1. ThisdocumentisthepropertyofAstrium.Itshallnotbecommunicatedtothirdpartieswithoutpriorwrittenagreement.Itscontentshallnotbedisclosed.
Towards a National CubeSat Program:
Innovation, Education, Inspiration
Dr Ronan Wall,
CubeSat Project Manager,
Astrium Satellites
Unique Vehicle for
Technology
Development for Space

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Overview
What are CubeSats?
The Benefits of a National CubeSat Program
How a National CubeSat Program may look
Where you come in - The CubeSat Challenge for
Payloads
Current Status of CubeSat Program

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The Cubesat Phenomenon
 Tiny (<10kg, <10 litre) satellite
 Subsystems available “off the shelf”
 Electronics, communications, software,
structure, power, etc
 Mission Objectives for CubeSats are:
 Educational
 Scientific Research
 Technology demonstration
 Virtually all mission objectives are
typically achieved before launch
Cubesat Development

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Dozens of CubeSats
have been flown
SwissCube
Canada
CanX-2
Denmark
DTUSat
Norway
NCube2
Romania
imager payload

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The Proposed UK Program is an industry/academia
CubeSat mission for the purposes of technology
demonstration, research, training and education

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Overview
What are CubeSats?
The Benefits of a National CubeSat Program
How a National CubeSat Program may look
Where you come in - The CubeSat Challenge for
Payloads
Current Status of CubeSat Program

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Some Major Challenges for UK Space are:
Long wait time to
flight for UK Science
and Engineering
Research
High-reliability drives
conservative design
Must have access to
new missions and
market opportunities
Graduates and
apprentices lack
hands-on experience
Constant need to
develop technologies
for future markets
and missions
Far future R&D
projects can lack
focus
Providing annual
access to space for
UK Science and
Engineering Research
Providing a non-
critical forum to try
new concepts Positioning UK for
nanosatellite and
constellation missions
Preparing Technology
and Instrumentation
for specific future
opportunities
Providing real
experience in real
spacecraft to
university students
Quickly advancing
Technology Readiness
Level by focussing on
payload delivery
A National CubeSat program should meet these
challenges by:
Falling numbers of
Students pursuing
STEM subjects
Delivering Revolutionary
outreach with
“spacecraft in a
classroom”

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The National Cubesat Program will provide
a forum for accelerating your
technology concepts through
Technology Readiness Levels

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CubeSats can provide Regular access to space for
Scientific Research
 Miniaturised sensors and platforms
make good science possible
 Space Plasmas, Earth observation
 Engineering Research
 CubeSats provide access to space for
innovative science payloads
 Enables more science for UK researchers
 Flight-proves sensors for future agency missions
 Regular access to space is essential to:
 Drive science payload development
 Allow researchers and engineers to develop and
maintain their skills in space technology

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Unique Educational Outreach available
with CubeSats
A simple ground station for
schools, akin to AMSAT
UK’s visionary FUNcube
project
Real data from a spacecraft
(temp, current, orbit position,
payload data) direct to
classrooms
Teacher supported by
targeted learning pack

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CubeSats will Inspire a Future Workforce
A CubeSat project with outreach can demonstrate a
clear route to working in space to school and university
students
CubeSat University
project
School Space
Project
Industry
Science
SME
Member of UK
Space Community

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Overview
What are CubeSats?
The Benefits of a National CubeSat Program
How a National CubeSat Program may look
Where you come in - The CubeSat Challenge for
Payloads
Current Status of CubeSat Program

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Program, engineering and
payload interface
management provided by
experienced entity to
encourage product quality,
and knowledge transfer
Platform build by SME and
/ or university, increasing
knowledge base in
systems technology and
training of next generation
of space professional
Payloads are:
• Science and Engineering Research
• Technology maturation
• New concepts tried in space with reduced fear of failure
• Selected by competition
Inexpensive Ground
Segment and Operations
provided by UK
Universities
Satellite would support
Education and Outreach
by allowing “outreach” data
to be downloaded to
simple ground segments
Cubesat payloads teams are
inspired and formed by
dissemination and networking
events, enabling new entrants
into the space sector

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Proposed Pilot Mission Outline .
Launch
Platform
Announcement of Opportunities for all program elements
Challenging economic climate means funding is limited
 Launch funding is highly likely to be secured however
 Participants who come with their own funding will be at an advantage

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Overview
What are CubeSats?
The Benefits of a National CubeSat Program
How a National CubeSat Program may look
Where you come in - The CubeSat Challenge for
Payloads
Current Status of CubeSat Program

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Payload Opportunities
Central to the National program will be the opportunity
for up to three payloads (TBC) to be flown
Payloads selected by competition
The approach is the reverse of usual space missions
 Payload must fit the available platform resources – the platform is
not designed around the payload
Payload concepts will be invited:
 Technology demonstration
 Scientific or engineering research
Response time must be fast
 Payload must be ready in ~7 (TBC) months !

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Potential Payload Funding
 Mini-Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (mKTP) reserved for
‘Winners’ of Payload competition (provided eligible)
 mKTP are made up of academic/industrial partners
 Award is £50k maximum/year, £20k of which supplied by industrial
partner
 mKTP lasts ~9 months
 Some support available in payload reviews and interface
management
 Level of mentoring not expected to be high
 So prepare your payload concepts and partnerships!

18. ThisdocumentisthepropertyofAstrium.Itshallnotbecommunicatedtothirdpartieswithoutpriorwrittenagreement.Itscontentshallnotbedisclosed.
Overview
What are CubeSats?
The Benefits of a National CubeSat Program
How a National CubeSat Program may look
Where you come in - The CubeSat Challenge for
Payloads
Current Status of CubeSat Program

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Current status of CubeSat Program
This weeks Government response to space IGT
recognises that the CubeSat program represents an
“important new initiative”
Definition study by Astrium and Clyde Space
concludes next week, confirming feasibility of
program
Launch of program to be discussed and hopefully
approved within new UK Space Agency

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A CubeSat Program for Britain
National CubeSat program is an exemplary vehicle
for innovation, technology development, research,
training and outreach
Astrium, with supporting partners in academia and
SME, have led the lobby for over two years for such
a program
UK Government have recognised that “In 2010,
there will be an important new initiative in the UK
with the CubeSat Challenge”
Watch this space!