Session
Pre-Conference Workshop Session V: Educational Programs
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
In this paper, an overview of the scientific mission of CySat-1, the derived vehicle requirements, impact on system design, and the educational opportunities presented by these challenges. CySat-1, previously scheduled for launch on the SpaceX-21 and awaiting further details following the COVID-19 pandemic, is a CubeSat designed and built by students at Iowa State University. The primary mission of CySat-1 is to provide hands-on experience to undergraduate students in designing, building, and testing a space system. CySat-1 also hosts a scientific payload, a software-defined radio (SDR) radiometer, to survey soil moisture content on Earth from Low Earth Orbit. This mission further reinforces the affordability of CubeSats for future research missions. The Iowa State University CubeSat, CySat-1, was selected for NASA’s CubeSat launch initiative (CSLI) program and will be launched with a future ELaNa mission. The operation will be for three to six months after the deployment from the International Space Station.
We will discuss the overall function of the payload and how we integrated the payload into the CubeSat. This discussion will include the student-initiative design and fabrication of critical components, including the payload and CubeSat structures. CySat-1 augments in-house, student designs with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, creating a real-world integration challenge. Iowa State University’s first CubeSat program spurred the installation of facilities such as a clean room with the anti-static capability to support building, testing, and integration of delicate space hardware. Through this process, students acquired experience with industrial level integration and testing procedures.
Undergraduate teams working on CySat-1 lead the design and fabrication of the payload, structure, and system integration, providing experience with systems engineering, technical writing, and various cross-disciplinary applications. Over sixty undergraduate students, several graduate students, and four faculty members from multiple departments worked on the development of this CubeSat under the Make to Innovate program at Iowa State University, which engages students in various projects to augment their understanding of engineering fundamentals.
Preparing CySat-1: A look at Iowa State University’s first CubeSat
Utah State University, Logan, UT
In this paper, an overview of the scientific mission of CySat-1, the derived vehicle requirements, impact on system design, and the educational opportunities presented by these challenges. CySat-1, previously scheduled for launch on the SpaceX-21 and awaiting further details following the COVID-19 pandemic, is a CubeSat designed and built by students at Iowa State University. The primary mission of CySat-1 is to provide hands-on experience to undergraduate students in designing, building, and testing a space system. CySat-1 also hosts a scientific payload, a software-defined radio (SDR) radiometer, to survey soil moisture content on Earth from Low Earth Orbit. This mission further reinforces the affordability of CubeSats for future research missions. The Iowa State University CubeSat, CySat-1, was selected for NASA’s CubeSat launch initiative (CSLI) program and will be launched with a future ELaNa mission. The operation will be for three to six months after the deployment from the International Space Station.
We will discuss the overall function of the payload and how we integrated the payload into the CubeSat. This discussion will include the student-initiative design and fabrication of critical components, including the payload and CubeSat structures. CySat-1 augments in-house, student designs with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, creating a real-world integration challenge. Iowa State University’s first CubeSat program spurred the installation of facilities such as a clean room with the anti-static capability to support building, testing, and integration of delicate space hardware. Through this process, students acquired experience with industrial level integration and testing procedures.
Undergraduate teams working on CySat-1 lead the design and fabrication of the payload, structure, and system integration, providing experience with systems engineering, technical writing, and various cross-disciplinary applications. Over sixty undergraduate students, several graduate students, and four faculty members from multiple departments worked on the development of this CubeSat under the Make to Innovate program at Iowa State University, which engages students in various projects to augment their understanding of engineering fundamentals.
