Tags: Cubesat, Air Force, Prototype
Publication: Phys.org
Publication Date: 03/29/2013

The system is also being designed with a multiple range of cube sizes in mind so that it can easily be expanded to incorporate heritage technology. Image credit: Boston University

A team of scientists from Boston University is attempting to introduce the “plug and play” interface – ubiquitous in personal computing – to the satellite design arena. Simply put, plug and play refers to any software program that can recognize many different hardware devices, and interface with them easily.

Based in the Center for Space Physics at the university’s College of Arts and Sciences, the team is formed by astronomers, physicists, engineers, and computer scientists, both students and faculty members. They have been working for the past two years in developing a versatile and affordable satellite prototype under the Boston University Student Satellite for Applications and Training (BUSAT) program.

The satellite, a 30-centimeter-wide cube, is made of 27 smaller cubes latched together using wedge locks and powered by solar panels. It can accommodate scientific tools in its component cubes and using plug-and-play technology the satellite’s Command & Data Handling software is able to read and interface with experiments and instruments that are plugged into the smaller cubes.

Because of its modular design and plug-and-play interface, it can be quickly modified to meet unforeseen needs. Thus, it could be configured only days or weeks before being launched.

The prototype was funded by the U.S. Air Force and unveiled at the Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRL) last January. It captured the attention of the AFRL administrators, which agreed to fund an additional two years of development for BUSAT. At the end of this period, the Air Force will decide whether to launch the satellite into orbit.

 Full story