Launch and Operations Lessons Learned AubieSat-1 Launch and Operations Lessons Learned

AubieSat-1: Flight model in space!

Launch on a Delta II Rocket Vandenberg AFB, California 28 October, 2:48 AM

02:21 UTC hihi de ki4nqo aubiesat 1 vb 4r23 sk
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02:23 UTC hihi de aubiesat 1 vb 4r23 bacon 111 sk
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02:25 UTC hihi de aubiesat 1 vb 4r22 bacon 111 sk
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Summer 2011 Team

Project Characteristics Project relies entirely on undergraduate volunteers with mostly low skills Students turn-over rate high Project budget very low: cannot pay students or test facilities Very limited facilities AS-1 entirely designed, built and tested by UGs No COTS No space rated materials: stuff from Radio Shack or DigiKey... Lack of experience with satellite engineering and management

Fuel Working on fumes Enthusiasm Optimism Determination

Issues Student turn-over => documentation outdated => much time wasted a few months before NASA MRR Satellite transmissions very weak Satellite does not obey commands from ground Satellite does not transmit in sunlight

Building Fever Chief Engineer gets job in May 2011 - before engineering model finished Building ahead of documentation – CM forgotten New team in May gets docs out of date Reverse engineering => waste of time! Initial MRR in June: impossible to be ready Lucky: MRR rescheduled for end of July!

Lesson Learned Dropping process to finish building is a waste of time Following Configuration Management Plan is paramount

Antennae Not Deployed Three levels of transmission power depending on temperature Calculation => lowest level cannot account for power measured on ground => transmission antenna not deployed GS commands at 100-W not sufficient to be “heard” by satellite => receiving antenna not deployed

Risk Analysis and Mitigation Antennae stowed inside satellite are high risk Other CubeSats do not use stowed antennae Risk analysis and mitigation strategies not performed properly. Antennae deployment testing results embellished. Students cover for each other Last antennae coiling before closing up satellite not documented Failure of leadership and SE

Lesson Learned Risk analysis and mitigation strategies need to be done properly CDR should have required a redesign! Leadership needs to stop bad design and order a redesign on time!

More About Antenna Deployment The fact that both antennae did not deploy points to another failure possibility: software! Software had two modes: Space mode Lab mode In lab mode the satellite comes up without deploying antennae Pressed for time: No Operational Readiness Review before shipping satellite for launch! Non-deployment could be a software issue

Lesson Learned No shipment of satellite without a thorough Operational Readiness Review! Full controlled test of software before shipping by people other than software engineer

Thermal Issues Satellite only heard at night Micro-controller shuts transmitter down if temp higher than 60˚C No proper thermal analysis performed No proper set-up for thermal testing

Lesson Learned Thermal analysis is a key element of satellite design No launch without proper thermal testing

Overall Lessons Learned Shoe-string budgets are high risk Higher budgets would have allowed for paying students to do work => more time on project; more control over process Following process is paramount! Risk Plan CM Plan Importance of Reviews and Decision Making Test Procedures Implementing Plans: Project Control