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TECHNICAL SUBTEAMS

STRUCTURAL

Our Structural team is responsible for:

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  • manufacturing and testing the CubeSat frame to qualify it for space

  • satellite layout (sensors, solar panels, internal configuration, etc.)

  • thermal design

  • integration of components with frame

 

As a member of the Structural team, you will use tools like CAD and ANSYS and work with 3D printed models.

ELECTRICAL

Our Electrical team is responsible for:

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  • designing, acquiring and assembling components of the satellite power system (solar panels, batteries, power distribution, etc.)

  • design, assembly and testing of the onboard computer

 

As a member of the Electrical team, you may work on PCB design for the computer, solar panel design, writing low-level software, system integration and testing, or hands-on assembly of components.

SOFTWARE

Our Software team is responsible for:

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  • Writing drivers to interface with Commercial-Off-The-Shelf components

  • Writing all software required to accomplish the mission objectives

 

As a member of the Software team, you will write software for an embedded system in C/C++.

COMMUNICATIONS

Our Communications team is responsible for:

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  • designing and building our ground station

  • acquiring and testing satellite components required for RF communications

  • operating the satellite by sending commands and downlinking science data

 

As a member of the Communications team, you might assist with testing the ground station or the satellite equipment, or plan post-launch operations of the ground station.

Orbit

The Orbit team is responsible for:

  • determining the proper orbit path for the satellite

  • ensuring the satellite de-orbits in the required time frame

  • integrating a GNSS receiver and antenna system into the satellite

  • testing with the GNSS receiver and antenna to ensure their functionality

  • helping the software team implement commands that will let the (on board computer) OBC control the GNSS receiver

ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM (ADCS) 

The ADCS team is responsible for:

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  • determining the best ADCS solution for the satellite

  • ensuring the functionality of the ADCS

  • Helping the software team implement commands that will let the OBC (on board computer) control the ADCS

  • integrating the ADCS into the satellite

  • Planning the scheduling and commissioning of the ADCS after deployment into space

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

The Systems Engineering team focuses on:

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  • balancing project management, stakeholders, and technical requirements

  • ensuring all components of the spacecraft work together to accomplish mission objectives

 

As a member of the Systems Engineering team, you will collaborate with all teams to gain a holistic understanding of the project. You will monitor impacts between subsystems and support technical decisions. This team is also involved with high-level system design and system integration.

MISSION OPERATIONS

The Mission Operations team is responsible for:

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  • developing plans for post-deployment operations during the mission lifetime

  • working with Systems Engineering to develop the Concept of Operations for the satellite

  • obtaining licensing required for the satellite to launch

 

As a member of the Mission Ops team, you will learn how the payloads work and make decisions about how we will operate them when the satellite is in orbit.

PAYLOAD

 

For CTS-SAT-1, the Payload team is responsible for:

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  • integration of the Mini-Plasma Imager

  • design and implementation of the deployment mechanism for the DCLB.

 

On future projects, the Payload team would have direct involvement in selecting and designing payloads for the satellite.

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