A Constellation of CubeSats for the Measurement of Thermospheric Density

The ODU CubeSat is part of a multi-university collaborative project that aims to build a constellation of three small satellites that are shaped in the form of a cube with dimensions of 10 x 10 x 10 cm and will be deployed into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to study phenomena that influence the varying thermosphere density. Variations in the density of the thermosphere fluctuate due to seasonal differences, changes in solar activity, solar radiation, and geomagnetic variations, along with temperature and altitude. These factors lead to uncertainties in current atmospheric drag models, which are a major source of error in orbit prediction for most LEO satellites and contribute to flaws in atmospheric density models of the thermosphere. Sponsored through the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VCSG) the project brings together students from Old Dominion University (ODU), the University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Tech (VT), and Hampton University (HU) to form the Virginia CubeSat Constellation (VCC), a first of its kind for undergraduate small satellite research projects in Virginia. The VCC mission has been manifested and given a delivery date of July 2018 for an anticipated deployment during the fourth quarter of 2018/first quarter of 2019. ODU, UVA, and VT are building three satellites that will be simultaneously deployed from the International Space Station (ISS). Each satellite will collect and transmit GPS coordinates, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and attitude data, which will be compiled and analyzed by HU. Among the constellation CubeSats, the one built by ODU has a unique design and will implement a deployable drag brake to accelerate its orbital decay. Currently, the ODU team is making progress with the design and fabrication of their CubeSat chassis, drag brake, and antenna deployment system, as well as with the onboard electronic microcontroller and radio systems