Lessons Learned Developing a 3U Communication Cubesat

TURKSAT-3USAT is a three unit CubeSat developed for voice communication at low Earth orbit. The payload is a VHFIUHF transponder operating at amateur bands. The transponder and all other subsystems, except the stabilization, are doubled for redundancy. Where possible, both COTS systems and in-house development is employed. The energy is provided using lithium polymer batteries together with super capacitors. Satellite stabilization is accomplished using passive magnetic attitude control system with hysteresis rods. The TURKSAT- 3USAT is launched from JSLC of China, on April 26, 2013.

nanosat.jp

A three unit CubeSat called TURKSAT-3USAT is being developed for voice communication at low earth orbit. The payload consists of two VHF/UHF transponders operating at amateur bands. All other subsystems are also doubled for redundancy. Where possible, both ...

2024 IEEE URUCON, 2024

This work presents the implementation and validation of the complete communications system of the USAT-I, the first CubeSat satellite of the National University of La Plata. It consists of a dual-band transceiver, a foldable turnstile UHF antenna for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C), and a S-band patch antenna for the transmission of the science data obtained by the payload. The design and simulation of the transceiver and the antennas were presented in previous works with successful results in terms of performance and low mutual interference. Here, the implementation of the flight model and its validation are shown, including the characterization of the antennas and functional tests in controlled and outdoor environments. The results demonstrate the good performance of the whole system. Since the proposed architecture is versatile, the system can also be used in other CubeSat missions.

2014

This paper introduces 3 Cat-1, the first project of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya to build and launch a pico-satellite. Its main scope is to develop, construct, assembly, test and launch into a Low Earth Orbit a CubeSat with seven different payloads (mono-atomic oxygen detector, Graphene transistor, self-powered beacon, Geiger radiation counter, wireless power transfer, new topology solar cells and wireless power transfer experiment) are all fitted in a single unit CubeSat. On one hand, this is mainly an educational project in which the development of some of the subsystems is carried out by Master Thesis students. On the other hand, the satellite demonstrates its capabilities as optimum platform to perform small scientific experiments, and to demonstrate some of the new technologies that it incorporates. 3 Cat-1 launch is scheduled by summer 2014.

2013

The Wallops 18-Meter diameter UHF-Band and the Morehead State 21-Meter diameter current S-band and future X-Band and UHF-Band CubeSat Groundstations answer a growing need for high data rate from CubeSats over government licensed frequencies. Ten years ago, when CubeSats began, they were nothing more than simple science experiments, typically consisting of a camera and a low data rate radio. The success and wide community support for the National Science Foundation (NSF) CubeSat Program combined with the increasing number of NASA proposals that utilize CubeSats, and other large government organizations that have started funding CubeSats, demonstrates the maturation of the CubeSat platform. The natural gain provided by the large diameter UHF-, X-and S-Band Groundstations enables high data rates (e.g. 3.0 Mbit, 300 times the typical 9.6 Kbit for CubeSats over UHF). Government funded CubeSats using amateur radio frequencies may violate the intent of the amateur radio service and it is a violation of National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) rules for a government funded ground station to use amateur radio frequencies to communicate with CubeSats. The NSF has led the charge in finding a suitable government frequency band for CubeSats. Although amateur frequency licensing has historically been easy and fast to obtain, it limits downlink data rate capability due to narrow spectrum bandwidth allocation. In addition to limited bandwidth allocation, using unencrypted and published downlink telemetry data, easily accessible by any receiver, has not satisfied the needs of universities, industry and government agencies. After completing a decade mainly operating at the amateur radio frequency and using inexpensive but unreliable amateur commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) space and ground hardware, the CubeSat community is looking for different Cu-beSat and ground system communication solutions to support their current and future needs.

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2020

Since their standardization around 2000, nanosatellites have experienced an enormous growth. The UPC-NanoSat Lab, located in Campus Nord of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, aims to explore and develop innovative applications and remote sensing techniques for nanosatellites always focusing on students teaching allowing them to conceive, design, implement, test and operate the subsystems that conforms a CubeSat. 3 CAT-4 project, supported by European Space Agency (ESA) "Fly Your Satellite!" programme, is planned to be finished and ready to launch in spring of 2021 with the implementation of three experiments for Earth observation: an L-band Microwave Radiometer, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) Reflectometer, and an AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver. During the time lapse of this thesis, it has been performed the verification of the L-band Microwave Radiometry experiment at ambient temperature and at adverse temperatures apart from the communications subsystem (COMMS) verification at ambient temperature.

2017

In the fall of 2016, the NASA Science Mission Directorate, working with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, initiated the development of three 1U CubeSats by undergraduate students at universities representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. The University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech, and Hampton University, were chosen to construct CubeSats for flight in May of 2018. The mission has three primary goals: to educate students by providing hands-on experience, to measure orbital decay on a constellation of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and to evaluate and demonstrate a system for the communication of relative and absolute spacecraft position. In this paper, we will describe the details of the mission itself, the science behind the mission, and the structure of the mission that was established to accomplish its goals. We will also provide a review of the hardware used by the mission, the software that exists so far, information about the thermal modelling of t...

International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2018

This paper describes the main concept and development of a standard platform architecture of 3U Cube Satellite, whose design and performance were implemented and verified through the development of KAUSAT-5 3U CubeSat. The 3U standard platform is built in 1.5U size and developed as a modular concept to add and expand payloads and attitude control actuators to meet the user’s needs. In the case of the electrical power system, the solar panel, the battery, and the deployment mechanism are designed to be configured by the user. Mechanical system design maximizes the electrical capability to accommodate various payloads and to integrate and miniaturize EEE (Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical) parts and subsystem functions/performance into limited-size PCBs. The performance of KAUSAT-5 adopting standard platform was verified by mounting the VSCMG (Variable Speed Control Moment Gyro), which is one payload for technical demonstration, at the bottom of the platform and the infrar...

Today's CubeSats mostly operate their communications at UHF-and S-band frequencies. UHF band is presently crowded, thus downlink communications are at lower data rates due to bandwidth limitations and are unreliable due to interference. This research presents an end-to-end robust, innovative, compact, efficient and low cost S-band uplink and X-band downlink CubeSat communication system demonstration between a balloon and a Near Earth Network (NEN) ground system. Since communication systems serve as umbilical cords for space missions, demonstration of this X-band communication system is critical for successfully supporting current and future CubeSat communication needs. This research has three main objectives. The first objective is to design, simulate, and test a CubeSat S-and X-band communication system. Satellite Tool Kit (STK) dynamic link budget calculations and HFSS Simulations and modeling results have been used to trade the merit of various designs for small satellite applications. S-and X-band antennas have been tested in the compact antenna test range at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to gather radiation pattern data. The second objective is simulate and test a CubeSat compatible X-band communication system at 12.5Mbps including S-band antennas, X-band antennas, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) /GSFC transmitter and an S-band receiver from TRL-5 to TRL-8 by the end of this effort. Different X-band communication system components (antennas, diplexers, etc.) from GSFC, other NASA centers, universities, and private companies have been investigated and traded, and a complete component list for the communication system baseline has been developed by performing analytical and numerical analysis. This objective also includes running simulations and performing trades between different X-band antenna systems to optimize communication system performance. The final objective is to perform an end-to-end X-band CubeSat communication system demonstration between a balloon and/or a sounding rocket and a Near Earth Network (NEN) ground system. This paper presents CubeSat communication systems simulation results, analysis of X-band and S-band antennas and RF front-end components, transceiver design, analysis and optimization of space-to-ground communication performance, subsystem development, as well as the test results for an end-to-end X-band CubeSat communication system demonstration. The outcome of this work will be used to pave the way for next generation NEN-compatible X-band CubeSat communication systems to support higher data rates with more advanced modulation and forward error correction (FEC) coding schemes, and to support and attract new science missions at lower cost. It also includes an abbreviated concept of operations for CubeSat users to utilize the NEN, starting from first contact with NASA's communication network and continuing through on-orbit operations.

Aerospace Technologies Advancements, 2010