Orbital dynamics characteristics of a QB50 CubeSat performing atmospheric reentry

The QB50 mission has the scientific objective to study the temporal and spatial variations of a number of key parameters in the lower thermosphere with a network of 50 CubeSats, each performing identical in-situ measurements. One of these 50 CubeSats, the von Karman Institute Atmospheric Re-Entry CubeSat, will further be equipped by a thermal protection system and a dedicated sensor pack to study the atmospheric re-entry. This paper is devoted to the orbital dynamics analysis performed for the QB50 mission and the atmospheric re-entry trajectory analysis for a double unit CubeSat. The main focus is on the sensitivity of the results on atmospheric models, drag coefficient and the launch date. Typical atmospheric re-entry trajectories, including the stagnation point heat flux values are calculated using three different methods for three different scenarios. The predicted heat flux values will be used in the preliminary design of the thermal protection system of the VKI atmospheric re-entry CubeSat, which is to be the first CubeSat to be used as an atmospheric re-entry demonstrator