Flight Model Development of Small Tether Deployment Mechanism for Nano-Satellite Cute-1.7 + APD
- Paper number
IAC-06-C2.1.09
- Author
Prof. Saburo Matunaga, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
- Coauthor
Mr. Tomio Yamanaka, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
- Year
2006
- Abstract
“Cute-1.7 + APD,” a nano-satellite developed and built by the Matunaga group, Laboratory for Space System, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology was successfully launched as one of the subpayloads of the JAXA M-V-8 rocket “Astro-F (Akari)” at 6:28 a.m., February 22, 2006 JST, went into orbit, and then separated from the rocket. The launch of their first satellite “CUTE-I,” which was also successful, took place in June 2003. Cute-1.7 + APD is now operating using our developed ground control system at Tokyo Tech. Another feature of this high-density, high-performance satellite (10 cm * 10 cm * 20 cm) is to carry a small tether deployment mechanism as one of the fundamental technologies for future space applications such as a satellite deorbit system using an electrodynamic tether and minorbody sampling using tether devices, and so on. This paper focuses the small tether deployment mechanism for the nano-satellite Cute-1.7 + APD or CUBESAT-OSCAR-56 (CO-56). The deployment system consists of a string-based hold and release part, a separation plate with a solar cell, a tether winding part and a separation and deploying check sensor system part. The total system size is 10 cm * 10 cm * 0.7 cm and it can deploy a tether of 30 m in length. For the development of a flight model, several functional evaluation tests, environmental tests, a 3-D microgravity test were conducted in order to perform its functions in orbit after launch. The paper provides a detailed description of the flight model development and its test results of the small tether deployment mechanism for Cute-1.7 + APD.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-C2.1.09.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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