CubeSat Handbook

From Mission Design to Operations

Chantal Cappelletti, Simone Battistini, Benjamin K. Malphrus

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780128178843
• eBook ISBN: 9780128178850
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Aeronautic & Astronautic Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

CubeSat Handbook: From Mission Design to Operations is the first book solely devoted to the design, manufacturing, and in-orbit operations of CubeSats. Beginning with an historical overview from CubeSat co-inventors Robert Twiggs and Jordi Puig-Suari, the book is divided into 6 parts with contributions from international experts in the area of small satellites and CubeSats. It covers topics such as standard interfaces, on-board & ground software, industry standards in terms of control algorithms and sub-systems, systems engineering, standards for AITV (assembly, integration, testing and validation) activities, and launch regulations.This comprehensive resource provides all the information needed for engineers and developers in industry and academia to successfully design and launch a CubeSat mission.- Provides an overview on all aspects that a CubeSat developer needs to analyze during mission design and its realization- Features practical examples on how to design and deal with possible issues during a CubeSat mission- Covers new developments and technologies, including ThinSats and PocketQubeSats

Part One

Systems engineering applied to CubeSats

Introduction

Fernando Aguado Agelet^a; Andrés Eduardo Villa^b, ^a Signal Theory and Communications Department and AtlanTTic, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain, ^b Aerospace Group, UARX Space S.L., Nigrán, Spain

Abstract

This chapter manifests how systems engineering is applied to CubeSats missions. A short introduction of ESA, NASA, and JAXA standards is described, including how requirements engineering is connected to the V systems engineering model. A detailed explanation of the missions phases, tasks, documentation, and project reviews of a CubeSat mission, according to a tailored version of the standards created by the European Commission for Space Standardization, is also explained. Finally, a mission cost analysis of a CubeSat mission is presented throughout a hypothetical mission to Low Earth Orbit, named LEON-1.

Keywords

Systems engineering; MBSE; ECSS; NASA systems engineering handbook; Requirements; Mission phases; Documentation; Reviews; Cost analysis; Cost breakdown structure

1: Introduction

For years, national and international space agencies, as well as large corporations have applied similar systems engineering definitions and approaches to large space projects, characterized to be interdisciplinary, complex, costly, and with long life-cycle programs. Examples of these systems engineering approaches include:

• • The INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook: “Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems. Successful systems must satisfy the needs of its customers, users, and other stakeholders.”
• • The NASA Systems Engineering Handbook: “at NASA, ‘systems engineering’ is defined as a methodical, multidisciplinary approach for the design, realization, technical management, operations, and retirement of a system. A ‘system’ is the combination of elements that function together to produce the capability required to meet a need. The elements include all hardware, software, equipment, facilities, personnel, processes, and procedures needed for this purpose.”
• • ESA ECSS E-10 Part 1B: “Systems engineering is the interdisciplinary approach governing the total technical effort to transform a requirement into a system solution.”

A practical definition of systems engineering is the technical management of product design and development. In recent years, an increasing number of countries have shown a growing interest in developing their indigenous space capacity through national small satellite programs. The satellites produced through these efforts, which were initially focused on educational and training missions, currently are now more oriented toward scientific research and operational systems. Thus, small satellite missions are considered not only educational tools, but also technological demonstrators or, even, mature enough for commercial and scientific missions. The initial educational CubeSat missions were characterized by high infant mortality, caused, among other factors, by the lack of the application of an adequate system engineering approach for this kind of projects, especially during mission definition and the assembly, integration, and test (AIT) phases on ground. Nevertheless, the application of the systems engineering methodologies and associated documentation and tests used in large space projects are not directly applicable to small satellite programs. It is necessary to downsize and tailor these standards to the size, organization, complexity, and cost of a typical CubeSat project. This chapter presents an overview of how systems engineering can be applied to CubeSats projects, including a review of the most important standards, requirements definition, and an example of the mission phases and its associated documentati...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• About the editors
• Preface
• Introduction: The history of the CubeSat by Bob Twiggs and Jordi Puig-Suari
• Part One: Systems engineering applied to CubeSats
• Part Two: CubeSat missions analysis and design
• Part Three: CubeSat subsystems design and modelling
• Part Four: CubeSat assembly, integration, testing and verification
• Part Five: CubeSat ground segment and operations
• Part Six: Getting CubeSats to space
• Index