XCube Project
USE OF U-CLASS STANDARD FOR EMBEDDED EXPERIMENTS
A CLEAN AND COST EFFECTIVE PATH, FROM LABS TO ORBIT
Chad Frost, NASA Ames Research Center
Arthur Descamps, ESTACA
Motivation
!
Development of the CubeSat standard has enabled a vibrant new ecosystem
of nanosatellite development and missions
!
Predicated on “ride along” opportunities
!
Very low cost to orbit
!
Greater tolerance for risk
!
Simple integration with launch vehicle
!
Started with universities, now adopted by global community including
government, industry, and private individuals
!
Commercial supply chain has developed & matured
!
Many components available off the shelf
!
Further enables cost reduction, speeds development time
How can we replicate and leverage the CubeSat
standard for airborne payloads?
XCube, XCube Carrier, XCube Host
XCube 6U
XCube 3U
XCube
Carrier
XCube
Host
XCube, CubeSat, what is the
difference ?
CubeSat
standard
CubeSat
+
Vehicle
Interface
definition
Payload
Design
=
XCube
standard
XCube
XCubes are U-Class experiments (they
use the same form factor as CubeSats)
They are designed to fly inside a Host
vehicle (Aircraft, Balloon, Rocket,
Spacecraft)
XCubes can be independent, but
typically would use the power supply
and communication system provided
by the Host
What are the different aspects of the
project ?
Carrier and Host couples
XCube
development
+
Online Database
XCube Standard
Top
Side
XCube interface
Front
1U
3U
6U
12U
XCube Wiki - XCube Online Database
Meeting point of the
XCube community
Practical information
on :
> How to build XCube
experiment
> How to fly XCube
experiment
Candidate Host vehicles
Global Hawk
ER-2
Ikhana
SIERRA/Viking-400
Host
Viking-400
SIERRA
Balloon
XCube SIERRA & Viking-400 Host
XCube 12 U
Viking-400 Support
Interface panel
SIERRA Upper Support
Host onboard system
Additional Support
15”
380 mm
Target Mass:
10 pounds
13 ¼ “
337 mm
13 ½”
340 mm
Interfaces
Carrier
Power
XCube
Command
Power
Data
XCube
Host
Power
XCube
Command
Command
Data
Power Supply
Command
Data
transmission
systems
Data
Data
Ground
Station
Test fit in SIERRA and Viking-400
Innovation
Unique advantages include:
• Modular – Easy to manufacture using rapid prototyping
equipment.
• Will make collaboration much simpler by providing a
standard for experiments based on the well-established
Cubesat form factor and interface.
• It will also help researchers by providing cost effective access
to NASA flying vehicles.
• The use of Cubesat form factor and the use of rapid
prototyping to design Pods and payloads, compatible with
widely available commercial CubeSat boards
A clean and cost effective path from
labs to orbit
XCube advantages
!
Based on CubeSat: Well-known standard with large, supportive
community
!
Experimenters can take advantage of CubeSat COTS components
to reduce development time and cost
!
Allows experimenters to develop payload in the lab, with easy
integration for flight
!
Provides easy, standardized access to broad range of flight
environments (low to high, slow to fast, short to long)
!
Same path leads to orbit
Proof of concept:
XCube Recon Project
ESTACA/NASA AIRBORNE XCUBE PROJECT
DEMONSTRATE POSSIBILITIES OF XCUBE CONCEPT
Team members and Tasks
Yanomi
deOliveira
Camera Raspberry
Programing
Arduino
Programing
Integration
Xcube Tab
Programing
Pierre Foulon
Valentin Abt
Network
architecture
Thermal
regulation system
Thermal
regulation system
Main computer
CAD
Tests
Raspberry
Programing
Integration
Beagle Bone
programing
Aurore Piazza
Paul Malaurie
Noureldine
Amir-Taha
Project
Arthur Leader
Descamps
Partnership
CAD
Structure
Procurement
Raspberry
programing
Arduino
Programing
Arduino
Programing
Raspberry
programing
Management
Soldering
Test
Machining
Beagle bone
programing
Integration
Tests
Benoit Sagot
ESTACA
Researcher
Provide technical
support and
advise to the
team
ESTACA Contribution, XCube Recon
First XCube prototype, XCube Recon is a 3U XCube that aims to pave the way
for XCubes onboard XCube Hosts and Carriers.
- Goals :
100 mm
100 mm
1. Environment Characterization
➢
➢
➢
➢
Attitude determination
Vibration levels
Thermal Environment
H2O Environment
2. Secondary goal
➢ Air analysis
3. Tertiary goal
➢ Record images
2.2 Kg
340,5 mm
15 W
Mechanical Architecture
Accelerometer + IMU + GPS
Beagle Bone Black
Chamber
Valve + Pump
Power supply
Switch Ethernet
OBC + Temperature
Regulation
Camera
Air IN & OUT
Power IN + Data IN & OUT
(POE-12V)
Example: Air sampling experiment
A
B
A
C
B
VALVE 1
PUMP
PUMP
PUMP
H1
Chamber
TMP
PRE DUST
H2
CO2
C
Mode : Internal Air Source
TMP
PRE DUST
H20
VALVE 2
B
H1
H1
CO2
H20
C
VALVE 1
Chamber
H2
B
VALVE 1
Chamber
A
A
C
H2
CO2
PRE DUST
H20
VALVE 2
VALVE 2
A
B
C
Mode : External Air Source
TMP
A
B
C
Mode : Pressure control
Air sampling experiment
Air OUT
R2
Air IN
DUST
CO2
H20
Pressure
R1
VALVE 1
PUMP
VALVE 2
Current status
!
Example carrier (for up to 12U) developed for small NASA UAS
!
Proof-of-concept Xcube payload developed at ESTACA
!
Seeking feedback on concept, interest from community
Thank you for your
attention
Do you have any questions ?