Team Members
James Bond, Benjamin DeMars, Taylor Fisher, Luke Nevins, Harrison Ochse
Abstract
Rocket science. Complicated right? Well, it does not have to be. We believe that by streamlining and simplifying the design aspect of our Canisterized Satellite Dispenser (CSD) we can reduce manufacturing time, costs and testing while still meeting all required and desired needs. Our design prioritized intuition and simplicity. CSD’s exist already, however ours is evolutionary by improving previous designs. We do so by taking out unnecessary parts and using each component to its maximum potential. We combine multiple needs into one simple component. For example, making a purge valve rather than a vent fills both the environmental requirement and venting requirement. Our design features a 6061-aluminum enclosure that can be bolted onto the Orion spacecraft by two triangular trusses. The door is opened using a latch that disconnects, allowing a spring system to push the door open. The launcher is a large compression spring that when activated, propels the CubeSat out of the CSD at the desired velocity. The CSD communicates with NASA using an X-band patch antenna that is connected to the 28 VDC provided by the Orion spacecraft and can provide commands to the other subsystems in the CSD. The CubeSat interface involves four rails which stabilize the CubeSat during launch and dispensing, as well as foam to mitigate shock, vibration, acoustic, and thermal loads.