von Karman Institute Lecture Series and Events

CUBESAT TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS

From January 29 - February 1, 2013

von Karman Institute, Rhode-St-Genèse, Belgium

A CubeSat is a fully functional small satellite of cubical shape. It comes in three sizes: a 1U (or single) CubeSat is 10x10x10 cm3 in size and weighs 1 kg, a 2U (or double) CubeSat is 10x10x20 cm3 in size and weighs 2 kg, and a 3U (or triple) CubeSat is 10x10x30 cm3 in size and weighs 3 kg. Even a 1U CubeSat can carry a miniaturised science sensor or a camera for Earth observations or a technological experiment in addition to all the standard subsystems required for a satellite.
The CubeSat standard was proposed in 1999 by Stanford University and Cal Poly. The first six CubeSats were launched in 2003. Since then, about 250 CubeSats have been launched or are under development or in various planning stages. Most CubeSats are developed and operated by students for educational purposes under the guidance of an experienced tutor. Industry is increasingly making use of these low-cost satellites to test new technologies in space.

During launch, the CubeSats are accommodated in standardised containers from which they are deployed once they are in orbit. Nowadays, space-qualified CubeSat structures and all subsystems can be purchased from specialised small companies. Alternatively, all or some subsystems can be built by students, which is less expensive and maximises the educational benefit but requires more expertise and time.
The lectures on ‘CubeSat Technology and Applications’ will address all fields of CubeSat design and development, environmental testing, launch, operations, legal aspects, the potential of CubeSat networks and will provide an overview of scientific and technological experiments.

The lectures will present an ideal preparation for the worldwide CubeSat teams to learn the essentials of CubeSat technology and a good opportunity for meeting researchers from other CubeSat teams. Ample time will be provided for asking questions. The lectures are also open to students from teams pursuing CubeSat projects and to young professionals from industry or space agencies wishing to learn more about CubeSats. All participants will receive the lecture notes. As attendance is limited to 100 participants it is recommended to register early.

VKI is the lead institute of a Consortium of 15 European, American and Asian institutes that is now in the process of realising the first ever CubeSat network in orbit. This is the QB50 Project which involves 40 double CubeSats carrying sensors for in-situ measurements in the largely unexplored lower thermosphere and the F layer of the ionosphere and 10 double and triple CubeSats for demonstration of newly developed science instruments and innovative technologies. QB50 is a fully funded EU Project with participation from 50 universities in 39 countries. QB50 will be launched in 2015 into a nearly circular orbit at 320-350 km altitude.

The Lecture Directors are Ruedeger Reinhard and Cem O. Asma.

COURSE FEE

To encourage greater participation to the Lectures on CubeSat Technology and Applications, an exceptionally reduced fee is offered by VKI thanks to sponsoring organizations. The attendance fee for professionals is 750 Euros.
The reduced fee is 250 Euros for undergraduate and graduate students who are in possession of a recommendation letter from his or her professor.

Exhibits by commercial companies are possible for a fee of 1000 Euros. The interested companies should contact Cem O. Asma by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The participation fee includes lecture notes, lectures, coffee breaks, lunches and a reception.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday 29 January 2013

15:30     Registration & Coffee

16:30     Overview of CubeSat technology and CubeSat missions
Dr. R. Reinhard, von Karman Institute, Belgium

17:30     Science sensors/instruments for in-situ measurements
Dr. D. Kataria, University College London, UK

Wednesday 30 January 2013

09:00     Science sensors/instruments for remote-sensing observations
Dr. J. De Keyser, Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium

10:00     Coffee Break

10:30 Technology demonstration on CubeSats I
Mr.C. Clark, Clyde Space, Scotland, United Kingdom

11:30     CubeSats design and architecture   
Mr. J.D. Nielsen, Aalborg University, Denmark

12:30    Lunch Break

14:00    Electrical Power Subsystem
Mr. C. Clark

15:00    Coffee Break

15:30   On-board data handling    
Prof. J. D.Nielsen, Aalborg University, Denmark

16:30    Future technologies on CubeSats    
Dr. C. Bridges & Prof. V. Lappas, Surrey Space Centre, United Kingdom

17:30    Reception

Thursday 31 January 2013

9:00    Telecommunications, ground stations, ground station networks    
Mr. G. Shirville, AMSAT-UK, United Kingdom

10:00    Coffee Break

10:30    Orbital dynamics and lifetimes of CubeSats in orbit
Dr. E. Doornbos, TU Delft, The Netherlands

11:30    Launch vehicles suitable for launching CubeSats
Mr. A. Bonnema & Mr. J. Rotteveel, Innovative Solutions in Space, The Netherlands

12:30    Lunch Break

14:00    Deployers and deployment systems    
Prof. R. Aslan, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey

15:00    Coffee Break

15:30    Micropropulsion systems
Mr. B. Zandbergen, TU Delft, The Netherlands

16:30    Formation flying: theory, system, application
Prof. E. Gill, TU Delft, The Netherlands

Friday 1 February 2013

09:00    Attitude determination and control     
Prof. V. Lappas

10:00    Coffee Break

10:30    Technology demonstration on CubeSats I
Prof. V. Lappas

11:30    CubeSat constellations, swarms, networks     
Dr. R. Reinhard, von Karman Institute, Belgium

12:30    Lunch Break

14:00    Environmental testing requirements and facilities
Prof. R. Aslan

15:00    Coffee Break

15:30    CubeSat legislation and regulations
Asst. Prof. T. Masson-Zwaan, Leiden University,The Netherlands

Location : von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Rhode-St-Genèse, Belgium