Session
Session IV: Instruments/Science I
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Brazil has launched a few cubesats so far. Both through universities as well as through space research institutes and its Space Agency. There is a growing interest in the country for this type of satellite due to its low and feasible costs for these institutions, as well for the increasing number of possibilities with its use. The advantages of its use for science and educational purposes is not questioned any more in a changing scenario, as was the case in the world in general. However, so far, all these missions were developed with government funds. The challenge now is to transfer this technology and application to the private sector.
The mission here described is the first in the country developed by a private company in cooperation with the public R&D space sector for the payload. In the process it also creates a production chain with other companies for the development of part of its subsystems and software. A few of them (HorusEye, USIPED) are new in the space field although with large experience in other micro electronics and precision mechanics applications. These subsystems are the attitude determination and control, the EPS and the structure. All of these with advantages when compared with similar subsystems available in the international cubesat market. Software is also developed by a small company from former INPE graduate students (EMSISTI). The OBC and the transceiver will still have to be imported due to the larger development costs, and the limited budget for the project. The scientific payload of the mission is an experiment for the detection of hard X-ray and gamma ray radiation in space, possibly from cosmic explosions such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). This experiment was initially conceived for a larger bus but it has never materialized due to its costs. The number of detectors in the payload array was significantly reduced but it will still produce significant results for the mission PI. One exciting possibility is the detection of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave signals detected by the LIGO/Virgo consortium. This was not known when the larger bus was being considered for this mission. The cubesat is a 2U with 1U fully for the payload. CRON-1 was officially submitted to be launched in 2021 by the first launch of VLM (Microsatellite Launch Vehicle), the small launcher under development by the Brazilian Air Force, Brazilian industries and DLR (German Aerospace Center). However it will be ready to be launched by the end of 2020 and another earlier launch alternative may be selected if it can´t be launched by VLM. The project was selected to be funded by the São Paulo State Foundation for R&D (FAPESP) in a call from its Innovation Program for the Small Company (PIPE) for the development of the engineering model so far. The paper gives more information and details about the payload and the science motivation for the mission as well as for the subsystems developed for CRON-1.
CRON-1 The First Brazilian Private Cubesat
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Brazil has launched a few cubesats so far. Both through universities as well as through space research institutes and its Space Agency. There is a growing interest in the country for this type of satellite due to its low and feasible costs for these institutions, as well for the increasing number of possibilities with its use. The advantages of its use for science and educational purposes is not questioned any more in a changing scenario, as was the case in the world in general. However, so far, all these missions were developed with government funds. The challenge now is to transfer this technology and application to the private sector.
The mission here described is the first in the country developed by a private company in cooperation with the public R&D space sector for the payload. In the process it also creates a production chain with other companies for the development of part of its subsystems and software. A few of them (HorusEye, USIPED) are new in the space field although with large experience in other micro electronics and precision mechanics applications. These subsystems are the attitude determination and control, the EPS and the structure. All of these with advantages when compared with similar subsystems available in the international cubesat market. Software is also developed by a small company from former INPE graduate students (EMSISTI). The OBC and the transceiver will still have to be imported due to the larger development costs, and the limited budget for the project. The scientific payload of the mission is an experiment for the detection of hard X-ray and gamma ray radiation in space, possibly from cosmic explosions such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). This experiment was initially conceived for a larger bus but it has never materialized due to its costs. The number of detectors in the payload array was significantly reduced but it will still produce significant results for the mission PI. One exciting possibility is the detection of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave signals detected by the LIGO/Virgo consortium. This was not known when the larger bus was being considered for this mission. The cubesat is a 2U with 1U fully for the payload. CRON-1 was officially submitted to be launched in 2021 by the first launch of VLM (Microsatellite Launch Vehicle), the small launcher under development by the Brazilian Air Force, Brazilian industries and DLR (German Aerospace Center). However it will be ready to be launched by the end of 2020 and another earlier launch alternative may be selected if it can´t be launched by VLM. The project was selected to be funded by the São Paulo State Foundation for R&D (FAPESP) in a call from its Innovation Program for the Small Company (PIPE) for the development of the engineering model so far. The paper gives more information and details about the payload and the science motivation for the mission as well as for the subsystems developed for CRON-1.
