One of the most exciting things about space now is how the barrier of entry is lowered where those without large financial government backing can launch space craft into space. However, while this opportunity will help speed up the advancement…
Pocketqubes and cubesat satellites have been around for quite some time with their applications and usage growing. This is because of their lower costs in launching and development than traditional satellites have opened new markets and users. Here are some…
A Porter’s 5 forces is carried out by analysing your company internal and external environment and comparing the perceived negotiation powers within your competitors, suppliers, customers and market. This analysis can be used as part of your SWOT, technology road…
It’s no secret that developing hardware for space is expensive and requires a lot of investment even for smaller systems like cubesats and pocketqubes. You might not have the budget of NASA or be successful in obtaining funding through grants…
During the concept generation phase of the project it can be quite daunting to come up with ideas for designs. Luckily we have a couple of useful tools such as 9 windows of the world and 3-6-5 which are very…
If you are interested in building a pocketqube or cubesat, it is useful to know what you will need to build your satellite. Most of the equipment listed below is focussed from a mechanical standpoint but we briefly cover electronics:…
Before proceeding to the prototyping and environmental testing stages of your pocketqube or cubesat you will be carrying out various FEA analysis to ensure the design can survive the forces during testing, launch and the mechanisms and structures are fit…
The Claymore 6P deployer is nearing closer towards it’s maiden launch. Next step is to carry out environmental testing to qualify the deployer. I would like to thank DCubed for not only supplying the pinpuller but for their support when…
Figure 1 Design process When developing the Claymore deployer or designing subsystems for satellites I follow the design process. The design process is a structured approach and covers from the initial stages of capturing requirements to release of the design.…
Please to announce that I will be attending the Space Tech Expo Europe conference in Bremen on the 14th and 15th November. Don’t hesitate to contact me about discussing potential collaborations on how we can work together on developing innovative…
Ok so I briefly talked about torsion springs and with compressions springs they can be one of the most vital components in your pocketqubes and cubesats. Torsion springs are useful for solar panels, hatches, any other mechanisms that have rotational…
As mentioned in a previous article it is important to creating a testing plan for qualification, prototyping, and proving a proof of concept. The same can be said about planning manufacturing and assembly before you send your parts out for…
To help with the development of the Claymore 6p deployer some documentation templates had to be created. Currently these documents are: Mechanical calculations covers compression springs, tension springs, torsion springs and bearing loads. This collection of calculators will be updated…
Poke Yoke (also known as mistake-proofing) is a Japanese method (1) in avoiding human errors in the design, manufacturing, assembly or usage of equipment. The main goal is to avoid these errors from occurring in the first place by implementing…
A couple of years ago I provided a brief overview of compression springs and I have decided to return to this topic by providing a calculator (Figure 1) to calculate the forces and if the chosen spring is at risk…
During development of creating a new product, improving systems, or starting up a project you will encounter a lot of issues. Time and resources can prevent you from tackling all the issues at the same time therefore you should tackle…
At this moment in time I am currently waiting on test facilities to carry out environmental testing to qualify the Claymore deployer (figure 1). After successfully completing these tests I will be seeking launch opportunities for the initial launch of…
In today’s society where our impatience can get the better of us, we have become accustomed in doing things quicker. There is a difference in being quick at completing a project or product development. Being quick is down to improved…
When testing your prototypes or sub systems of your satellite it is important to record what you did and what happened during the experiments. During the prototyping stage you will identify design flaws and issues during the tests. Sometimes the…
FMEA or PFMEA if you want to analyse a process is analysis tool that is used to identify and reduce potential risks. It was 1st developed by the US Military in the 1940’s and has been widely (1) used in…