CubeSat: The Wee Space Box. Craig Clark

What are cubesats?

What are CubeSats? 1000kg 150kg 1kg Steady evolution of utility value of smaller spacecraft. Still a place for the large spacecraft, and for micro/mini satellites, but there is a growing number of miniature spacecraft that are showing interesting capability.

Traditionally Bespoke Some standardisation within organisations, but not across industry.

Standardisation is Key More launch opportunities Collaborative, continuous, industry led standardisation of interfaces More Missions Larger selection of off-the-shelf subsystems

Growing Number of CubeSats Info from www.amsat.org

CubeSats are smaller than small

Launch Systems

Current Applications of CubeSats

Life Sciences

Theatre of Operations Comms

NSF Earth Science Missions The ‘Firefly’ CubeSat satellite will investigate Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes (TGFs) when it launches in 2010. Scientists theorize that TGFs are linked to lightning and result when high-energy electrons are accelerated upward over thunder storms

Do not limit your imagination

CubeSat Cameras

CubeSat Constellations

Fire Monitoring

Clyde Space and CubeSats

Company timeline OTS product range expanded beyond power subsystem Bespoke modular power systems First OTS product (CubeSat EPS) First website to purchase space OTS ESA / ISO Quality Processes Company Founded 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 First bespoke solar panel sales First hi-rel variant product Expanded to current facilities First flight heritage (ITUpSAT1)

Clyde Space today 1.5MGBP (2009/10 forecast turnover) 20 employees 14 engineers 3 production technicians Growing at 100% PA. >100 OTS CubeSat EPS sold to in 3 years Ongoing ESA / NASA / major industry projects Quality assurance processes fully implemented ESA ECSS qualified operators and inspectors ISO9001:2008 accreditation

CubeSat Power Systems

CubeSat Solar Panels

Lithium Polymer Batteries

Attitude control Control moment gyro drive electronics Magnetorquers embedded in solar arrays Telemetry & switching In development Micro-interial wheels Attitude & rate Sensors Sun sensors

Orbit control - mPPT Soon we can; Perform Orbit Trim Manoeuvres Gain PRECISE ADCS Change Orbital Plane and Altitude (…a little) ESA funded with MARS Space and University of Southampton Targets: 12µNs per Joule 60µNs Impulse Bit 24

Modular platform concept From nanopower… One-stop shop [PUMPKIN] [ISIS] [IMI] Telemetry & switching Modular platform concept Electric power system Batteries Solar arrays Structures …to nanoplatforms

CubeSat Platform Class II Payload Payload Interface and Management Communications Attitude determination and control Electric power system Batteries Electric Propulsion

Concurrent Modular Design Mission system analysis to support nanospacecraft products New user entry into space, removing barriers to participation ENABLING NEW USERS AND MISSIONS

Conclusion

Conclusion CubeSats offer an exciting opportunity to put new technologies into space. The size and cost of CubeSats enable applications too costly to be implemented previously. CubeSat constellations are likely to be the killer APP for CubeSats.

craig. clark@clyde-space. com www. clyde-space. com facebook craig.clark@clyde-space.com www.clyde-space.com facebook.com/clydespace twitter.com/clydespace