KSP Community CubeSat

[NERVAfan]

[LvL]

http://www.universetoday.com/115626/making-cubesats-do-astronomy/

So, do we now want to do some astronomy with the cubesat?

[Nicholander]

oarum, I think that CubeSat astronomy is not feasible for our first mission, but maybe a later mission.

And, great news, K^2 is not dead! He replied to the message I sent, and he said this:

Work. 0_0 I'm definitely still on board. Just had to take some time to focus on the work stuff. Catching up on the thread now.

[henryrasia]

Just leaving this here, the link for the doc of the project:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jR2B_M67cITTBtV_PDMoioVQp3bnCTR85ecQeVKmpWI/edit?usp=docslist_api

I'm going to add mission objectives later today.

[astropapi1]

Good to see you back, Mazon Del and K^2!

[LvL]

Can I get into the google doc pleas?

[henryrasia]

There you go, please add your own description!

[Brody Peffley]

Sorry if I didn't read the whole thread. But has anyone suggested using sails for the probe? Also about the probe going out of reach. can we somehow make it where people in the ksp community all around the world will connect to it making a chain link?

Edited October 27, 2014 by Brody Peffley

[LvL]

SORRY! I have absolutely no Idea how to use google docs, so I messed up a few things (nothing major) trying to get my name in. could someone who knows how to use google docs put my name in with the description: dumb 12 year old

[astropapi1]

Sorry if I didn't read the whole thread. But has anyone suggested using sails for the probe? Also about the probe going out of reach. can we somehow make it where people in the ksp community all around the world will connect to it making a chain link?

Since it's not going anywhere, there's no need for a sail. Keep in mind that sails are pretty experimental at this point, and at such low altitudes, it would only help to deorbit the satellite much faster than usual. It's a No-Go.

For communications, someone suggested using an antenna (forgot its name, sorry ) that should be easy to acquire for most of us. As you can see on the map, we've got most of America covered and oarum can give us coverage from Australia. With some publicity around the forum and reddit, we should get a good network of people around the world to have almost-constant coverage of the satellite.

Besides, it's not like we'll be performing anything expectacular. We're "just" growing plants, remember?

[LvL]

Feels good to be the only Australian, but what will we need to give coverage?

[Nicholander]

On an unrelated note, I found some trajectory software on the Orbiter Hanger Mods website, and I tried to do the Phobos trajectory, I got his:

It flybys the Moon, goes all the way past the orbit of freaking Saturn, flybys Earth again and then gets to Mars. Does anyone know any more sane and not stupid trajectory planning software?

[Brody Peffley]

On an unrelated note, I found some trajectory software on the Orbiter Hanger Mods website, and I tried to do the Phobos trajectory, I got his:

http://i.imgur.com/ZlNGs3u.png

It flybys the Moon, goes all the way past the orbit of freaking Saturn, flybys Earth again and then gets to Mars. Does anyone know any more sane and not stupid trajectory planning software?

Wouldn't want to be on that spaceship. Also once we are done growing. If we still have fuel for the ion engine. Is it possible that we would have enough delta v to go to the moon and slingshot it? heck it would fantastic if we could slingshot the probe around the moon towards venus which would boost us around the sun. We could go incredibly fast with that.

[henryrasia]

Hey, guys, let's focus on the first mission for now, alright?

We should create a to-do list, I'm going to start one on the doc and PEOPLE, PLEASE, YOU CAN EDIT THE DOC AS YOU WISH (as long as you respect what other people have done). I can't do this on my own, we need to work TOGETHER.

EDIT: For example, we have no one on structure. And I just thought about this: instead of metal, carbon fiber. Yes, it's more expensive, but it's stronger and lighter,which might pay for itself in launch costs (or not, I don't know).

Edited October 27, 2014 by henryrasia

[astropapi1]

Let's do what Henry said, okay? As I've said before, the first mission will have no active propellants. All maneuvers wilp be done using the Earth's magnetic attraction. So, no ion engines on this one.

As for the structure, I think aluminum is a pretty good choice. It's relatively cheap, it's commonly used in space, and we can build it ourselves.

We need to get the design down on paper before focusing on ground comms and a building centre.

We also need to do this fast. I hate to say it, but we've been lagging behind of ourselves lately.

[Brody Peffley]

Let's do what Henry said, okay? As I've said before, the first mission will have no active propellants. All maneuvers wilp be done using the Earth's magnetic attraction. So, no ion engines on this one.

As for the structure, I think aluminum is a pretty good choice. It's relatively cheap, it's commonly used in space, and we can build it ourselves.

We need to get the design down on paper before focusing on ground comms and a building centre.

We also need to do this fast. I hate to say it, but we've been lagging behind of ourselves lately.

\

aluminum would do. And also the cost of putting an ion engine on a space probe would probably be enormous so not putting any fuel on it would save loads of money. We should try and see if we can get sponsers for launching it. Also what are we going to call it and the team.

It probably doesn't help that people who play kerbal space program like to over think things

[NERVAfan]

The transmitter will need much more than 100km range. That's the Karman line, but the drag doesn't really get practical to orbit till well above that. Also, it would be nice to not have to be directly over the ground station.

[LvL]

We need some certainties with the design. The only one I know is that we're using static solar panels. Are we going to use a counter-weight?

[LvL]

Also, we need to remove the go-pro idea from the google doc. The G-Pro is just way, WAAAAY too big.

[LvL]

The transmitter will need much more than 100km range. That's the Karman line, but the drag doesn't really get practical to orbit till well above that. Also, it would be nice to not have to be directly over the ground station.

What software will we need? How do we set it up?

[LvL]

yello? anybody got a new post?

[K^2]

What software will we need? How do we set it up?

Depends entirely on the hardware we can get. But it looks like VHF would be entirely doable, which means the setup can be as simple as USB-capable micro controller hooked up to an amp, which is hooked up to an amateur radio with sufficient output power. No mess with tracking necessary. Writing software to run it all would then be quite trivial.

That would also mean that the sat just needs a burst VHF transceiver, which can be purchased or built without major expenses.

[Nicholander]

K^2, welcome back! Anyway, when are you going to update the first post, and how's the sim going?

[DarkStar64]

Also, we need to remove the go-pro idea from the google doc. The G-Pro is just way, WAAAAY too big.

what about a key-chain camera? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=keychain+camera&sprefix=keychain+%2Celectronics%2C176&rh=n%3A172282%2Ck%3Akeychain+camera

[Kamik423]

Hi,

I know you are already kinda far into the project, but I would love to join you (if it is still possible).

But I could not read all 145 pages yet.

I would recommend doing it with Arduino, it is cheap and we can use any sensor we want.

Kamik423