FUNcube-1

• Baikonur, Khazakhstan: 2013-11-21
• 1U cubesat (10x10x11cm - see model!)
• Co-developed with launch partner & commercial parts supplier (ISIS NL)
• Extended learning experience!
• My primary involvement from 2010+

Mission Requirements

• Schools can use it (daytime passes):
  • historical data available (1+ orbit)
  • education focused data
    • on board science experiment(s)
    • multiple sensors
• Hams can use it (evening passes):
  • linear transponder (70cm>2m aka U/V)
• Both:
  • store+forward messages (Fitters)
  • identifiable beacon

Many Budgets

• Launch costs (back in 2010’s)
  • constrained us to 1U cubesat
• Development hardware
  • flatsats, EM, FM
• Registration, insurance, frequencies…
• Power, Radio links, school costs
  • ~6W solar max, 1.5W avg/orbit
  • expect handheld yagis for UV
  • schools are poor!

The Team

• Formed 2009-10 by AMSAT-UK leadership:
  • Graham (G3VZV), Jim (G3WGM)
• AMSAT folks with prior experience / interest:
  • Howard (G6LVB), DaveB (G0MRF)
  • Wouter (PA3WEG), Jason (G7OCD)
  • G7OCD’s colleagues with uC/C background:
    • Phil (M6IPX), Duncan (M6UCK)
    • “Would you like to write code for space..”

Data Warehouse Concept

• Research using historical data (>1 orbit)
• Single repository to collate value (science)
  • useful for offline education
• Scoreboard for receivers :)
• Internet web/API/protocol design skills:
  • DaveJ (G4DPZ)
• Before SatNOGS existed (2014)..
• http://data.funcube.org.uk

Meeting, Meetings…

• London (G3VZV work!), Delft (ISIS), Ipswich (BT)
• Majority of design done by mid-2010, boards:
  • AMSAT-UK:
    • PA (DaveB), CCT (Jason/Phil/Duncan)
    • USB RX, AO-40 Modem (Howard)
    • Dashboard (Duncan), Warehouse (DaveJ)
  • AMSAT-NL:
    • Radio TRX (Wouter), ASIB (Gerard)
  • ISIS: Antennas, Cubesat structure, sensors
  • GOMspace: EPS, solar MPPT charger

Build, Test, Fix, Repeat!

• 1st launch opportunity late 2010.. tight!
• flatsat works, full stack issues:
  • stacking order of boards mattered
  • interface design is tricky (PC104)
  • radio interference debugging (see board!)
• some boards on v3 or v4 at completion
• USB RX was first out - wildly successful!
• late change of EPS - oops!

Launch Day

• Baikonur, Khazakhstan: 2013-11-21
• Super early start (07:10hrs UTC lift off)
• Whole team at RSGB National Radio Centre
• No live video (Russian ex-ICBM..)
  • Did get an offline video later
• Predicted first contact South Africa
  • Spot on - 07:37hrs by ZS1LS
• Officially ordained as AO-73
• Champagne & pork scratchings at 07:45 :)

UKube-1 Mission

• Baikonur, Khazakhstan: 2014-07-08
• Co-incided with FC-1 development
  • Team spread rather thin!
• 3U cubesat with multiple payloads
  • Complex internal comms, multiple buses
• Co-development with UKSA partners
  • Bright Ascension (OBC software)
  • Clyde Space (hardware, launcher)

FUNcube Payload Purpose

• Redundant comms for UKube-1
  • independent CCT path
  • bus clock phase lock design
  • “mutually assured control”
• STEM / Ham
  • Additional data from UKube bus
  • Another transponder + fitters
  • Modified telemetry for new data

Organisation Challenges

• Quite a few, Steve Greenland outlines here:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qG8wj_Xtt4
  • Gov funding arrangements
  • Interface definitions with multiple orgs
  • Docs are not reality, test early & often
  • Lack of an EM was a blocker:
    • Troubleshooting on non-representative H/W
    • Integration issues delayed

Eventual Success

• Main system issues understood and processes in place to work with them
  • OBC resets are primary challenge - poke gently
  • Main RX deafened by TX - simplex comms only
• Helen Walker: where UKube-1 stood in 2015:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm6m8FjRjhI
• Currently non-operational (safe mode RX only)

Tech Dive: FUNcube-1

Let’s open the lid on a cubesat..

• Great Radcom article by Graham from 2013
• We’ll go board-by-board down the stack

The Stack

photo	diagram

ANTS

• ANTenna System
• Sorry, no photos - commercially sensitive :(
• Mechanically difficult, we chose to buy from ISIS
• Dual redundant active and passive aerial releases
  • active - by command over I2C bus (heater)
  • passive - UV degradation releases retaining cord
• Custom alloy dipole elements, gathered in 10x10
  • crossed 2m and 70cm antennas (same element size)

CCT

RF

PA

EPS

• Electrical Power System
• Space qualified part chosen
• Sorry - commercial part, no diagrams :(
• Provides solar charge controller(s)
• Provides watchdog of last resort
• Changed in 2013 for multiple reasons
• New EPS has different API over I2C
  • Caught by extended deployment testing!

PMASS

• Passive Magnetic Attitude Stabiliser System
• Space qualified part chosen
• Mechanically tricky (thermal, alignment)
• No telemetry :)
• Worked very well with low mass 1U

ASIB

• AMSAT Special Interface Board
• Custom PC104 bus signals for sensors
• Permits extra science experiments
• Connects sun sensors from outside

IGIS

• ISIS Ground Interface System
• Critical external power / bus interconnects
• Space qualified part chosen
• More mechanical challenges
  • Insertion / removal damage protection