A Very Good CubeSat

grabcad

Six plates are made to be printed flat, then are assembled with screws like folding origami! Printing flat pieces like this is easier, faster, more efficient, and more reliable than any other 3D printing method. The inside is spacious, with room for six 75mm by 80mm, 2mm thick printed circuit boards (PCBs) full of scientific instrumentation. These are supported by two racks, plus a rod with spacers to prevent them from chattering. Three control moment gyroscope motors can also fit to allow the CubeSat to control its rotation, as can a patch antenna in the interface plate. Any side can also be outfitted with solar panels or antennae. The six major components are made of aircraft grade 7075 aluminum, fit into a 10cm cube, and the assembly shown weighs about 0.8 kg (including PCBs). A modular system like this, where six plates can be handpicked from a variety of functional options (PCB racks, gyroscope mounts, antennae interfaces, etc), would be the ideal way to approach 3D printing satellites.