Spacecraft Platform For Nanosatellite Space Mission Applications

Abstract
Satellites are used for many things in our life, with a wide range of functionality such as communication, imaging, weather monitoring and so many other things. The problem is, these are big, expensive pieces of technology that require a lot of time, money and effort to develop. They can easily cost tens, or even hundreds of millions of dollars. In recent years, with the miniaturization of technology, some chose to circumvent this problem by building small, inexpensive nanosatellites that fly at much lower altitudes to replace the traditional ones. And instead of launching just one, you can easily launch tens of satellites, forming a grid covering the entire globe, for less than the cost of one big one. Our aim in this project is to build a small, inexpensive, real-time imaging satellite platform using off-the-shelf components to minimize cost, and also achieve most of the functionality done by much larger, hence much more expensive satellites. Our ATLAS-1 satellite is composed of different subsystems. First, our Communications Subsystem, we have designed an in-house communication board using commercial-off-the-shelf components where our approach is using an always-on, power-efficient radio transceiver operating on a frequency of 433MHz carrying commands and housekeeping data, and another, on-demand one operating on the 2.4GHz frequency carrying our imaging data, due to its much larger bandwidth and higher data rate. For their respective antennas, we are using in-house monopole and patch antennas, with a gain of 4dBi and 7dBi respectively. To handle power needs, our Electrical Power Subsystem combines 2600mAh of Li-Ion batteries connected to 7 panels of polycrystalline solar cells, each composed of 11 cells for a total output of 26.18Wh, and providing 5V of continuous output for the other subsystems. We will be carrying an imaging payload that consists of a second-generation,8-megapixel Raspberry Pi Camera Module, adapted to a 90mm Makustov-Cassegrain telescope from Celestron. All of these components are being controlled by our On-Board Computer, which is a Raspberry Pi Zero using a 1GHz ARM11 processor and 512MB of LPDDR2 memory, and operating with FreeRTOS, a real-time operating system made for performance-critical applications. This is all enclosed in a 3U CubeSat structure made of aluminum, measuring 30x10x10 cm and weighing in under 4Kg. This satellite offers a substantial value in terms of technical merit, as it largely undercuts current commercial market offerings in cost, and still offers much of the same functionality. It also has a huge educational merit, providing Egyptian university students with the specialized know-how necessary to build a fully-functioning satellite.

The Cal Poly CubeSat Lab started in 1999 with the objective of providing students with the opportunity to design, launch, and operate satellites in an academic lifetime. The Lab has developed and launched 9 different satellites. We are currently developing 7 different CubeSats, 5 of which are due to launch in 2018. Cal Poly’s motto is “learn by doing,” and in that spirit, develops nearly all of our own subsystems in house. Cal Poly is responsible for maintaining the CubeSat Design Specification (CDS), developing and flying the Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD). Cal Poly has successfully tested and integrated 88 CubeSat dispensers for 24 missions on 12 different launch vehicles. The Cal Poly CubeSat Lab has facilities that can be used by commercial companies and government agencies for different services, including environments testing. Cal Poly regularly works with industry on SBIRs and other studies. More information can be found at www.polysat.calpoly.edu.

The Free-space Lasercom And Radiation Experiment (FLARE) is MIT's AFRL UNP NS-9 entry. A pair of identical 3U CubeSats will raise TRL for two technologies: (1) a full-duplex 1535/1565 nm crosslink laser communications transceiver, and (2) “Sparrow”, a miniaturized particle-discriminating nuclear spectrometer. To demonstrate the lasercom crosslink at >20 Mbps with 200 mW transmit power, the co-deployed CubeSats use differential drag to increase their separation to 500 km. They achieve ~arcsec precision pointing by augmenting the control system with star trackers and crosslink beacons to drive MEMS fine steering mirrors. GPS receivers and RF coordination support orbit determination and drag management. Sparrow uses pulse shape discrimination to identify particle types and energies, valuable for science and documenting health of the lasercom components. Sparrow includes miniaturized plastic scintillators, solid-state detectors, a coincidence detector, and fast ADC readout. The flight design will be presented at the NS-9 PMR in August 2017.

The Michigan Tech Aerospace Enterprise is a team of over 100 undergraduate students applying the fundamentals of Systems Engineering to design, build, and fly small satellites for agencies such as NASA and the Department of Defense.

M-SAT was founded as a research team in 2002 by Dr. Pernicka along with three other faculty members who, with approximately 65 undergraduate and 10 graduate students, develop new technologies for smallsats. The team has participated in AFRL’s University Nanosatellite Program since 2005 and won the Nanosat 8 competition in January 2015 with a pair of smallsats (MR & MRS SAT) that will conduct close proximity operations using a campus-designed stereoscopic imaging sensor. The team is also currently developing CubeSats for NASA’s Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (M^3) and AFRL’s Nanosatellite 10 Program (APEX).

APEX (Advanced Propulsion Experiment) is a 6U CubeSat with a campus-developed multi-mode micropropulsion system as its primary payload. Unique mission challenges include packaging the propulsion system and validating its performance on-orbit. Through this mission, M-SAT seeks to develop a versatile propulsion system that can be packaged in smallsats to expand future mission opportunities.

The Space Science Center at Morehead State University focuses on the development and operation of small satellites. The Center provides Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) services with the 21-meter Antenna at UHF, S-Band, X-Band, and Ku-bands for LEO missions and TT&C and Ranging services for inner solar system interplanetary smallsat missions. The Center provides spacecraft environmental testing services including: vibration analysis, T-Vac, EMI/EMC, and antenna characterization. The Center’s staff and students have flown several space missions with partners including: KySat-2, CXBN, CXBN-2, EduSat, UniSat-5, T-LogoQube (Eagle-1) and DM-7, with other missions in development including CXBN-3 and Lunar IceCube (slated to fly on the NASA EM-1 mission). MSU offers academic programs including: B.S. in Space Systems Engineering, B.S. in Astrophysics and M.S. in Space Systems Engineering. Courses are taught by outstanding faculty with industry experience in satellite systems design, defense electronics, and space operations.

National Central University was established in Taiwan in 1962 as a direct result of the 1957/1958 International Geophysical Year, with a mandate to focus on the geosciences and space science in particular. NCU has specialized programs in space physics and engineering, remote sensing, satellite and sounding rocket payloads, small satellites, space weather research, as well as sensors for civil and defense applications. NCU has been extensively involved with Taiwan’s national space program through the development and operation of satellite and sounding rocket payloads, and was mandated by the Taiwan Ministry of Education in 2018 to establish Taiwan’s first university space center to coordinate and integrate the activities of faculty members working on astronautical physics and engineering research, while also providing opportunities for project based learning in space systems engineering.

The NSF Center for Space, High-performance, and Resilient Computing (SHREC) is a national consortium under the Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) program at NSF.  Its primary theme is mission-critical computing, in terms of space computing for Earth, space, and defense science, high-performance computing and data analytics for grand-challenge apps, and resilient computing for harsh or critical environments.

The Center consist of four universities (University of Pittsburgh as lead, with Brigham Young University, University of Florida, and Virginia Tech) and over 30 industry and government partners.  SHREC researchers are experts in parallel, reconfigurable, distributed, and dependable computing.  This new Center replaced the CHREC Center, which was sunsetted after 11 years of successful operation.

The University at Buffalo Nanosatellite Laboratory (UBNL) is a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students that develop cubesats from concept to launch. The Formation Attitude Laser Communication Orbital Navigator (FALCON) is being developed to test the ability to provide relative attitude and orbit information between spacecraft using line-of-sight (LOS) and range measurements. Such measurements can be taken via laser communication systems, which allows for precision attitude and orbit determination simply as a byproduct of laser communication systems. This technology will contribute towards the advancement of attitude and orbit determination in formation flying missions and GPS denied environments. FALCON is a participant in the University Nanosatellite Program, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory. Other UBNL missions include the Glint Analyzing Data Observation Satellite (GLADOS), sponsored by the AFRL University Nanosatellite Program, and LinkSat, an RF noise characterization satellite sponsored by NASA’s Undergraduate Student Instrument Program.

The Texas Spacecraft Laboratory (TSL) at The University of Texas at Austin employs graduate and undergraduate students to design spacecraft and conduct space flight missions.  The TSL has launched 4 satellites since 2009, and is working on fan additional mission which will fly in June 2019.  The TSL is a three-time winner of the national University Nanosatellite Program.  Students in the TSL complete all phases of a satellite project, including mission design, spacecraft fabrication, integration and testing, operation, and analysis.  Students in the TSL conduct research on space technology and systems related subjects, including:  guidance, navigation, and control systems; attitude determination and control; formation flying, satellite swarms, and satellite networks; cooperative control; proximity operations and unmanned spacecraft rendezvous; space based Global Positioning System receivers; radio navigation; visual navigation; propulsion; satellite operations; and space systems engineering.

Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory (ISSL) at the University of Tokyo has been pioneering nano-/micro-satellites development for 15 years. Starting from the world's first CubeSat XI-IV launched in 2003, we have successfully launched seven satellites in the low-earth orbit, ranging from CubeSats (e.g. store and forward experimental CubeSat TRICOM-1R) to 50kg-class micro-satellites (e.g. high-resolution remote-sensing satellite named Hodoyoshi). Based on these experiences, we have started working on nano-/micro-satellites for deep space exploration. The world's first interplanetary micro-satellite PROCYON was successfully launched in December 2014 to demonstrate the 50kg-class deep space bus system. After its success, we have been developing a 6U CubeSat EQUULEUS flying to Earth-Moon Lagrange point, which will be launched by the first flight of NASA’s SLS in 2020. Our booth will introduce our current activities and past missions with their on-orbit achievements.

The University of Tokyo -Space propulsion Laboratory has studied and developed novel space propulsion systems since established in 2011 to promote space utilization and exploration. Our activities are mainly focused on micro-propulsion systems including both chemical and electric for a micro/nano-spacecraft and electric propulsion systems for a manned spacecraft. We succeeded in developing and operating the world’s first miniature ion thrusters equipped on 50 kg-class satellite: HODOYOSHI-4 in 2014 and 60 kg-class deep space probe: PROCYON in 2015. Currently, we are also developing a few types of micro-propulsion systems using water as propellant for CubeSats. Visit our booth and let's discuss future collaboration for sustainable space development. Our state-of-the-art propulsion systems can accelerate your missions.

The U.S. Naval Academy Satellite Lab in the Aerospace Department serves students, faculty and staff throughout the Academy, including students in the various Engineering and Weapons Departments. The main focus of the lab is to support small satellite development projects for both students and faculty. While the key objective of the program is education and training of the Midshipmen, the satellite lab at the USNA is also dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research in space system technology. One of the current USNA satellite projects, NSat, will demonstrate on-orbit operation of advanced communication payloads, including a TDRS transponder developed by NASA GSFC.

MAXWELL is an experimental communications 6U CubeSat being developed by a team of graduate students at the University of Colorado at Boulder in conjunction with the 9th cycle of the Air Force’s University Nanosatellite Program.  MAXWELL’s mission objective is to demonstrate high rate downlink and uplink capabilities in a small SWaP form factor from orbit.  MAXWELL will demonstrate a high gain X-band reflectarray antenna; high rate data downlink and CDMA downlink at X-band; high rate data uplink and CDMA uplink at S-band.  The MAXWELL project builds upon and has flight heritage from previous successful University of Colorado CubeSats including CU-E3, QB50, MinXSS, and CSSWE.

The University of Georgia Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL) was founded in 2016 as a result of funding for two Cubesat missions, MOCI and SPOC. The SSRL performs research into landscape-scale Structure from Motion with Cubesats, along with developing new hyperspectral payloads to study coastal ecosystem health. The SSRL is also active in community outreach, and runs the premier Cubesat podcast: The Downlink. The Mapping and Ocean Color Imager (MOCI) is part of the UNP-9 program from AFRL and will use an RGB camera to demonstrate that 3D terrain models can be developed from a single Cubesat using Structure from Motion. The SPectral and Ocean Color Satellite (SPOC Sat) will host a moderate resolution hyperspectral payload capable of gathering 60 bands of data between 400-850 nm. SPOC is expected to be deployed from the International Space Station between 2018-2020 as a participant of NASA’s USIP-2 and CSLI-8 programs.

The University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLaSP) was formally established in July of 1963 under the name of the Department of Meteorology and Oceanography within the College of Engineering. It was briefly known as the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science between 1973 and 1985, and then as the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences until 2015, when it assumed its current name. Currently, CLaSP is a nationwide leader in both climate and space science, with direct control and involvement in endeavors such as the CYGNSS mission, the Parker Solar Probe, the Cassini/Huygens Mission, the Mercury MESSENGER mission, and the Mars Global Surveyor. CLaSP’s areas of expertise are diverse, ranging from atmospheric biosphere interactions, planetary atmospheres, remote sensing, and modeling of the near-Earth space environment. CLaSP continues to be a prolific leader in climate and space science with its diverse research initiatives and conducting of interdisciplinary projects with entities like JPL and NOAA, and continues to be a proven stronghold of space engineering with enterprises like its Space Physics Research Laboratory.

The Get Away Special Team is an undergraduate, extracurricular research team within the Utah State University Physics Department that gives students the opportunity to learn real-world engineering skills by effectively contributing to aerospace research.  We are fueled by the pure passion of our team to design, develop, test, and produce something that will advance space technology.  We take pride in producing individuals who are prepared to enter the workforce or continue in academia as innovative and cooperative members or leaders of their teams.

Western Aerospace Launch Initiative (WALI) is a student organization at Western Michigan University’s (WMU) College of Engineering and Applied Sciences developing the Plasma Spectroscopy (P-Spec) CubeSat mission.  The mission aims to demonstrate a new, on-orbit probe package technology, utilizing non-invasive, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) of plasma plumes emitted from electric propulsion (EP) systems.