• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.427-442
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• 2019

Small satellites represent an emerging opportunity to realize a wide range of space missions at lower cost and faster delivery, compared to traditional spacecraft. However, small platforms, such as CubeSats, shall increase their actual capabilities. Miniaturized electric propulsion systems can provide the satellite with the key capability of moving in space. The level of readiness of miniaturized electric propulsion systems is low although many concepts have been developed. The present research intends to build a flexible test platform for the assessment of selected small propulsion systems in relevant environment at laboratory level. Main goal of the research is to analyze the mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and chemical interactions of propulsion systems with the modern CubeSat-technology and to assess the performance of the integrated platform. The test platform is a 6U CubeSat hosting electric propulsion systems, providing mechanical, electrical and data interfaces, able to handle a variety of electric propulsion systems, thanks to the ability to regulate and distribute electric power, to exchange data according to several protocols, and to provide different mechanical layouts. The test platform is ready to start the first verification campaign. The paper describes the detailed design of the platform and the main results of the AIV activities.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.195-215
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• 2022

The increasing interest in CubeSat platforms ant their capability of enlarging the frontier of possible missions impose technology improvements. Miniaturized electrical propulsion (EP) systems enable new mission for multi-unit CubeSats (6U+). While electric propulsion systems have achieved important level of knowledge at equipment level, the investigation of the mutual impact between EP system and CubeSat technology at system level can provide a decisive improvement for both the technologies. The interaction between CubeSat and EP system should be assessed in terms of electromagnetic emissions (both radiated and conducted), thermal gradients, high electrical power management, surface chemical deposition, and quick and reliable data exchanges. This paper shows how a versatile CubeSat Test Platform (CTP), together with standardized procedures and specialized facilities enable the acquisition fundamental and unprecedented information. Measurements can be taken both by specific ground support equipment placed inside the vacuum facility and by dedicated sensors and subsystems installed on the CTP, providing a completely new set of data never obtained before. CTP is constituted of a 6U primary structure hosting the EP system, representative CubeSat avionics and batteries. For the first test campaign, CTP hosts the ambipolar plasma propulsion system, called Regulus and developed by T4I. After the integration and the functional test in laboratory environment, CTP + Regulus performed a Test campaign in relevant environment in the vacuum chamber at CISAS, University of Padua. This paper is focused on the test campaign description and the main results achieved at different power levels for different duration of the firings.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.65-75
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• 2017

This study proposes development of 3U CubeSat standard platform whose function and performance are verified via KAUSAT-5 development. 3U CubeSat platform specification was selected for the design of 3U Cubesat standard platform by examining existing CubeSat and state-of-art technology, and consequently a universally usable 3U CubeSat platform was designed. Standard platform was manufactured in 1.5U size and developed with a modular concept to be able to add and expand payloads and ADCS actuators for meeting the user's needs. In addition, in case of the power system, the solar panel, the battery, and the deployment mechanism are designed to be configured by the user. In the mechanical system design of a standard platform, subsystem and micro equipment functions/performance could be integrated and miniaturized on micro-sized PCBs and maximized electrical capability to accommodate multiple payloads. In the development of the 3U CubeSat, the satellite platform adopts the developed standard platform, which can reduce the cost and schedule for the whole satellite development by reducing the additional function verification.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.219-228
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• 2020

A CubeSat platform has become a popular choice due to inexpensive commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and low launch cost. However, it requires more power-efficient and higher-data rate downlink capability for space applications related to remote sensing. In addition, the platform is limited by the size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints as well as the regulatory issue of licensing the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. The requirements and limitations have put optical communications on promising alternatives to RF communications for a CubeSat platform, owing to the power efficiency and high data rate as well as the license free spectrum. In this study, we analyzed the performance of optical downlink communications compatible with CubeSat platforms in terms of data rate, bit error rate (BER) and outage probability. Mathematical models of BER and outage probability were derived based on not only the log-normal model of atmospheric turbulence but also a transmitter with a finite extinction ratio. Given the fixed slot width, the optimal guard time and modulation orders were chosen to achieve the target data rate. And the two performance metrics, BER and outage data rate, were analyzed and discussed with respect to beam divergence angle, scintillation index and zenith angle.

• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2022

CubeSat is a satellite platform that is widely used not only for earth observation but also for space exploration. CubeSat is also used in magnetic field investigation missions to observe space physics phenomena with various shape configurations of magnetometer instrument unit. In case of magnetic field measurement, the magnetometer instrument should be far away from the satellite body to minimize the magnetic disturbances from satellites. But the accommodation setting of the magnetometer instrument is limited due to the volume constraint of small satellites like a CubeSat. In this paper, we investigated that the magnetic field interference generated by the cube satellite was analyzed how much it can affect the reliability of magnetic field measurement. For this analysis, we used a reaction wheel and Torque rods which have relatively high-power consumption as major noise sources. The magnetic dipole moment of these parts was derived by the data sheet of the manufacturer. We have been confirmed that the effect of the residual moment of the magnetic torque located in the middle of the 3U cube satellite can reach 36,000 nT from the outermost end of the body of the CubeSat in a space without an external magnetic field. In the case of accurate magnetic field measurements of less than 1 nT, we found that the magnetometer should be at least 0.6 m away from the CubeSat body. We expect that this analysis method will be an important role of a magnetic cleanliness analysis when designing a CubeSat to carry out a magnetic field measurement.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.686-696
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• 2017

The major objective of this study is to develop and verify the KAUSAT-5 based on the modular 3U CubeSat standard platform. In the mechanical system design of a 3U standard platform, subsystem and micro equipment functions/performance should be integrated and miniaturized on micro-sized PCBs and electrical capability was maximized to accommodate multiple payloads. KAUSAT-5 is 3U-sized Cubesat which will be operated in Low Earth Orbit(LEO), which implements mainly two scientific missions; one is to observe the Earth through infrared camera and the other is to measure space radiation with a Geiger Muller tube. An additional mission is to verify the equipment(device) such as VSCMG and fuzzy logic-based MPPT internally developed. The results of ETB, qualification and acceptance level environmental tests were shown to verify standard platform and KAUSAT-5 Cubesat.