
So, you want to build a CubeSat? - tectonic
https://orbitalindex.com/archive/2019-07-30-Issue-23/
======
elkos
If you are interested in open-source licenced Cubesat hardware, software and
low earth orbit communications feel free to check out Libre Space Foundation

[https://libre.space](https://libre.space)

Feel also free to check our repositories at Gitlab.
[https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation](https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation)

~~~
kartikkumar
LSF FTW! :)

Great to see the SatNOGS network going from strength to strength!

~~~
elkos
We couldn't do it without our awesome community

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iyn
I highly recommend subscribing to The Orbital Index newsletter. One of the 3
newsletters that I actually read every week. It's (almost) completely outside
my profession but very interesting to read nonetheless.

~~~
snickmy
what are the other 2?

~~~
2dollars27cents
Not op, but The Prepared is great if you have any interest in manufacturing,
supply chains, and modern infrastructure.

[https://theprepared.org/](https://theprepared.org/)

~~~
blach
One half of Orbital Index here… I highly recommend The Prepared as well. I
happen to be guest editing it next month while the normal writer is on
paternity leave, so I might be biased (but also a longtime happy reader :-).

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kartikkumar
@tectonic: thanks for including mention of our website/resources in this
newsletter! Looking forward to meeting next week at SmallSat :)

If you're interested in understanding the state of the global space supply
chain, check us out [1]. We're working on digitalizing the entire global
marketplace and CubeSats are a huge part of the on-going commoditization
within the sector. Kinda like "Octopart for space".

The supplier ecosystem is really a lot larger than people think (including
myself until we started this project). There are some legacy and strategic
reasons for "hidden hubs".

The supply chain is undergoing a lot of change, as organizations try to figure
out how to not stay hidden and instead ride the on-going growth wave through
international business/projects.

[1] [https://satsearch.co](https://satsearch.co)

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fernandopj
How effective is an internet connection from a CubeSat?

I'm curious, I've read about radio comm and this article mentions using the
GlobalSat or Iridium network is possible, but would that (or any other option)
be a "broadband bandwith" available to whatever software is running on the
CubeSat?

~~~
tectonic
For the radio & antenna you'll probably have on a small CubeSat, expect slow
and unreliable, but it depends on if you're running your own ground station,
in which case you may only be able to communicate for minutes a day or less,
or are using a large ground station network or satellite constellation like
Iridium, which will still be slow, but will offer much more frequent
communication opportunities.

~~~
ThePirateofOz
Here is a slow scan TV signal I picked up from the ISS one day when I was
farting around with nothing better else to do.

[https://streamable.com/q9oa0](https://streamable.com/q9oa0)

~~~
jamiek88
That is so cool!

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asdfman123
Now I want to build a CubeSat that will point a laser pointer at different
population centers as it passes around the earth. E.g. this pass of North
America you choose LA, then NYC, then Houston, then Chicago... so you can see
it streak by in the sky.

My rough estimation is you could create a spot 2 miles across with a standard
laser pointer at 400 miles high. Maybe you could use a different kind that
would have a little more spread. And you'd have even more if you weren't
beaming directly downwards -- maybe you could point it at 45 degrees or more
with a powerful laser and get nice coverage.

~~~
snickmy
For a while I thought you would need too much energy, then I realized I don't
know well enough the physics of how a laser works.

[Warning, very stupid idea ahead]: Since I don't know well enough the topic,
why wouldn't be possible to use a satellite to collect solar energy (because
outside the atmosphere you can collect ~40% more (edited) the solar energy due
to lack of atmospheric filtering effect),and then transmit that energy back to
earth via some sort of wireless energy distribution mechanism (laser?). I
guess a YoYo satellite with real tens of KM of wire to earth has a lot of
reasons for not be feasible.

~~~
ohazi
It's not 40x more, it's barely 40% more. [1]

> Average annual solar radiation arriving at the top of the Earth's atmosphere
> is roughly 1361 W/m^2. The Sun's rays are attenuated as they pass through
> the atmosphere, leaving maximum normal surface irradiance at approximately
> 1000 W /m^2 at sea level on a clear day.

There are practical challenges, but otherwise, yes, it should work.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_irradiance#Irradiance_on...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_irradiance#Irradiance_on_Earth's_surface)

~~~
snickmy
Thank you for the pointer! I've updated the original comment, and my knowledge
base too :)

------
bluejellybean
This is an awesome post and I love the external links given. I've been reading
a lot of satellite engineering books and resources lately but they're
unfortunately mainly geared for much larger missions. This article, and really
most cubeSat info, is really useful for the amatures like myself.

------
eggy
I am almost finished working my way through the book "Building High Integrity
Applications with SPARK"[1].

I dropped Rust and found SPARK easier to work with, and one of the book's
authors is a professor at Vermont Technical College (VTC) in the CubeSat
Laboratory[2] where Ada/SPARK are used.

The book is a great way to get exposed to a lot of subjects around high
integrity, secure software. Highly recommended.

[1] [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/building-high-
integrity...](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/building-high-integrity-
applications-with-spark/F213D9867D2E271F5FF3EDA765D48E95)

[2] [http://cubesatlab.org/](http://cubesatlab.org/)

------
tunesmith
What are some ways that an individual person could benefit from their own
CubeSat?

~~~
Jim-
For the average person, probably not much; The main blocker will be that it
costs about $10k to build, $20k to have it launched into space (USD).

~~~
beamatronic
Adjusted for inflation that is not too much different from buying a couple of
Apple Macintosh computers in 1984.

~~~
erklik
Honestly, I might start saving for a few years and actually do it. It sounds
like a thing that would be awesome to do and more so, a good experience in
general.

Would there be any restrictions for people not living in the USA?

~~~
zaarn
To my knowledge, you have to check with the space agency of your country, they
probably know more too.

------
zaarn
The interesting challenge would be when the first cubesats launched by private
persons reach the moon and send back a picture of earth rise.

From what I can tell, cubesats might be able to get ride-alongs on future
launches towards the moon, so that is basically what this challenge would be
hinging on.

You'd have to figure out long distance communication, a simple LoRa module
won't cut it. Your power needs to handle 3 days of travel, possibly without
power until the sat gets deployed and sees the sun for the first time.

You'd have to figure out how to orient and point a camera outside the stronger
parts of the earth's magnetic field (commonly cubesats seem to rely on magnets
to orient themselves).

Then you'd have to bring a camera with decent quality and that works in vacuum
along, snap a picture or ten and finally send them back.

It would be awesome if I, as a private person, could organize and launch that.

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mothsonasloth
I had this thought, why not build a small rifled tube with an explosive charge
and bullet like projectile.

The projectile has a rocket motor too.

Get the cannon as high as possible with a balloon.

At the limit, the cannon fires the projectile at high velocity. The rocket
motor ignites giving the extra velocity.

Do you think it could reach escape velocity?

IANARS (I am not a rocket scientist)

~~~
oh_sigh
The last guy that tried this was murdered by Sadaam.

Most people underestimate the speed required to obtain a reasonable orbit, and
the amount of tube required to accelerate an object to that speed.

~~~
opwieurposiu
He worked for Saddam, he was murdered by Israel or possibly Iran.

~~~
oh_sigh
interesting. For what I remember of reading this story many years ago is that
he got on the badside of Saddam for not delivering what he promised to
deliver. I'll have to reread the story.

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0xdeadbeefbabe
Why build it if the cost is 10K+ to deploy?

~~~
tectonic
...it's really not that expensive anymore.
[https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/20009/cubesat-
laun...](https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/20009/cubesat-launch-costs)

~~~
sfkdjf9j3j
According to your link the price is more like $100k+

~~~
tectonic
The point is that a launch cost of $100k is totally manageable by a startup,
which is very different than a decade ago.

~~~
craftyguy
The point is that $100k > $10k, so stating that "it's really not that
expensive anymore" is false.

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vemv
> So, you want to build a CubeSat?

Not particularly, and even less so with this clichéd, condescending headline.

It's a meme that needs to die, why do we have to see these titles popping up
in HN every month?

~~~
empyrean
After reading your comment, I understand why people stereotype HN comments as
being negative, whiney and neurotic for no reason at all.

