Part Design

for Micro-Satellite

2019

USC SERC Lab

Summary

  • Designed an antenna housing and magnetometer connection mechanism.

  • Produced five design iterations and 3D printed prototypes with ABS.

  • Microsatellite was offered a ride on FireFly's first launch in the summer of 2020 (delayed due to COVID).

Mission

Modify a heritage antenna housing design to fit new requirements. Design a magnetometer connection mechanism. Both mechanisms were crucial parts of a microsatellite that aimed to measure the Earth’s magnetic fields.

My Role

I produced five design iterations in Solidworks and 3D printed prototypes with ABS.

I designed the connector (gray part in the middle) to secure the magnetometer to the carbon fiber tape boom.

This above antenna housing was modified based on a heritage antenna housing design with smaller internal space.

Design modifications:

  • I increased the size of two openings (red arrows) and added three curved surfaces (green circles) to facilitate the deployment of magnetometers by extending the carbon fiber tape booms.

The design prototypes are 3D printed with ABS, and the final product was manufactured using Vespel (Dupont Chemical), a man-made material qualified for space and easily machinable.

Prior to launch, the booms and antennas are stowed with a nylon fishing line holding them in place. Once in orbit, two burn drivers are used to cut the fishing line to release the booms and antennas.

Result

The 2020 Small Satellite Conference accepted our paper. See below.

Collaborators: Abdul Eissa, Professor David Barnhart