Students: Launching CubeSats !
Join PROJECT HORUS and explore the exciting world of CubeSats! In this innovative project, students will design, develop, and launch their own CubeSat using a high-altitude balloon. Discover the significance of satellites for Australia, particularly in agriculture and weather forecasting, while tackling experimentation challenges. CubeSats are compact, using off-the-shelf electronics, and offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional satellites. Your mission involves balancing engineering design with scientific observations to capture stunning aerial imagery and gather valuable data.
Students: Launching CubeSats !
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Students: Launching CubeSats! Introduction to the Project PROJECT HORUS
Importance of Satellites to Australia Remote Sensing for Agriculture Effect of drought on wheat crops in Western Australia Weather Forecasting Communications Jabiru-2 communications Satellite – late 2014
CubeSats compared to Satellites CubeSats Small – cube 10cm on one side and usually weighs about 1kg Made of off the shelf electronics A full space launch of a CubeSat is about $100,000, although space agencies do offer free launches Piggy-backs on a launch vehicle Satellites Can be big - size of bus Can be expensive Mulit-millions to billions of dollars for interplanetary missions Usually has its own rocket for launching 1U CubeSatin space (10cm on side) Launch mass 1kg NASA Aqua Satellite 4.81m x 16.70m x 8.04m, Launch mass 2,934kg
High Altitude Balloons as Launch Vehicles High altitude balloon launches can reach heights of over 30km – a third of the way to space and very much cheaper than a full space launch! Sometimes balloon launches can be used for unusual objects Yoyo in space Chair in Space!
And you can do this as well! In this project you will fly your own CubeSat on a high altitude balloon and take your own spectacular pictures!
CubeSat Project Your brief is to design, develop and fly your CubeSat, using a high-altitude balloon as your launch vehicle and undertake experiments that you will design and analyse You need to take into account: Technical or engineering aspects such as launch parameters and correct operation of the payload Scientific aspects – what useful experiments/observations can be done using the equipment available Sometimes there is conflict between technical and scientific aspects
Some Design Issues GoPro camera can be aligned in a number of ways but because of stacking of CubeSats only bottom CubeStat can have camera pointing down – which direction other cameras and why? Memory card – how much data can be stored? Matching GPS data with images Plus others that you will find out about as you go through the design process!
