Session
Technical Session I: Electronics and Power Subsystems
Abstract
Students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) and the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) are designing, building, and testing a spacecraft scheduled to fly on a Lockheed Martin Atlas/Centaur in October, 1997. The primary mission objective is to capture Global Positioning System (GPS) data from above the GPS constellation for use in orbit determination. This paper describes the design and high altitude balloon flight test of the low cost, compact, self-contained electrical power subsystem (EPS) which supports this mission. This EPS design supports the two week mission without on orbit charging. Commercial off-the-shelf components were used and this subsystem was built and tested in an environment. Design and schedule issues, test procedures, and balloon flight test results are discussed. EPS component designs are discussed in detail. A key design factor was safety as this mission is a secondary payload. An overview of the satellite mission is included.
Design of a Low Cost Electrical Power Subsystem for a Small Satellite
Students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) and the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) are designing, building, and testing a spacecraft scheduled to fly on a Lockheed Martin Atlas/Centaur in October, 1997. The primary mission objective is to capture Global Positioning System (GPS) data from above the GPS constellation for use in orbit determination. This paper describes the design and high altitude balloon flight test of the low cost, compact, self-contained electrical power subsystem (EPS) which supports this mission. This EPS design supports the two week mission without on orbit charging. Commercial off-the-shelf components were used and this subsystem was built and tested in an environment. Design and schedule issues, test procedures, and balloon flight test results are discussed. EPS component designs are discussed in detail. A key design factor was safety as this mission is a secondary payload. An overview of the satellite mission is included.
