ACRUX-1 Satellite

ACRUX-1
ACRUX-1
ACRUX-1
ACRUX-1
Name ACRUX-1
Spacecraft type CubeSat
Units or mass 1U
Status Reentry 2022-06-17. Was semi-operational? Rarely beacon packets with the last one on 2020-02-02 as checked on 2020-04-04.
Launched 2019-06-29
NORAD ID 44368
Deployer Maxwell [Rocket Lab]
Launcher Electron
Entity name Melbourne Space Program
Institution Company
Entity Academic / Education
Headquarters Australia
Launch brokerer Spaceflight
Oneliner

Educational training and demonstrate CubeSat platform technologies.

Description

To launch a student-built CubeSat from scratch. To test the functionality of the subsystems. To develop future satellite missions. Validated Form Factor CubeSat with low-gain antenna capabilities and minor flight control abilities. Validation of 4/6 subsystems required for high gain antenna design. Creation of processes and template documentation to support future design projects.

The satellite is primarily an in orbit engineering demonstrator model.

Four out of five of its subsystems are bespoke:

  • Flight Vehicle: Structure and inhibit switches.
  • Power: for collecting, managing and distributing power.
  • Command & Data Handling: software control of all systems.
  • Flight Systems: orientation control.
  • Telecommunications is using COTS, namely the Astrodev Lithium 2 and Endurosat UHF antenna.
Results

Transmitted beacon until battery ran empty and now occasional beacons, but no uplink established.

Failure cause Rare packets, but no uplink established and negative power balance. Initially sent beacon until battery ran empty.
Sources [1]
Photo sources [1]
On the same launch

Last modified: 2024-05-29

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Created by Erik Kulu

Email: erik.kulu@nanosats.eu
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