1. Steve Alvarado Max Bezold Alex Clements Mary Fralick Jason Rexroat
Wallops VT/6U Mission
Steve Alvarado
Max Bezold
Alex Clements
Mary Fralick
Jason Rexroat
4/4/2019
Space Systems Lab

2. Background Information
The NASA sounding rocket program on Wallops Island, Virginia is developing a 6U CubeSat deployer for sounding rockets that needs flight heritage.
The development of this system involves a test deployment of a 6U cubesat from a sounding rocket
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Space Systems Lab

3. 6U Deployer
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4. Background Information (cont)
Virginia Tech’s Aerospace department is the main integrator for this mission, with responsibilities for integrating all payloads in the 6U cubesat, as well as 6U-deployer integration.
VT’s two main goals:
Collect telemetry data prior to and after CubeSat ejection
Record short video data during ejection
Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Library will provide a camera system with an attached FPGA that provides data compression/reduction.
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Space Systems Lab

5. UK C&DH/Communication System
Virginia Tech needs help down-linking the telemetry and video data.
UK will provide a full-fledged communications system to transmit data collected by VT to tracking ground stations.
From a high level perspective, this will include:
1. Mechanical Antenna Deployment system
2. S-band and/or UHF radio transmitter(2)
3. Antenna(s) and Impedance matching circuitry
4. C&DH System for data buffering and interface coordination between VT Elect. System and UK transmitter(s)
5. Dedicated EPS and Batteries
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Space Systems Lab

6. Work Week Ending March 24th -Current State of the Design -Design Changes -New Information -Goals for the Next Week
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7. C&DH Description
In order to decouple the radio designs, which is still TBD pending data rates, two processors will be used to interface with each data source.
Both processors will communicate via UART to a data source, buffer the data, and send this data to a radio.
Buffering will be provided by an SPI EEPROM chip
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Space Systems Lab

8. Proposed System Architecture
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9. Data Buffering We must build our system such that we can buffer data.
We may have to log telemetry during launch that we can’t transmit until deployment
For video data, we will want to record and retransmit the deployment video over and over again, so we will need to buffer.
Each microcontroller should have an SPI EEPROM with fast read write capability (~2 MHz)
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Space Systems Lab

10. Antenna System
Must be omnidirectional pattern antenna due to tumbling of the Cubesat
Two Configurations depending on date rates:
Single S-Band Dipole
UHF dipole crossed with an S-band dipole
Final selection TBD based on data rates.
Deployable from the +y???? face
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Space Systems Lab

11. Antenna System
The basics of the design is that the antenna deployer is to act like an inverse tape measurer.
To "load" the deployer we will turn the handle sticking out to wind up the antenna around the inner cylinder.
We will then use a mechanism to hold the deployer in this state until desired deployment.
Then when initiated a torsional spring will unwind the antenna pushing it out into its deployed state. Attached are screenshots. 
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Space Systems Lab

12. Antenna System
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Space Systems Lab

13. Power System Requirements
Depends on the radios used. They consume the vast majority of the power.
We will most likely use rechargeable cells to facilitate charging throughout the integration process.
Power system must provide:
1 5V for the Emhiser S-band radio
1 5V for the UHF Radio
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Space Systems Lab

14. Weekly Updates
Week Ending March 24th 2013
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Space Systems Lab

15. Developments (See Wiki For Brief Summary of Developments) 4/4/2019
Space Systems Lab

16. Developments ADD TELECON UPDATES!!!!!
On the telecon of 2/14/13, we discovered that the internal dimensions of the deployer, and as a result the size of the 6U are subject to change.
On same telecon, Scott Schaire said that NASA could probably provide an Emhiser S-band radio for high bandwidth downlink. They could also provide ground stations for this radio.
System block diagram provided to USU/VA Tech prior to meeting on 2/28/13
ADD TELECON UPDATES!!!!!
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Space Systems Lab

17. Goals for Next Week
Define power system requirements, assuming an S-band radio and a lithium radio will be used.
Ask Scott Schaire about data rates, are we collecting launch data?
Provide volume information to VA Tech, so they know how much space our hardware occupies.
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Space Systems Lab

18. Schedule Launch is scheduled for October 2013 or March 2014.
Integration is TBD, although informally we have been told that the 6U Deployer-Rocket Integration will occur ~1 month prior to launch.
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Space Systems Lab

19. Project File Locations
Space Driver Folder:
Wiki Link:
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Space Systems Lab

20. Contacts Name Position Email Phone David Black VA Tech Lead
Adam Weisz
VA Tech Electrical Lead
Scott Schaire
NASA Sounding Rocket Program Head Honcho
Diwas Thapa
VA Tech Mechanical Lead
Chad Fish
PhD, USU SDL
4/4/2019
Space Systems Lab

21. Useful Acronyms SRPO-NASA Sounding Rocket Program Office
UHF-Ultra High Frequency (300 MHz-3Ghz)
C&DH-command and Data Handling
USU- Utah State University
SDL- Space Dynamics Library
6U-a 6 Unit (2x3 Unit) cubesat
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Space Systems Lab

22. Revision History Date Initials Changes 2/26/13 MOB Created. 3/23/13
SRA
Updated
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Space Systems Lab