JANUS a CNES (French Space Agency) Program for Developing Cubesats by Students
Session
Session 11: Education 2
Abstract
In the mythology, JANUS is a god who is the symbol of "the passer". This program initiated by CNES in 2012 proposes to "pass" knowledge and enthusiasm, to young people and more particularly to students. This program is a concrete tool to involve students more actively in space science. The main objectives of JANUS are as follow : - promote space activities by supporting students to develop orbital systems made up of: . Cubesats with a mass of between 1 and 50 kg . Ground segment (ground station, control center, mission center). - Promote in-orbit demonstrators for needs of the scientific and industrial community. This will allow to validate and to improve TRL, in a short time and at low cost, new satellite and instrumental technologies (materials, detectors, components, ASIC, propulsion, attitude control, on board computer, electrical architecture, radio communication, etc.). The results of these technological demonstrations could be used by CNES for the needs of other space missions. In 2012, ROBUSTA, a cubesat developed by Montpellier University had been the forerunner. Now, 12 cubesats are developing in 10 french universities and engineering schools. More 1000 students habe been involved from 2012. In 2017 four french cubesats will be launched. ROBUSTA1B (a simple cubesat) from Montpellier university by a FALCON 9 from vandenberg in March. Two double cubesats : XCUBESAT from « Ecole Polytechnique » (Paris) and SPACECUBE from « Ecole des mines » (Paris) will be deployed in orbit from ISS in April. A triple cubesat ENTRYSAT from ISAE-SUPAERO will be launched at the end of the year. The last three cubesats are a part of the QB50 network, a belgium project of 50 cubesats to study the thermosphere. In 2018 two cubesats will be launched : EYESAT a triple cubesat for an astronomy mission, to study zodiacal light and to take images of the milky way. This cubesat is a JANUS pilot project developed by students in internship in CNES. OGMS-SAT a triple cubesat for an in orbit demonstration of a new scientific instrument : the CRDS (Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer) to study the degradation of materials exposed to UV radiation. This cubesat is developing by the Paris Est Créteil University. From 2019 at least one cubesat will be ready to launch. They are developing by Pierre et Marie Curie university (Paris), Ecole Polytechnique (Paris), ISAE-SUPAERO (Toulouse), ELISA (Saint Quentin).
Presentation
JANUS a CNES (French Space Agency) Program for Developing Cubesats by Students
In the mythology, JANUS is a god who is the symbol of "the passer". This program initiated by CNES in 2012 proposes to "pass" knowledge and enthusiasm, to young people and more particularly to students. This program is a concrete tool to involve students more actively in space science. The main objectives of JANUS are as follow : - promote space activities by supporting students to develop orbital systems made up of: . Cubesats with a mass of between 1 and 50 kg . Ground segment (ground station, control center, mission center). - Promote in-orbit demonstrators for needs of the scientific and industrial community. This will allow to validate and to improve TRL, in a short time and at low cost, new satellite and instrumental technologies (materials, detectors, components, ASIC, propulsion, attitude control, on board computer, electrical architecture, radio communication, etc.). The results of these technological demonstrations could be used by CNES for the needs of other space missions. In 2012, ROBUSTA, a cubesat developed by Montpellier University had been the forerunner. Now, 12 cubesats are developing in 10 french universities and engineering schools. More 1000 students habe been involved from 2012. In 2017 four french cubesats will be launched. ROBUSTA1B (a simple cubesat) from Montpellier university by a FALCON 9 from vandenberg in March. Two double cubesats : XCUBESAT from « Ecole Polytechnique » (Paris) and SPACECUBE from « Ecole des mines » (Paris) will be deployed in orbit from ISS in April. A triple cubesat ENTRYSAT from ISAE-SUPAERO will be launched at the end of the year. The last three cubesats are a part of the QB50 network, a belgium project of 50 cubesats to study the thermosphere. In 2018 two cubesats will be launched : EYESAT a triple cubesat for an astronomy mission, to study zodiacal light and to take images of the milky way. This cubesat is a JANUS pilot project developed by students in internship in CNES. OGMS-SAT a triple cubesat for an in orbit demonstration of a new scientific instrument : the CRDS (Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer) to study the degradation of materials exposed to UV radiation. This cubesat is developing by the Paris Est Créteil University. From 2019 at least one cubesat will be ready to launch. They are developing by Pierre et Marie Curie university (Paris), Ecole Polytechnique (Paris), ISAE-SUPAERO (Toulouse), ELISA (Saint Quentin).
