STRATHcube
STRATHcube is an ambitious student-led initiative at the University of Strathclyde, contributing to Scotland’s growing presence in space technology.
This project revolves around launching a small satellite—known as a CubeSat—with a mission to improve Space Situational Awareness, which helps monitor and protect satellites from the growing risk of space debris.
STRATHcube is also much more than just a scientific mission—it is a transformative educational opportunity for Strathclyde students, of which over 40 of which have already been involved.
STRATHcube has allowed students to gain hands-on experience in satellite design, project management, and has enabled their collaboration and networking with industry experts. The project has sparked interest in the space sector and has positioned Strathclyde as a key player in student-driven space innovation.
With the recent successful entry to the ESA: Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster program, STRATHcube has the chance to reach new heights. European Space Agency mentorship will help the team refine their design, solve key technical challenges, and elevate the project to its next level.
OUR CubeSat
2U CubeSat
Space debris is a serious and escalating issue. With more satellites launching every year, the risk of collisions in space is rising, potentially leading to widespread disruptions in communication, navigation, and scientific research.
STRATHcube’s mission will demonstrate an innovative new approach to tracking space debris while also collecting valuable data during its atmospheric re-entry. This research has the potential to benefit the entire space industry, contributing to safer and more sustainable space operations.
OUR SUBSYSTEMS
Attitude Determination & Control System
The Attitude Determination & Control System – or ADCS for short – is a relatively small but essential part for modern satellites. While boosters and thrusters provide movement in 3 DOF, the ADCS can rotate a satellite as needed in the pitch, yaw and roll axis.
The ADCS is instrumental to helping satellites carry out their mission successfully. From efficiently charging solar arrays to using directional antennas, the ADCS equips satellites with the tools to meet diverse and unique research objectives.
Throughout the expected mission lifetime of STRATHcube, the ADCS will play a continued and crucial role to the success of our mission. It can passively detumble the satellite - crucial to the initial ISS ejection. It will be used for controlled antenna pointing, for the use of the novel passive bistatic radar (PBR). It will physically transition and prepare STRATHcube for atmospheric re-entry, to carry out our novel secondary payload (SPL).
Command & Data Handling
The Command & Data Handling (C&DH) subsystem is responsible for sampling, transferring, processing, and storing data and commands within the satellite. It can be considered the “brain” of the satellite, making decisions based on pre-defined software, information received from other subsystems, and telecommands from the ground station, and executing the corresponding actions.
The main component of C&DH is the On-Board Computer (OBC). Like a traditional desktop computer, the OBC performs a range of tasks including housekeeping and satellite health monitoring, fault detection and recovery, telemetry management, application execution, and data processing. STRATHcube’s OBCs run on a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS), enabling time-sensitive task execution and fully autonomous operations, which are especially critical during the secondary mission phase when there is no communication with the ground station.
Failure of the C&DH subsystem would jeopardise the entire mission. Therefore, in addition to its standard functions, the system must be highly tolerant to environmental conditions encountered in space and earth's thermosphere. The C&DH subsystem provides an excellent learning opportunity for team members to gain experience in embedded development, software design under constraints, and the testing and verification required to ensure a successful space mission.
The Structures & Mechanisms sub-team is responsible for designing a strong yet lightweight frame that can withstand launch forces and vibrational frequencies, while protecting the satellite’s internal components to ensure they operate as planned. This requires careful material selection, innovative CAD design, forward thinking, and extensive finite element analysis (FEA) to determine modal frequencies, assess structural response to random vibrations, and ensure the load-bearing rails can withstand the high G-forces of launch. STRATHcube’s structure is also designed to safeguard internal components and sensors during re-entry, allowing the secondary payload to operate up to the point of demise.
Additionally, strict dimensional requirements must be met to comply with CubeSat and ESA standards, and the structures team must integrate these alongside individual component requirements. On the mechanisms side, the sub-team focuses on creating simple, reliable designs with built-in redundancies to actuate key components such as the solar arrays and deployable antennas, minimising the risk of failure.
This involves applying fundamental engineering principles to design hinges, separation springs, and hold-down and release mechanisms. Preliminary designs are visualised in CAD to simplify the mechanisms and ensure proper integration with the structure. FEA simulations are then used to predict performance before moving to manufacturing and testing. Reliable mechanisms will enable STRATHcube to reconfigure its solar panels from the stowed configuration (for launch and primary mission phases) to the shuttlecock configuration (for the secondary phase) and ensure successful communication with the ground station through the deployable antennas. STRATHcube’s structure and solar array hinge will be manufactured and tested in house by the structures and mechanisms team.