Space missions development using cube and nanosats

• Grant number: 17/09800-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: June 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering - Aerospace Systems
• Principal Investigator: Otavio Santos Cupertino Durão
• Grantee: Otavio Santos Cupertino Durão
• Company: Cron Sistemas e Tecnologias Ltda. - EPP
• CNAE: Transporte espacial ; Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais ; Atividades profissionais, científicas e técnicas não especificadas anteriormente
• City: São José dos Campos
• Pesquisadores principais: Celso Benedito Ribeiro ; Gilberto Rigobello
• Associated researchers: Helio Koiti Kuga ; João Braga ; Nelson Jorge Schuch
• Associated research grant: 15/25299-4 - Space mission development using cube and nanosats, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/13048-5 - Cube and nanosat space mission development, BP.PIPE; 18/13046-2 - Cube and nanosat space mission development, BP.PIPE

Abstract

The Project aims to develop a spce mission using a cubesat. This type of satellite was developed in the US as a standard a 1 liter cube with a 1 kg. mass. This standard became known as 1U. Later the 2U, 3U,....12U etc. Standards were created using this 1U the standard module to the assembly of these larger, but still very small and low cost, nanosats. They don´t use space qualified electronic components, but rather COTS type electronic components. Presently, this type of satellite, at its beginning used for university projects, have developed into different applications both in the public as well as in the private sector in operational and scientific missions such as in remote sensing and vehicle localization such as ships and boats and aircrafts. This miniaturization is possible, with gains in efficiency and performance, due to the electronic revolution that has occurred before and already reached the communication and computer sectors, allowing low cost space missions which just a few years ago were launched with significantly much higher costs. The project aims the complete development of a space mission with a 1U cubesat. Since its conception and specification up to the cubesat bus and payloads development, its integration, testing, launching and operation. In Phase 1 of technical feasibility, the mission and the payload equipment were defined as well as a technical feasibility analysis of the bus subsystems development (structure, on board computer, communication, power and control) through Brazilian small companies, within a cost range competitive with equivalent foreign suppliers already in the market. The company proposing this project is the prime contractor for the subsystems and will integrate it and the payload equipment, along with the mission on board and ground software, tests, launch contracting and operation. In Phase 1 the Brazilian developed subsystems were defined and their manufacturing companies. All the platform subsystems, as well as the payload board and the ground station can be developed by Brazilian companies, as shown in Phase 1 of the project. However, for the Phase 2 proposal, and due to its budget limitations, two of these subsystems will have to be purchased from international companies that of it off the shelf. Integration and tests will be performed at the Integration and Testing Laboratory (LIT) of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which regularly provides this type of services to other Brazilian industries. In Phase 1 were also defined the mission requirements (pointing precision, attitude control, altitude, orbit plan inclination angle etc.) and its nominal life in order to select the launcher. The cubesat will operate in amateur radio frequencies and thus for its operation (telemetry and telecommand) the two existent cubesats ground stations in the cities of Santa Maria and São José dos Campos, used to operate NanosatC-Br1 launched by INPE in 2014, will also be used. Amateur radio ground stations around the world will also be able to track the cubesat. In Phase 2 the engineering model for the satellite will be developed, with its platform subsystems and payload equipment, integrated and tested for vibration, thermal vacuum cycling and electro-magnetic compatibility as well as one launching opportunity and launcher defined. In Phase 3, with funding from other stakeholders, the cubesat will be launched and operated. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BRAGA, J.; DURAO, O. S. C.; CASTRO, M.; D'AMICO, F.; STECCHINI, P. E.; AMIRABILE, S.; GONZALEZ BLANCO, F.; STRAUSS, C.; SILVA, W.; SCHAD, V. R.; et al. LECX: a cubesat experiment to detect and localize cosmic explosions in hard X-rays. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 493, n. 4, p. 4852-4860, APR 2020. (17/13551-6, 17/09800-0)