Project Management

Team Enrollment

Systems

The CUSat Satellite project employs Systems Engineering extensively. The Systems group is largely responsible for providing the project with direction by creating top level system requirements, creating best practices, maintaining communications, making design choices, and creating processes for creating a successful product. Each of the subsystem leads also participates as a member of the Systems group, which allows the project to maintain consistency and focus.

ADCNS

The Attitude Determination, Control, and Navigation Subsystem (ADCNS) executes the relative navigation that will be used for CUSat's in-orbit inspection procedures. CUSat will primarily be using three GPS boards for attitude determination. For attitude control, CUSat will be using pulsed-plasma thrusters (PPTs) and torque coils. The software portion of ADCNS will consist of the relative navigation algorithms, which will run the various modes of operation defined by the CONOPs.

Software Systems

The Software Systems team is responsible for the coordination of all software on the ground and in flight. In addition, all software implementation and maintenance that does not fall under ADCNS or Ground Systems will be performed by this team.

Flight Operations

The Flight Operations team defines the detailed, on orbit operations plan for both CUSat satellites. Operating procedures are defined to match with hardware and mission specifications and help ensure successful execution of the mission.

Ground Systems

Ground Systems encompasses both the ground stations that communicate with the satellites using amateur radio, and InControl, the software used in the mission control center. Currently, there are ground stations in Ithaca, NY and on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.

Electrical Systems

The Electrical System team manufactures, tests, and maintains all of the electrical hardware in the spacecraft. This includes the wiring harnesses, cameras, propulsion system (both Pulse Plasma Thrusters and reaction wheels), power systems, and GPS hardware.

Mechanical Systems

The Mechanical Systems team manufactures the satellite structure and manages the design. The structure includes eight isogrid panels as well as numerous electronics board enclosures. This team also develops the Pulsed-Plasma Thrusters (PPTs) that are used for attitude and position control.

Integration and Test

This team is responsible for the rapid integration of the spacecraft. They will also test the spacecraft as thoroughly as possible to ensure successful launch and operations.