Commercial CubeSat Bus Options

[@TheRbarzic]

I think some people may use the Cubesat format for ballon flight - to start being familiar with the architecture. That may explain the presence of sensors related to the atmosphere

[@buildacubesat]

Good point! I have done that myself multiple times. It may be beneficial to advertise the purpose of such sensors more clearly though imo.

[@ryanpuckett134]

I am a bit confused, referring to commercial setups vs DIY. You made a comment regarding commercial platforms have been designed by Aerospace Engineers, is this a requirement for cubesat manufacturers? I ask, as if it is required, then why invest time, money and energy into a project that would not take flight if devised by a hobbyists level enthusiast. I think the concept of DIY is neat, though seems simpler to pursue commercial. Maybe i am not understanding the processes involved.

[@buildacubesat]

Hi Ryan, thanks for your comment! You're absolutely right - if your goal is to get to orbit asap and you have the funding, then buying a CubeSat bus with flight heritage from a well-established vendor is 100% the way to go. My project, however, is about exploring whether there can be a more accessible, open-source path for CubeSat development. So far, I haven’t hit any roadblocks, but I still have years to go before any qualification testing. So yes, commercial is definitely easier, but DIY is more interesting imho :) Did that answer your question?

[@ryanpuckett134]

Yes, I appreciate the feedback.... I was playing with this idea, as every since I was a kid, I wanted to make something of my own and have launched into orbit, standing the reason in pursuing DIY over commercial. I was not aware these had to be built by Aerospace Engineers. I was following the Stanford Model as published by NASA for the frame which i intended on building myself. As far as the payload, electronics speaking, I am looking into considering a commercia modular set-up, allowing for a customized platform.

[@buildacubesat]

@@ryanpuckett134 This has been a long-held dream of mine too :) Well, CubeSats certainly don't _have_ to be built by aerospace engineers, otherwise most student projects (like the Stanford one) would never have gotten off the ground. It's just that if you buy a commercial bus, it's more than likely that the people who made it are actual aerospace engineers. As far as I can tell, the only formal "qualifications" you absolutely need is a license to operate radios on your CubeSat and a company or institution to carry any insurance you may need. Apart from that, if your CubeSat passes qualification testing, you should be good. I plan to talk to Exolaunch in the near future about the details of this process and will make a video about it.

[@ryanpuckett134]

@@buildacubesat Thank you again for your feed back! I am enjoying the videos, you are definitely light-years ahead, of my progress. I like your modular rail system, I am thinking of using vertical standoffs for my application. is there a maximum width for rails, I have noticed many minimum surface requirements, but was curious if there were a maximum exterior width limit. Are you using deployment switches? If so, what switch are you thinking to use?

[@buildacubesat]

@@ryanpuckett134 I don't think there is a maximum rail width stated in the CDS, but usually they are as slim as possible for practical reasons, like maximizing the available volume and minimizing weight and manufacturing cost. Also, in my opinion it's advisable to not put more structural parts into orbit than necessary (to minimize orbital debris and aluminum oxide particulates in the upper atmosphere). Yes, I am planning to use a flexure to push down on dome switched on a PCB as deployment switches. There will be a few videos on that in season 2 :)