UW Dawgstar: One Third of ION-F - An element of the Ionospheric Observation Nanosatellite Formation (ION-F)

The preliminary design for the UW Dawgstar nanosatellite is presented. The Dawgstar is a 13 kg satellite designed as a part of the University Nanosatellite Program funded by AFOSR, DARPA, AFRL, and NASA. The goal of this two-year program is to design, build, and fly nanosatellites. The mission overview is detailed, including the coupling with the University partners Utah State and Virginia Tech in the Ionospheric Observation Nanosatellite Formation (ION-F). The mission includes several formations and formation keeping experiments, and distributed ionospheric measurements. Each of the subsystems is also detailed, including the design and integration of eight miniature pulsed plasma thrusters for attitude control and formation flying.