Journal article
The Experimental Albertan Satellite #1 (Ex-Alta 1) Cube-Satellite Mission
Space science reviews, Vol.216(5), 96
08/01/2020
DOI: 10.1007/s11214-020-00720-8
Abstract
The Experimental Albertan satellite #1 (Ex-Alta 1) was a three-unit cube satellite (CubeSat) developed at the University of Alberta (UAlberta). As the first 'made in Alberta' spacecraft, the Ex-Alta 1 CubeSat was the Canadian contribution to the international QB50 CubeSat constellation mission (www.qb50.eu). Ex-Alta 1's mission incorporated four science objectives, two technical objectives, and one educational outreach objective. These are reviewed in the context of the Ex-Alta 1 mission design, as well as future CubeSat constellation missions that may follow demonstration missions such as Ex-Alta 1 and the experiences of the QB50 project. In support of its objectives, Ex-Alta 1 flew the multi-needle Langmuir probe (m-NLP) QB50 standardized payload, a UAlberta developed miniaturized digital flux-gate magnetometer (DFGM) mounted on a two-element articulated deployable boom, a radiation dosimeter from Teledyne, and an open source onboard computer (OBC) developed at UAlberta. Ex-Alta 1 was released by a NanoRacks deployer from the International Space Station on May 26, 2017, and commanded and controlled from a ground-station developed and operated at UAlberta. Ex-Alta 1 operated continuously throughout its mission until it burned up in the atmosphere on November 14, 2018. The last two-way contact occurred on that day at 07:49:29 UTC, when the spacecraft reported an onboard temperature of 47 degrees C in eclipse at an altitude of 152 km and which marked the effective end of the mission. This paper provides an overview of the Ex-Alta 1 mission, its development, the spacecraft and mission design, and reports preliminary results from the payload focusing on the DFGM instrument. We also report briefly on related education and outreach activities, including the development and delivery of curriculum-targeted and CubeSat focused classroom sessions inspired by the Ex-Alta 1 mission to school pupils in Alberta.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The Experimental Albertan Satellite #1 (Ex-Alta 1) Cube-Satellite Mission
- Creators
- I. R. Mann - University of AlbertaC. D. A. Nokes - University of AlbertaC. Cupido - University of AlbertaD. M. Miles - University of IowaB. Bruner - University of AlbertaD. G. Elliott - University of AlbertaD. Barona - University of AlbertaS. Damkjar - University of AlbertaC. F. Lange - University of AlbertaD. Sameoto - University of AlbertaL. Wyard-Scott - University of AlbertaM. Fleischauer - University of AlbertaC. Robson - University of AlbertaC. Lissinna - University of AlbertaD. K. Milling - University of AlbertaR. E. Ferrari - University of AlbertaA. Kale - University of AlbertaJ. Grey - University of AlbertaA. Hamilton - University of AlbertaK. Ball - University of AlbertaK. Cote - University of AlbertaT. Robertson - University of AlbertaE. Austen - University of AlbertaG. Yi - University of AlbertaT. Hrynyk - University of AlbertaD. Nault - University of AlbertaA. Roy - University of AlbertaD. Van Paridon - University of AlbertaD. Raboud - University of AlbertaR. Fedosejevs - University of AlbertaJ. P. Carey - University of AlbertaA. J. Hansen - University of AlbertaT. A. Bekkeng - University of OsloE. Trondsen - University of Oslo
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Space science reviews, Vol.216(5), 96
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- DOI
- 10.1007/s11214-020-00720-8
- ISSN
- 0038-6308
- eISSN
- 1572-9672
- Number of pages
- 35
- Grant note
- Northern Alberta Radio Club Canadian NSERC; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Canadian Foundation for Innovation; Canada Foundation for Innovation 13STFAAB17; 14SSTQB50 / Canadian Space Agency University of Iowa 284427 / European Union; European Commission University of Alberta Faculties of Science and Engineering CMC Microsystems Canadian Space Agency NSERC PGSD graduate scholarship; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/01/2020
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984429032202771
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