NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative Design
Engineering Design
Project Overview
Designed an innovative CubeSat concept for interplanetary exploration, focused on measuring atmospheric conditions of potentially habitable planets. The project aligned with NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), emphasizing feasibility for deployment as a ride-share payload on a larger interplanetary mission.
technical insights
Developed a compact CubeSat structure in SolidWorks, optimized for deployment via a rideshare launch from a primary spacecraft traveling to the target planet.
Engineered the CubeSat to use onboard micro-propulsion systems for trajectory adjustments and reaction wheels for precise attitude control after deployment.
Designed and tested a heat shield system to protect the CubeSat during atmospheric entry, ensuring it could survive extreme thermal and mechanical stresses.
Integrated a parachute deployment system, triggered by onboard sensors to detect altitude and atmospheric density, enabling controlled descent and precise sampling of atmospheric conditions.
Equipped the CubeSat with sensors to measure temperature, pressure, and gas composition, supporting the mission's goal of identifying atmospheric properties suitable for habitability.
Addressed challenges in data communication, incorporating the ability to relay collected data via the primary spacecraft or transmit directly to Earth during descent.
skills and tools
Milling Machines, SolidWorks, CNC, Thermal Analysis Software, Matlab, Arduino