STRATHcube : The design of a student CubeSat using concurrent engineering methods

With the role of concurrent engineering (CE) becoming more important to the success of companies, it is vital that engineering students are able to understand and apply this concept. In this regard, the University of Strathclyde regularly offers its students opportunities to learn about this process through practical-based CE workshops. The results from a student-based CE study of a CubeSat are therefore outlined, including the effectiveness of the session as a learning experience for students. Through collaboration and teamwork, the student team produced a feasible design concept which achieved most of the prespecified objectives. Additionally, it was determined that the learning outcomes of the study were widely met, despite it taking place virtually due to COVID-19

STRATHcube : the design of a CubeSat for space debris detection using in-orbit passive bistatic radar

There is a growing need to detect, track and catalogue space debris in the congested Low Earth Orbit (LEO) region. A method to detect debris could be to use space-based passive bistatic radar (PBR). The STRATHcube project proposes to launch a CubeSat into LEO as a PBR technology demonstrator where a signal processing algorithm developed at the University of Strathclyde to detect space debris will be tested. The concept involves a radar receiver and antenna on-board a CubeSat orbiting at a low altitude to detect the radio signals transmitted by operational satellites orbiting at higher altitudes. These signals may have been modified by an object orbiting between the operational satellites and the CubeSat and therefore would indicate a piece of debris exists. This paper will present the integration of PBR technology onto a CubeSat as a payload on the STRATHcube mission and discuss the challenges faced due to the limitations of the small platform. The use of a custom-built 3D antenna and an off-the-shelf patch antenna are investigated as design options for the payload. A high-level design for each option was completed to evaluate their capabilities on the size of trackable debris and to determine their mass and power parameters. After an extensive trade-off analysis at a system level, carried out to narrow down the options of the PBR payload on the CubeSat platform, it was determined that the patch antenna option presented the best way of facilitating the experiment onboard the CubeSat due to its small size and mass. The completed design of the STRATHcube mission will enable an in-orbit demonstration of the PBR technology, which if successful, will provide an alternative to conventional ground-based tracking that is cheaper and more available to the space community. This method would then be proven to industry who can use this approach to implement on a larger scale in the future

Initial conditions of a novel CubeSat during atmospheric re-entry

Despite the establishment of Design for Demise (D4D) as a debris mitigation process, little is still known about the conditions under which debris fragment or survive during re-entry. STRATHcube, a student-led CubeSat project for Space Situational Awareness developed at the University of Strathclyde, aims to contribute to the development of D4D through its secondary payload, providing data on the aerothermal conditions and forces experienced by the satellite during fragmentation upon atmospheric re-entry. The experiment is underpinned by the satellite’s stability during re-entry and until fragmentation, which will allow for data to be transmitted in real time. This paper focusses on the configuration of the solar arrays of the CubeSat and on its attitude during re-entry. Their effect on the operating conditions of the components necessary for recording and transmitting data is explored through a low fidelity model constructed within ESA’s Debris Risk Assessment and Mitigation Analysis (DRAMA) tool. Temperature data obtained from this model during the aerothermal demise of the solar panels are also used as a reference point for the design of the thermal protection system. This analysis will advise the requirements of the deorbit manoeuvre of the CubeSat, the alignment of its solar panels for re-entry, and of the thermal protection components necessary for the success of the experiment

STRATHcube : a student CubeSat that encourages the sustainable usage of space

The 'NewSpace' revolution has led to more launch opportunities and cheaper off-the-shelf components. As a consequence, the rate at which objects are being launched into orbit has significantly increased. A large proportion of these new objects are due to satellite mega-constellations, and concern is growing over the congestion of the space environment. However, a positive associated with the democratisation of space is that CubeSats, a standardised nanosatellite, are becoming increasingly technically capable. STRATHcube is a student-led CubeSat in development at the University of Strathclyde that seeks to mitigate the problem of space debris with two novel technology demonstrations: in-orbit space debris tracking and measuring fragmentation during atmospheric re-entry. This paper will present the design of the CubeSat and the learning experience of the student team. A trade-off analysis was conducted to determine the optimum configuration of the CubeSat in terms of viability and scientific value. A broad range of configuration options with different payload capabilities and properties were initially considered. By completing a high level design for each option, a baseline and a more technically ambitious choice were selected. A detailed design process was then able to be undertaken for the CubeSat subsystems, in parallel with the design of the payloads and their experiments. As the first student CubeSat development at the University, strategies such as interactive workshops were used to give undergraduate students practical experience of designing and building a space mission. The challenges associated with developing STRATHcube in parallel with two ambitious experiments will be assessed, particularly given the student-led nature of the project. From the trade-off analysis and detailed design process, it was determined that the CubeSat's primary payload will use passive bi-static radar technology to demonstrate in-orbit space debris tracking, which could eventually decrease the minimum size of debris currently able to be catalogued. A secondary payload that will gather flight data on the spacecraft’s fragmentation during re-entry was determined as feasible but posed significant challenges for the design of several subsystems. The results of a survey measuring the success of the methods used to train the students involved in the project are presented. It is hoped that the CubeSat’s design will enable it to contribute to space debris mitigation and encourage the sustainable usage of space

Patient Safety Informatics : Meeting the Challenges of Emerging Digital Health

The fourth industrial revolution is based on cyber-physical systems and the connectivity of devices. It is currently unclear what the consequences are for patient safety as existing digital health technologies become ubiquitous with increasing pace and interact in unforeseen ways. In this paper, we describe the output from a workshop focused on identifying the patient safety challenges associated with emerging digital health technologies. We discuss six challenges identified in the workshop and present recommendations to address the patient safety concerns posed by them. A key implication of considering the challenges and opportunities for Patient Safety Informatics is the interdisciplinary contribution required to study digital health technologies within their embedded context. The principles underlying our recommendations are those of proactive and systems approaches that relate the social, technical and regulatory facets underpinning patient safety informatics theory and practice