Cajun advanced picosatellite experiment

Abstract

The design of the CAPE I satellite has been underway for approximately three years. This project is an interdisciplinary project that incorporates electrical, mechanical, and aerospace engineering as well as computer science and physics. The project hopes to teach students how to design, develop and maintain a lower earth orbiting satellite. In fact, this satellite was delivered to San Luis Obispo, California on December 5, 2006 where it passed the final integration test in order to qualify for launch. After qualification, the satellite was loaded into the poly picosatellite orbital deployer or P-POD, which is the deployment system for the satellite. The P-POD holds three CubeSats. Once all three satellites were integrated, it was delivered to Kazakhstan and loaded into the DNEPR Russian Rocket on March 17, 2007. After a few delays, the rocket was launched on April 17, 2007. The team is currently monitoring and decoding the CW beacons transmitted by the satellite.The project was broken down into several subsystems including mechanical, communications, control and data handling, and power. Each of the systems proved to have their own unique challenges. Being that the majority of the team was electrical engineering students; the mechanical subsystem presented the most difficulty.

The Design and Implementation of a Phased Antenna Array System for LEO Satellite Communications

“…Adapting Equation ( 9) for the particular case of a phased square uniform planar antenna array, we arrived at the expressions of the phase shifts that must be applied to each element. If we denote by w1, w2, w3, and w4, the phase shifts introduced to the elements with the coordinates (1, 1), (2, 1), (2, 2), respectively (1, 2), according to Figure 2b, for the orientation of the main lobes on the direction 𝜑 0 , the corresponding values are given by: w1 = 0 (10) w2 = 𝜋 sin(𝜃 0 )cos(𝜑 0 ) Adapting Equation ( 9) for the particular case of a phased square uniform planar antenna array, we arrived at the expressions of the phase shifts that must be applied to each element. If we denote by w1, w2, w3, and w4, the phase shifts introduced to the elements with the coordinates (1, 1), (2, 1), (2, 2), respectively (1, 2), according to Figure 2b, for the orientation of the main lobes on the direction φ 0 , the corresponding values are given by: w1 = 0 (10)…”

“…The UHF band from 435 MHz to 438 MHz offers a distinct set of features and advantages that make it suitable for certain applications and services [ 7 , 8 ]. Among those, communications with CubeSat satellites [ 9 ] (specific size and construction standard for small satellites), picosatellites [ 10 ], and other small satellites allow receiving images, environmental monitoring, reception of data collected from sensors located on the satellite (data from space or from the environments through which the satellite passes during its orbit) or data collected using sensors located on Earth (e.g., IoT applications). The 435–438 MHz frequency band is used for data collection in terrestrial, atmospheric, or aquatic environments where the IoT sensors located on the ground transmit the data to the satellites.…”

Electrically Small Microstrip Antennas Targeting Miniaturized Satellites: the CubeSat Paradigm

“…Once the satellite is in orbit, current passes through the Nichrome wire, the fibres melt and the linear antenna is released. Small satellites using this linear-antenna technique are studied in (Dabrowski, 2005;Galysh et al, 2000;Heidt et al, 2000;Hunyadi et al, 2002;LaBerteaux et al, 2007;Mizuno et al, 2005;Puig-Suari et al, 2001;Schaffner & Puig-Suari, 2002). But this is not the only available option in terms of wire antenna elements.…”

A compact microstrip antenna with tapered peripheral slits for CubeSat RF Payloads at 436MHz: Miniaturization techniques, design & numerical results

“…When the satellite is placed in orbit, the Nylon fibers burn out and the antenna is deployed. The miniature satellites that use linear antennas are studied in [1], [9] - [11].…”