Satellite Subsystems » Electrical » Introduction

The electrical systems provide most of the functionality of the satellite.

Electrical power begins with the solar panels on the exterior faces of the satellite. There are six solar panels of fourteen cells per panel. Each panel is independent of the other panels to provide redundancy in the event of a panel failure. From the panels, power collected moves through to the power board.

The power board is a PCB which handles the power management on board the satellite. It takes solar power and charges the batteries. It also assesses power requirements and distributes this power to the other satellite systems on a prioritised basis.

Radios provide the main means of communication between the satellite and earth. The satellite operates a PACSAT protocol for sending and receiving files, which means that amateur radio operators worldwide can also use the satellite. The radios link to the flight computer so that files can be stored and retrived and flight software updated. The radios also transmit telemetry data back to the groundstation at UNSW.

The telemetry system of the satellite takes "health" measurements on the satellite (voltage, current and temperature) on a regular basis. It can also take measurements on request. These measurements are useful when assessing if anything is wrong with the satellite, or in trying to pinpoint the causes of system failures.

The electrical system may also have to power our two secondary payloads, if these are included in the flight model of the satellite:

The GPS (Global Positioning System) on board the satellite allows us to verify the satellite's position. It may also allow experiments on GPS in high-speed high-altitude operation and analysis of the (very thin) parts of the Earth's atmosphere which sit between the satellite's orbit and the much higher orbit of the GPS constellation of satellites.

The imager is a device for measuring radiation coming off the Earth. It allows an experimenter to build up a picture of the earth from radiation at a certain wavelength, which will be most likely across the visual spectrum.