BeaverCube2
Project Overview
BeaverCube2 is a 3U Cube Satellite built in collaboration between MIT STAR Laboratory and Northrop Grumman for experiments involving Earth observation. The satellite is 30 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm in dimension, the CubeSat standard 3U. It hosts one main experiment, the demonstration of a Adaptive Compute Acceleration Platform (ACAP) using two optical sensors and one infrared sensor to study the Earth.
As the lead mechanical, structural, systems and thermal engineer for BeaverCube2, I designed the satellite to be robust in the launch environment and on orbit. My main contributions are detailed below.
Structural Design
My first contribution to BeaverCube2 includes computer aided design and manufacture of components that successfully integrate all subsystems and meet the size requirements of a 3U CubeSat. I accomplish this through the design and manufacture of 23 components involving prototypes and several iterations to integrate systems successfully.
Structural and Vibrational Analysis
My second contribution to BeaverCube2 is ensuring that the components can structurally withstand the harsh 13.5G linear accelerations, 8 rad/s radial accelerations, 20,000N side rail loads, and random vibration environment experienced during launch. The design is robust in these conditions. The minimum frequencies of modes of vibration throughout the structure occur well above the allowed minimum mode of 100 Hz.
Thermal Analysis
My third contribution to BeaverCube2 is ensuring that all subsystems of the satellite do not reach temperatures exceeding their storage temperature ranges and do not exceed their operating ranges while turned on. Analytical and simulated thermal analysis demonstrates during worst case hot (beta angle) and worst case cold (beta angle) orbits, no subsystem reaches the operating temperature bounds.
