INCREASING THE POWER DENSITY OF CUBESATS - a Demonstration Scenario for deployable Solar Arrays

Abstract

Recent developments in deployment systems and solar cells enable the generation of more than 100 W of electrical power for Nano Satellites. A first mission concept named PLUTO (PayLoad Under Test Orbiter) is developed in DLR Bremen. PLUTO is used as in-orbit demonstration for components and subsystems to identify problems on the way to application. A central part is the Integrated Core Avionics (ICA) and its Unified Module Framework (UMF) used to support system design by combining avionic components and simplifying interfaces. The ICA UMF is compatible with the CPCI Serial Space Standard but tailored to enable applications between 3U CubeSats and stand-alone boxed systems. On PLUTO, ICA includes power handling, a software-defined radio and on-board computer, as well as advanced flight software. While low-cost rideshares become, in theory, more and more abundant, every avionic demonstration still requires a flight mission willing to use experimental components for critical functionality. Because ICA offers compatibility down to 3U CubeSat size, a dedicated CubeSat mission for in-orbit demonstration is a cost-effective solution. The aforementioned solar array is the enabling factor for this concept while the ICA UMF provides an advanced electronics environment.