In the previous issue, I introduced the FossaSat-1 satellite.
Development boards that have been to space
It is an open-source satellite based on Arduino, and this time I will introduce the
CubeSat with minimum dimensions of 10x10x10cm.
There are many satellites in the CubeSat format, possibly because the larger size allows for more functionalities, hence most open-source satellites are still predominantly CubeSats.
You can check the list of already launched satellites if you’re interested.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CubeSats
However, currently most open-source satellites are based on Arduino, possibly because Arduino is simpler and more stable. If you want a development board with faster processing speed, you need to consider cosmic radiation more, and the circuitry becomes more intricate, which also means stability might be slightly compromised. Recently, a satellite equipped with a Raspberry Pi successfully completed its mission in space. Its name is
GASPACS
(Get Away Special Passive Attitude Control Satellite)
It is a mini-satellite project sponsored by NASA, built by the Get Away Special team from Utah State University (USU).
Built on the Raspberry Pi Zero W, it was deployed from the International Space Station in January 2022 and fell into the atmosphere after 117 days.
One concern we all have is cosmic radiation. They solved it with a very simple method: rebooting, which is quite clever.
It checks whether the Raspberry Pi Zero is functioning properly using a DFRobot Beetle development board. The Zero sends a “heartbeat” signal every few seconds, and if it stops, the Beetle will reboot the Raspberry Pi Zero.
This also means the DFRobot Beetle successfully went to space, congratulations to DFRobot.
Some might wonder why it was specifically this board that went to space; you might say it completely relied on its capabilities. Just look at its size, and you’ll understand why.
The hardware mainly consists of the following components:
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Raspberry Pi Zero W
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Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2
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Custom interface board with built-in LSM303AGR, real-time clock DS3231SN, DFRobot Beetle “watchdog”, and ADC128S102
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EnduroSat battery, transceiver, and antenna
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EnduroSat solar panel with solar sensor and temperature sensor
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Custom “aeroboom” payload (experimental self-stabilizing boom)
Over 80% of the software on this satellite is written in Python, with the remaining parts written in C.
The satellite’s flight software, CubeWorks, runs on Raspbian Lite OS. You can download its source code on GitHub.
https://github.com/SmallSatGasTeam/CubeWorks
The main purpose of this launch was to test the feasibility of deployable inflatable air stabilization arm components in low Earth orbit (LEO).
They also took photos, and here are some of the photos they captured.
I find open-source satellites very interesting; they validate that many things can actually go to space, rather than just being assumed. For instance, how SpaceX addresses cosmic radiation issues is by using several computers to compute and verify against each other, which can directly break through the various protections designed to resist cosmic rays, and all kinds of creative solutions can achieve the intended goals.
If you’re interested, you can learn more; it’s quite fascinating.
If you’re an astronomy enthusiast or have decent technical skills, you might consider building one for fun; nowadays, both the technology and resources are quite abundant. Once our country’s space industry develops to a certain extent, we might really see the day our self-designed satellites are launched.
This is similar to how radio enthusiasts (Hams) set up large antennas to communicate globally.
Global communication sounds simple, but it’s actually quite complicated to achieve. You might think you’re directly communicating with the other side of the Earth, but in reality, you are sending signals that refract back to Earth through the atmosphere’s ionosphere. This process is quite complex, and solar winds, extreme ultraviolet ionizing radiation, and geomagnetic interference can greatly affect this process.
This world needs creative and passionate individuals to explore the frontiers of science, which leads to infinite possibilities.
Raspberry Pi Zero
https://m.tb.cn/h.fAmnJlb
Recently, we created adevelopment board selection website, although it’s not yet perfect, we have already recorded around 400 development boards. If you’re interested or have needs, you can check out our selection website. If you have any good suggestions, feel free to share them in the group or leave us a message..
We recently launched a Raspberry Pi alternatives section, feel free to check it out if you’re interested.
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