CUSTARD (Cranfield University Space Technology Advanced Research Demonstrator) -A Micro-System Technology Demonstrator Nanosatellite. Summary of the GroupDesign Project MSc in Astronautics and Space Engineering. 1999-2000, CranfieldUniversity

摘要

CUSTARD (Cranfield University Space Technology And Research Demonstrator) wasthe group design project for students of the MSc in Astronautics and SpaceEngineering for the Academic Year 1999/2000 at Cranfield University. The projectinvolved the initial design of a nanosatellite to be used as a technologydemonstrator for microsystem technology (MST) in space. The students workedtogether as one group (organised into several subgroups, e.g. system,mechanical), with each student responsible for a set of work packages. Thenanosatellite designed had a mass of 4 kg, lifetime of 3 months in low Earthorbit, coarse 3-axis attitude control (no orbit control), and was capable ofcarrying up to 1 kg of payload. The electrical power available was 18 W (peak).Assuming a single X-band ground station at RAL (UK), a data rate of up to 1 Mbit s-1 for about 3000 s per day is possible. The payloads proposed are amicrogravity laboratory and a formation flying experiment.The report summarises the results of the project and includes executivesummaries from all team members. Further information and summaries of the fullreports are available from the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield University.