Session
Science/Mission Payloads Research & Academia
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
AGU Remote Innovative CubeSat Alert System-2 (ARICA-2) is a 2U CubeSat designed to demonstrate rapid alerts for transient astrophysical events such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by utilizing commercial satellite communications. Because GRBs are difficult to predict and have very short durations, immediate detection and rapid alert dissemination to enable follow-up observations by other instruments are critically important for understanding these phenomena. This satellite aims to address this challenge by adopting commercial satellite communication systems as its alert transmission method. The spacecraft is equipped with commercial satellite communication terminals, including Iridium SBD and Globalstar STX-3. The onboard computer (OBC) is Sony's Spresense board computer. Attitude control is achieved through detumbling control using three-axis magnetic torquers, while attitude determination is performed using an ICM-20948 sensor and the Spresense multi-IMU add-on board. A gamma-ray detector consisting of a 7 cm × 7 cm × 1 cm CsI(Tl) scintillator coupled with an Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC) is also onboard. In addition, to ensure communication redundancy, an amateur radio transceiver operating in the UHF band is installed, enabling store-and-forward operations and amateur missions using a Spresense's camera. A Critical Design Review (CDR) was conducted in the summer of 2025, after which fabrication of the flight model (FM) began. Following completion of the FM assembly, functional verification tests of each component and thermal vacuum tests were performed. During this process, hardware issues caused by design errors were identified, and modifications were made to the FM. A vibration test of the FM was conducted, followed by end-to-end testing that included long-duration operations exceeding 48 hours, demonstrating the validity of the entire system, including the flight software. This satellite has been selected for the JAXA Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program and was launched on April 23, 2026. This presentation reports on the FM development of ARICA-2, various tests performed, issues and challenges identified during development and their solutions, as well as the results of initial on-orbit operations.
Document Type
Event
Flight Model Development and Initial Operational Results of the Rapid Alert Demonstration Satellite ARICA-2
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
AGU Remote Innovative CubeSat Alert System-2 (ARICA-2) is a 2U CubeSat designed to demonstrate rapid alerts for transient astrophysical events such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by utilizing commercial satellite communications. Because GRBs are difficult to predict and have very short durations, immediate detection and rapid alert dissemination to enable follow-up observations by other instruments are critically important for understanding these phenomena. This satellite aims to address this challenge by adopting commercial satellite communication systems as its alert transmission method. The spacecraft is equipped with commercial satellite communication terminals, including Iridium SBD and Globalstar STX-3. The onboard computer (OBC) is Sony's Spresense board computer. Attitude control is achieved through detumbling control using three-axis magnetic torquers, while attitude determination is performed using an ICM-20948 sensor and the Spresense multi-IMU add-on board. A gamma-ray detector consisting of a 7 cm × 7 cm × 1 cm CsI(Tl) scintillator coupled with an Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC) is also onboard. In addition, to ensure communication redundancy, an amateur radio transceiver operating in the UHF band is installed, enabling store-and-forward operations and amateur missions using a Spresense's camera. A Critical Design Review (CDR) was conducted in the summer of 2025, after which fabrication of the flight model (FM) began. Following completion of the FM assembly, functional verification tests of each component and thermal vacuum tests were performed. During this process, hardware issues caused by design errors were identified, and modifications were made to the FM. A vibration test of the FM was conducted, followed by end-to-end testing that included long-duration operations exceeding 48 hours, demonstrating the validity of the entire system, including the flight software. This satellite has been selected for the JAXA Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program and was launched on April 23, 2026. This presentation reports on the FM development of ARICA-2, various tests performed, issues and challenges identified during development and their solutions, as well as the results of initial on-orbit operations.
