psc-cubesat

During spacecrafts' missions, mission team may need to visualize and capture certain events from outside spacecraft, thus a Nano-satellite solution is introduced to achieve that purpose. A Cube-Sat equipped with high quality camera to capture events of interest in deep space, attitude determination and control system using reaction wheels to keep attitude of payload and control the Cube-Sat, communication link with host spacecraft and powered by solar panels and back-up battery.

This project is solving the Deep Space CamSat challenge.
Description
Aim:

Our project aims to make a cube-sat equipped with high quality camera, attitude determination and control system to keep payload attitude and enable cube sat to maneuver, communication system with host spacecraft and powered by solar panels and back-up battery. The aim of that cube-sat is to capture pictures of spacecraft while events of significant interest while being able to be launched and returned to the host spacecraft again for reuse .

How:

a. Imaging payload

(NanoCam C1U) :

● 3MP CMOS censor, 10-bit colour ● 9.22 degree field-of-view with Schneider optics ● 210 MIPS data processing ● 32MB RAM, 2GB solid storage ● I2C interface

b. Sensor

(ADCS module)

c. propulsion system

● Momentum 15 mN⋅m⋅s ● Max Speed 6,500 RPM ● Max Torque 6 mN⋅m Torque ● Power @ Max Torque 8.0 W

d. power system

Solar cells

4 faces of Cube-Sat are covered with solar cells of average power 2 watt each

Backup power supply

(NanoPower P31U):

power supply circuit managing multi solar cells with onboard 2600 mAh lithium ion battery

e. communication system

UHF transmitter

● Frequency range: 400-450MHz (Synthesized) ● Transmit power: Typical 500mW. ● Modulation: Raised-Cosine Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) ● Data rate selectable: 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 bit/s. Higher values on request ● Protocol: AX.25 10

VHF Receiver

● Frequency range: 130-170MHz (Synthesized) ● Modulation: Audio Frequency Shift Keying, 1200Hz/2200Hz (Bell202) ● Data rate: 1200 bit/s. ● -100dBm Sensitivity for BER 10E-5 ● On-board AX.25 command decoding

f. Release & Docking

Cube-Sat would be stored in spacecraft in a hatch and attached through 4 rods in the Cube-Sat which enter four holes in the hatch. While releasing system opens the hatch, unlocks the rods and pushes Cub-Sat outside. on Retrieval system opens the hatch while Cube-Sat maneuver to enter the hatch using its actuators, once Cube-Sat enters system close the hatch and the Cube-Sat finds the four holes to attach with them, when system senses Cube-Sat attachment it locks the rods to the holes to assure stability.

Project Information

License: Academic Free License 3.0 (AFL-3.0)

Source Code/Project URL: http://pscubesat.tk/

Resources

Source codes Github - https://github.com/pacubesat/PSC-BA-Cubesat
Cube-Sat animation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvBo2JfpNVk
Docking system animation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AEH3TkL2R4
Documintation - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5JpJ67LztkHWUV3N2VUUzhqTEU

Team