly
• Simple, robust design easily mountable on most
  launch vehicles
• Can deploy up to 3 cube sats in 1 P-POD

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Advantages of CubeSats

• Comparatively cheap
• Able to launch a small satellite into space for
  approx. 40,000
• Allows universities to develop their own
  satellite missions
• Standard deployment mechanism
• Drives innovations in size of space computer and
  sensor technology
• Over 80 universities and 7 corporations currently
  working on CubeSat projects

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Past CubeSat Missions

• First mission launched June 30, 2003
• Of the 6 CubeSats launched, only 2 were contacted
• Since then, there have been 31 CubeSats launched

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UMBC-GSFC Cube Sat

• Working with team from UMBC and Goddard Space
  Flight Center on a CubeSat for imaging clouds.

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Cloud-Side Profiling
ice
Temperature
Water
ice
Aerosol Impact in Microphysics?
mixed phase
Water-ice processes
water
Collision-Coalescence
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Cloud CubeSatOrbit Geometry
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Attitude Control System

• Dan Grieneisen
• Jacob Izraelevitz
• Christina Powell
• Lorraine Weis

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What is Attitude?

• Roll, pitch, and yaw.

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Our Cubesat

• Photograph clouds
• Radiate heat
• One picture per orbit
• Altitude of 650 km

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Control with Magnetorquers

• Rely on Earths magnetic field
• Non-holonomic about axis along magnetic field
• Magnetometer to evaluate field
• Replace flywheels

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Model
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Control Algorithm

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Prototype Design

• Mechanical Design
• Building plastic frame in shop
• Winding coils this week
• Hardware Design
• PIC as I/O device, run control algorithm off
  computer

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Initial Prototype

• Complete machining
• Design tests
• Apply control algorithm to prototype

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Final Prototype

• Integrate ACS with SOS
• Settle on final design specifications
• Design and machine parts
• Test

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Deliverables

• CubeSat prototype integrated with SOS
• Prototype demonstration
• Executes all 4 control tasks
• Not tested with time/power requirements
• Control software and manual
• Final Report

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Questions?
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Just for Fun

• http//www.cubesat.auc.dk/anim/cubesat_2tie.avi