CubeSat Workshop

From Camp 2011 Public Wiki

Building a Cube-Satellite
Pilot workshop for a Gloria CubeSat Project. The goal of Gloria is to assume the role of second Glory stopped. See here for more information http://universeexplorer.cwahi.net/cubesat
Organizer	Karin Remeikis, Sayandeep Khan, Plus
Contact	kr at spaceweek dot de, universeexplorer at cwahi dot net
DateTime	Day 2 / Aug 11 @ 14:30
Duration	48h
End	2011-08-11 14:30
Location	Workshop Bunker

News

..no news is good news; But we got some bad news. After lifting off from the Finowfurt Airport at 1034 GMT on Sunday, August 14, 2011, we lost contact with the payload and are still searching for it. At an altitude of approx. 13 km the APRS unit went down. We guess that water or ice might caused the PIC of the APRS unit to fail. It had ca. 8 watt power and were probably still on during the landing, so you could hear it in a range of 50-100km", said Ralph of Das Labor. Here the parameters when it was last heart - the tracking call sign was DK0CCC-11

Ready for Lift-Off

We will join "Das Labor" Team for the weather balloon launch on August 14 @ 11:00 a.m. from the runway southern side where the red bi-plane is standing - depending of the wind. We are piggybacking our payload with them. The payload from us is simply a magnetometer worked out of a commercial digital compass. The magnetometer uses static coils to measure the magnetic field in the lower atmosphere. The rest of the payload consists of a FHD camera, a GPS- and an APRS-unit in order to track the balloon as well as three temperature and an air-pressure sensor set. The total payload weights 800 g (massive) and has been tested at temperature as low as -56.4 °C in a styrofoam box filled with dry ice.

Introduction - The Art of Building a Pico Satellite

As with any art, the design of a CubeSat requires patience and wisdom. Join us in this unique mission! :)

Mission Statement

Gloria mission is dedicated to the study of atmospheric particles. The definition of "atmospheric particles" includes, but is not strictly limited to, aerosols. Gloria will attempt to achieve what Glory mission expected to achieve. The ill fated Glory mission, launched in 2011, did not reach orbit.

Each Earthling will benefit from this mission, since all data gained will be published online.

Objective

The mission expects to realize the following objectives:

Improvement of existing measurement values of atmospheric aerosol parameters.
Exploring aerosol driven climate dynamics that are theoretically proposed but not observed
Exploring aerosol driven climate dynamics that are theoretically possible but not proposed.

The mission does not intend to study aerosols for unknown properties. The interest lies in the role aerosols play in climate dynamics.

Gloria Mission experts are still working on to define the aerosol parameters that are of interest.

Mission Characteristics

Platform

The mission platform is a Cubesat cluster, set into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). A Cubesat is a satellite in a cubic shape, measuring 10cm x 10cm x 10cm. The planned cluster consists of six satellites.

Mission time

Primary mission span is projected to be 4 years. Once in orbit, an at least one year long satellite lifetime is estimated.

Instrumentations

Direct Imaging Stereo Camera [DISC]

This instrument is simply a multiband camera, to photographically identify aerosol formations in atmosphere. This instrument has a synthetic stereo aperture - not a true stereo device.

Doppler Lidar Scatterometer [DLS]

This instrument is Doppler Lidar to measure the motion of the atmosphere

Aerosol Radiation and Back-scatter Spectrometer Assembly [ARBSA]

This instrument is a multiband spectrometer. This analyzes both the back-scattering and secondary radiation of the atmosphere. This instrument uses one downlooking and one sidelooking aperture. This complete device assembly will also carry a polarimeter

Passive Scanning Trail Radar [PSTR]

This instrument will scan for reflected radio signal from high atmospheric particle trails. The receiver will have a fixed mount.

Electromagnetic Field Sensor [EFS]

Geiger Müller Counter [GMC]

Satellite Configuration

A typical gloria cubesat engaged in lower atmospheric monitoring.

Two satellites will be engaged in lower atmosphere study, and for a synchronized cluster. Further two will do upper atmosphere study, again in a synchronized cluster. One will assume a scouting role, identifying aerosol events, and reporting them. The sixth one will work as an orbital communication base.

Mission Plan

The present Mission is planned to be executed in 6 steps over 4 years

Phase O/A: <input> Mission Statement - Workshops

This is the feasibility phase. During the workshop we presented the initial ideas and provided some overview about the mission design. We are still in this phase the tasks that are to be realized at the moment are: Further growth of the CubeSat team, allocation of responsibility, acquisition of permissions. <output> Mission Architecture - Duration is planned to be 4 months.

Phase B: <input> Mission Architecture

At the end of this phase, the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) will be ready <output> detailed Design. Planned duration: 3 months.

Phase C/D: <input> PDR

Detailed design and actual development, construction, integration and test phase of both the prototype (scout) and flight unit hardware and software required for the mission. The scout satellite will be built, the Critical Design Review (CDR) must be completed, and the scout satellite will be launched. Estimated timeframe: one year

Phase E: <input> Space and Ground Segment - Preparation for second CDR

Operation of the scout satellite and exploitation of the data. The user finally reaps the benefits (commercial, scientific or other) of the mission. <output> Ground and Space hardware and software + launch. The CDR must undergo another scrutiny. Time frame: 6 months.

Phase D2: Secondary CDR

The other five CDR-s for the CubeSats will be finished, and the satellites be built. Time frame : 15 months.

Phase E2: Secondary launch

Five satellites injected in orbit. Time frame: 8 months

Note: The nomenclature of these phases may vary from space agency to space enterprises, however, the content stays pretty much the same. What's important are the checklists...at the end of each phase, a design review takes place

For example

MCR: objective + operation + observation + proof of concept

SRR: minimum requirement for that proposal

SDR: what the system will actually consist of

MDR: what can *actually* be done with the system

PDR: everything polished together

CDR: PDR + experiment results

FRR: CDR + 100% truthfully positive result

Participants

["Planet Earth has entered the age of the Personal Satellite" http://interorbital.com/TubeSat_1.htm] Come and join us with your expertise - drop us a line!

Rafael will provide further information about this mission.

At the moment we have a few small sized sponsors. Unfortunately, we are still quite far behind at what we are aiming.

Processing

In case of massive data analysis processing can be done with distributed computing platform Constellation, a BOINC Project for aerospace related sciences. AerospaceResearch.net/Constellation

External Links

Gloria Mission page (under construction)

PLEASE NOTE: OVER THE NEXT DAYS WE WILL BE PROVIDING MULTIMEDIA RELATED TO THIS PROJECT. DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK US OUT IN THE MAIN PAGE, AND CONTINUE BUILDING IT - CHECK REGULARLY.