Joshua Laub Jake Tynis Lindsey Andrews Advisor: Dr. Robert Ash

       Small, lightweight satellites Size = 10 cm cube (1 U up to 3U) Total Mass < 1 kg Orbital altitudes as great as 900 km (ISS is about 350 km) CubeSat lifetime: ≈ 500 years (  1000 yrs @ 900 km) Velocities ≈ 7.4 km/s NASA/IADC Guideline: Orbital lifetime of 25 years or less

   Develop a prototype inflatable device to deorbit CubeSats Increase frontal area >> Increase drag >> Decrease orbital lifetime Current Challenges:  Folding/Packaging   Inflation Initiation Material Procurement

  US Air Force Plug and Play prototype system LabVIEW to trigger the inflation sequence:     Boolean program outputs about 1 Volt +1 Volt output is sent to relay Relay amplifies signal up to 30 Volts, if desired Amplified signal sent to Micro Solenoid valve to start air flow (inflation)

   Mylar    Resistant to punctures Low cost Vulnerable to radiation over long periods of time Kapton   Good mechanical properties External chemical coating necessary to prevent atomic oxygen degradation Both will be utilized in the prototype development

Prototype Material

2 Mil Mylar Contact Cement Gas Cylinder (from lab) Lab air Aluminum (from stock) Valve (Clippard) Circuit board Misc.

Net cost:

Cost

$33 $10 $0 $0 $0 $48 $2 $15 $108

Space-Qualified Design Material

Upilex-S polyimide film (50µm) Elastosil S Aluminum 6061-T6 SUVA-236fa refrigerant Aluminum 6061-T6 (from stock) Upilex-S polyimide film (50µm) Dyneema Clippard Misc.

Cost

$75 $15 $15

Mass (g)

126 0.004

2.13

unknown $0 included above 1.77

2.13

0.74

$3 0.075

≥ $70 Around 11 g Cost $15 Net mass (g) $193 143.849

We have begun integration, headed towards full system testing!

 Investigated different folding methods in the lab    Folding affects speed and ease of inflation Must consider decreased frontal area due to bulges Found that this is an area requiring further refinement

  STK software used for drag analysis   Inputs: Orbital characteristics, frontal area Outputs: Predicted orbital decay, orbital lifetime EXAMPLE: Plausible CubeSat orbit and frontal area:

Yellow:

Height of Apogee

Red:

Height of Perigee Blue: Eccentricity

Time Elapsed (Years 2004 – 2021)

 Acquired Materials:    Mylar Adhesive Gas cylinder Micro Solenoid Valve   Micro Solenoid Valve Relay   Aluminum Deorbit Casing Steel “Cubesat” Above: Deorbit Casing Below: Mock CubeSat

 Have now acquired all parts; ready for lab simulation.

  Goal: Create deorbiting device for CubeSat  Complete Lab simulation using:   LabVIEW Remote Communication Challenges:     Weight Packaging Folding Signaling

              Bate, Roger R, Donald D Mueller and Jerry E White. Fundamentals of Astrodynamics. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1971.

Bradford Engineering. "Sold Propellant Cool Gas Generator." 2006. .

California Polytechnic, State University. "CubeSat Design Specification Rev.12." Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc. www.Clippard.com. 2011.

D.C. Maessen, E.D. van Breukelen, B.T.C. Zandbergen, O.K. Bergsma. "Development of a Generic Inflatable De-Orbit Device for CubeSats." (n.d.).

DuPont. "Summary of Properties for Kapton Polymide Films." .

IADC. "Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines." Standard. 2007.

Lokcu, Eser. "Design Considerations for CubeSat Inflatable Deorbit Devices in Low Earth Orbit." Old Dominion University (2010).

McMaster Carr. 27 November 2010 .

Office for Outer Space Affairs. "Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space." Vienna: United Nations, 2010.

Pumpkin, Inc. CubeSat Kit. 2008. .

R. Janovsky, M. Kassebom, H. Lubberstedt, O. Romberg. END-OF-LIFE DE-ORBITING Strategies for Satellites. Bremen: OHB System AG, 2002.

RobotShop. 30 November 2010 .

Wacker Chemie AG. 1 December 2010 .

 Questions?