Miniaturized Solutions for CubeSat Servicing and Safety Requirements

Small spacecraft require systems to facilitate safe preflight and launch operations. These include access ports to test software, charge batteries, and monitor spacecraft health after assembly, as well as inhibits to prevent inadvertent operation during servicing, integration, transport, and launch. For CubeSats, the requirements for these features are primarily governed by the CubeSat Design Specification (CDS). The size, weight, and cost of existing, off-the-shelf access port, inhibit, and remove-before-flight implementations can be prohibitive for low-budget, miniaturized spacecraft. This article aims to reduce the size, weight, and cost of CDS-required servicing and safety features. This is achieved by integrating these features into a single system using off-the-shelf, consumer-scale electrical components, including a type-B universal serial bus (USB) mini connector and an FTDI USB to multiserial protocol integrated circuit.