Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Prof. P. Gaudenzi and A. Kiroe

Professor Paolo Gaudenzi Director, Master in Satelliti e Piattaforme Orbitanti, Department of Aerospace and Astronautical Engineering, University of Rome La Sapienza Paolo.gaudenzi@uniroma1.it Anthony J. Kiroe Physics Department, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology kiroe@fsc.jkuat.ac.ke
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Introduction
The small satellite approach for capacity building in satellite technology is considered The study can apply to any developing country wishing to develop space capabilities The outline: Affiliation The trend towards miniaturization of satellites The CubeSat program Capacity building: The small satellite approach Capacity building initiatives Conclusion
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Affiliation

Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The trend towards miniaturization of satellites

Classification of artificial satellites Classification by mass (deployed) Small satellites Pico satellites: The CubeSat program

Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The trend towards miniaturization of satellites

Classification of artificial satellites Classification of artificial satellites - by function, type of orbit, cost, mass, etc Classification by mass (deployed): most important direct bearing on the launcher versus cost tradeoff Trend towards miniaturization of satellites has mainly been caused by high launch costs
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The trend towards miniturization of satellites (contd.)

Satellite classification by mass (deployed) criterion
Category Large satellite Medium-sized satellite Minisatellite Microsatellite Nanosatellite Picosatellite Femtosatellite (satellite-on-a-chip) Mass range (kg) > 1,000 500-1,000 100-500 10-100 1-10 0.1-1 < 0.1

Generally, the term small satellite is used to cover all spacecraft with inorbit masses of less than 500 kg There isnt a universally accepted way of defining a small satellite
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Pico satellites: The CubeSat program

Pico satellites (mass below 1 kilogram) are attracting special interest to the space community Small size and low weight means that they can be carried on the same launcher as secondary payloads Their standardized shape makes them cheaper to produce and launch in a much shorter time compared to large satellites
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The CubeSat program

CubeSat: a cubic pico satellite bus Is as a result of an effort to meet an educational need to have a satellite that could be developed within one to two years, be very low in cost and be very low in weight for reduced launch costs
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The CubeSat program

A CubeSats basic constraints: Size and shape: 10x10x10cm cuboid 1U Weight: < 1 kg Others as may be defined by the mission requirements CubeSat units may be combined to produce larger mass and volume systems 3U CubeSats demostrated 6U CubeSats proposed
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The CubeSat standard and the P-POD

1 kg mass limit 10x10x10 cm size limit Hard anodized rails Center of mass within 2 cm of geometric center Access ports located at same locations as P-POD Thermal expansion of the CubeSats should be similar to that of the P-POD aluminum material (7075-T73) CubeSat design tolerances are based on PPOD tolerances and specifications
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The CubeSat standard and the P-POD Deployer) (The Poly-PicoSatellite Orbital
Goals of the P-POD Protect the primary payload Protect the launch vehicle Protect the CubeSats Safely group multiple CubeSats for launch Eject CubeSats for safe deployment Increase Access to Space for CubeSats Provide standard interface to launch vehicle

Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Capacity building: The small satellite approach

The study can apply to any developing country wishing to develop space capabilities The outline: A four stage strategic approach for capacity building A case for a CubeSat programme Maintaining a CubeSat programme
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology

The four stage strategic approach for capacity building

Stage 1 Purchasing a satellite Mission: Simple and low cost Based on a platform* of NSR COTS components Aimed at creating interest and the first step towards building the needed infrastructure and achieving skills on operating a satellite in space
*Common vendors: SSTL, GomSpace, Pumpkin, Clyde Space, ISIS. Example: GomSpace - platform NSR Non-Space Rated COTS Commercial-Off-The-Shelf
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The four stage strategic approach for capacity building (contd.)

Stage 2 Involvement of a countrys own scientists and engineers in the development of the satellite Practical lessons on project planning, executing the integration and testing phase and operating the satellite in space A country may choose to implement its own payload The success of this stage may easily attract funding to continue the program Notable examples are the TiungSAT and NIGSAT satellite programmes for Malaysia and Nigeria respectively Images credit: sstl
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

The four stage strategic approach for capacity building (contd.)

Stage 3 Assumption: Knowledge base in satellite technology is well established Introduction of indigenous subsystems into an already existing platform Target 3 4 missions SunSat-1
South Africas first microsatellite (Africas first) Built by students in the Electronics Systems Stage 4 Laboratory (ESL), University of Stellenbosch, SA Produced about 100 masters and PhD students btn Knowledge development and sharing stage year 1992 and 2001 Notable example: 2001 Operated from Feb 1999 to Jan South Africa - indigeniously developed SumbadilaSat Resulted to the formation of SunSpace Co. satellites SUNSAT-1 (February 1999) and SumbadilaSat S. As second microsatellite Source: Built by SunSpace (September 2009) http://esl.ee.sun.ac.za/index.php/Main/SatelliteSystems
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

A case for a CubeSat program

Justification Existing CubeSat standard(s): Flight proven platform interfaces Wealth of ideas and approaches Large, open development community Low cost: Small size and mass Secondary payload accomodations Level of technology is manageable No previous experience is required
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

A case for a CubeSat program

Justication (contd.) Failure is not catastrophic Highly interdisciplinary: Communications Electrical, mechanical, computer & systems engineering Program management Expanding capabilities: Ideal testbed for new technologies Wide variety of mission architectures supportable
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

A case for a CubeSat program (contd)

Benefits Cubbing brain drain an attractor for good and motivated students Encourages cooperation among different branches of science and technology Encourages cooperation between academia, government and industry Emergence of new departments, industry and markets Confidence building Improvement of engineering and scientific understanding Exposure on a global scale

Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Maintaining a CubeSat programme

Limiting factors Launch vehicle availability and cost University setting students and facilities Satellite programme option and funding: Government-funded Independent programme Inter-satellite development Joint effort
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Capacity building initiatives

Masters course in Satellites and Orbital Platforms: Kenya (MoD), Italy (ASI) and Universit di Roma La Sapienza Scientific, technical and managerial skills

Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Capacity building initiatives

Partnerships and collaborations

Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Capacity building initiatives

National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme (NASSP): UON, University of Cape Town Research skills in astrophysics and space science Satellite Navigation Science and Technology for Africa (series of workshops) Boston college, ICTP Skills on the use of GNSS for social and economic development in Africa International Heliophysical Year (IHY) UN-sponsored program of global research Main objective: to discover and study all the physical processes coupling the Earth to the Sun
Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat

Conclusion
Crawl Walk Run Fly

CanSat

DelfiC3

Sunsat

Compass 1

Inclination below 20 degrees eliminates most CubeSat developers

Alla Fine

Grazie

Kenyan Capacity Building in Satellite Technology: The Small Satellite Approach with Emphasis on the CubeSat