Institute of Space Technology CubeSat: ICUBE-1 subsystem analysis and design

For a long while, launching satellites for the purpose of research and technology demonstration largely remained with national space agencies and government organizations as the huge funding requirements inhibited the initiation of such projects at university level. It was this idea of providing, at university level, cheap access to space that prompted the design of miniaturized versions of satellites for research purposes. Specifications of CubeSat, a pico-satellite, were defined to provide easy access to space for educational and research institutions. The improvement in engineering technologies and miniaturization of physical components has enabled design, development and launch of such small low-cost spacecrafts and to date, more than 60 universities, institutions and research organizations have taken part in CubeSat program since its inception in 1999. Institute of Space Technology (IST) adopted the concept of CubeSat development by initiating the satellite program, ICUBE. ICUBE is the premier student satellite program of any educational institution/university in Pakistan. The first satellite of this program is named ICUBE-1. Successful launch of ICUBE-1 and establishing its communication link with the ground are the primary goals of this mission. The satellite has a passive attitude control system and will carry a CMOS camera for experimental purposes. In this paper, we will discuss in detail the design philosophy of ICUBE-1, followed by the preliminary design and analysis of all its subsystems. The required testing and technical support facilities are discussed before the final conclusions.