CubeSat electronic power system

Abstract

Cube Satellites are small satellites used by NASA and other non-governmental space companies as a cost-effective means to get a payload into space to perform research and develop new technologies. The Robotic Systems Lab at Santa Clara University has designed and launched several Cube Satellites over the last ten years. We will be continuing the design of a 3U CubeSat began by a senior design team last year. The goal of this project is to design and build an electronic power system (EPS) for the CubeSat. The EPS must be able to power all system components, including the communication board, the radio and beacon, as well as any additional customer payload. The system is designed to provide power for the satellite throughout the entire orbit, even during periods of eclipse when the satellite will be unable to generate power. In addition, this project is experimenting with a new technology, supercapacitors, to test their potential uses in space. The EPS is a hybrid system utilizing both batteries as a reliable source of power storage and supercapacitors in order to test their capabilities.