Deployment and Intelligent Nanosatellite Operations Colorado Final Technical Report

Abstract : The main purpose of the DINO satellite was to generate topographic maps of the tops of clouds through stereoscopic imaging based on photographs from the on-board digital cameras, with most processing done on the satellite itself. The attitude determination and control system was designed to be responsible for maintaining the spacecraft's orientation in order to achieve mission objectives. The system consisted of a magnetometer and three single axis rate gyroscopes. The C&DH system was responsible for storing and running all of the spacecraft's software and controlling all of the other systems- tested using two different computers: the Arcom Viper and the Arcom Mercury. The communications system was designed for establishing a two way communications link between the spacecraft and a ground station (full-duplex), using separate radios and frequencies for ground-to-satellite and satellite- to-ground links. The mechanisms system's primary objective was to safely secure all deployable systems during launch, release the deployable system when commanded during the mission, and to deploy the systems on command. DINO had four deployable systems: the antenna release, the Boom release and slow down, the FITS release, and the CTD hinge experiment release and deployment. The mission operations system was responsible for controlling and monitoring the satellite with a minimum of human intervention. The electrical power system was responsible for collecting, managing, and distributing power for the entire spacecraft - a direct energy transfer system with a secondary lithium-polymer battery for the main satellite, a primary 28V battery for the deployable devices, a main solar array, the Foldable Integrated Thin-film Stiffened (FITS), and body-mount solar arrays.