The Modular CubeSat project was super busy over winter quarter and we have a lot to show for.

First, we just recently became a finalist for Motorola’s “Transform the Smartphone” Challenge! With this achievement we will be receiving the main heart of our satellite, a Motorola Z, and a development kit for free from Lenovo. This gives us an opportunity to showcase our idea and if popular enough, we could receive full funding from Lenovo. We are extremely excited that we were able to move on to the next round of the competition and are eager to see where it will lead us.

Next, we are glad to announce that C&R Technologies has offered us free copies of their Thermal Desktop software (pictured above), as well as copies of SINDA/FLUINT, RadCAD, and TD Direct. With this software we are now able to conduct more advanced thermal calculations which will help us better determine whether or not our components can survive the harsh environment of space.

Our Electronics Lead was able to build the first prototype board of the satellite containing the photo sensors, switches and timers needed to pass launch requirements. His prototype also contains a method for the antenna deployment. This is a huge step in the development of the Modular CubeSat. We hope to bring you images soon!

We were also able to conduct our first antenna range test with the tape measure antennas. Sadly, we were only able to reach a range of 600 ft. before the signal was lost which was much less than expected. We were able to find the cause of the losses and have since ordered new components that will allow us to create a cleaner antenna connection and decrease the transmission line length, which will help us reduce the losses. A link to our first ever antenna test is at this link:

An integral component to the function of the satellite is the communication of the smartphone and the micro-controller. Data from the smartphone will need to be relayed to the antennas through the micro-controller reliably. Recently, we were able to set up smartphone to micro-controller link successfully using an Arduino. A link to the video can be located here:

Next week we are expecting to conduct our next range test with our new components which will hopefully minimize the losses in the antenna system. We will also be working on integrating the prototype board of the satellite with the smartphone and the antennas. If the integration is successful we will be able to conduct a mock run of the satellite system with the antenna deployment. Stay tuned!