In the search of exciting frontiers for senior design projects, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering initiated a new CubeSat program. While the concept of CubeSat is not new, the size of the satellites is shrinking rapidly, as are the launching costs. As the miniaturization trend continues, it will test the limits of ultra-small spacecraft technology.
“The long-term goal of this effort is for our students to launch a series of ultra-small satellites and high-altitude test-bed scientific balloons,” said Associate Professor Peter Pachowicz.
CubeSat’s interdisciplinary platform has the potential for a variety engineering projects, such as: spacecraft design, operations, communications, computing hardware, software, sensors, power, altitude control, testing, and more. This system will also be used for testing small modules and chips in a space environment before they are used in large satellite projects.
All of the spacecraft’s components must be designed from scratch and comply with space and launch environments. The first step requires designing and building a satellite communication antenna system that can be mounted on the roof of the Nguyen Engineering Building. The system will include a 916MHz downlink, a 436MHz downlink, and a 140MHz uplink.
“While the emphasis is on the development of a functional ultra-small CubeSat to be launched by students, the fundamental and practical aspects of this project provide an excellent educational value,” said Pachowicz.
A version of this story appeared in the spring 2017 edition of the ECE News.