Avionics and Payload

Posted byslin1923Posted inUncategorized
Actual Qubesat with one solar side PCB removed for internal visibility
Replica Demo Qubesat made with clear acrylic faces for internal visibility.
Solar Side PCBs with solar panels soldered on.

From Top to Bottom:

  • Payload: a laser, a diamond, an Arduino, and a couple 3-D printed pieces that comprise our quantum gyroscope
  • Magnetorquers: the primary control system on Qubesat. Basically 3 densely coiled electromagnets that align with the XYZ axes. When actuated, the magnets will align with earth’s magnetic field and help us detumble when we are deployed from the spacecraft.
  • Battery Board: Primary power source for when our Qubesat needs to be operational but does not have sunlight yet. Secondary power source in orbit. Space rated batteries that don’t go boom in the atmosphere.
  • Pycubed: The “CPU” of Qubesat. It is a third-party designed board that almost all cubesats use for its versatility.
  • OpenLST: The primary board for comms. It is adjacent to our antenna and is connected via a coax cable.

Side:

  • Solar Side PCBs: These PCBs were custom printed for our project. Solar panels were soldered onto the outward face and electrical contact areas on the inner face are connected to the power grid.

Leave a comment