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Overview: 

Alpha CubeSat mission represents a breakthrough in space exploration technology, combining rapid development and cost-efficiency in a 1U CubeSat. Its primary goal is to deploy the first free-flying light sail integrated with ChipSats in Low Earth Orbit, testing a novel retroreflective material for light-sail propulsion. The CubeSat features several innovations, including a fully 3D-printed structure for rapid and cost-effective prototyping, holograms, an onboard Iridium modem to eliminate ground-station dependencies, and an attitude-control subsystem using only magnetorquers for precise maneuvering.

Looking ahead, the potential application of lasers to propel these light sails could enable missions to reach near-relativistic speeds, potentially targeting distant celestial bodies like Alpha Centauri.

Alpha CubeSat*

Integration and Testing (I&T)*

Role: I&T Lead
 
My responsibilities includes integration and testing of the mechanical, software, and attitude control systems for the CubeSat Flight Unit. Slated for launch in late September, Fall 2023 semester work included finalizing I&T for launch readiness.

Progress & Results (Fall 2023): 

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Mechanical: 

  • Generating a detailed Bill of Materials in compliance with NASA ODAR regulations.

  • Measuring every component in the 232-component assembly led to testing of components that did not fit. I redesigned those components, and machined them. 

  • Completion of CAD Assembly per BOM. 

Electrical: 

  • ChipSat thermal vacuum tests performed with the purpose of confirming that the ChipSat remains operational in vacuum and under high heat (40-55C) for an extended period of time.

  • While the vacuum test was successful, the bakeout test resulted in an unanticipated outcome:

    • ChipSats were heating up quicker than we thought.

    • An automatic relay solution is being looked into next semester as a method of logging data more efficiently for long testing hours.

*This project is currently in progress. Stay tuned for updates as they occur.

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