Manaen

1U CubeSat Satellite

Course: 16-873 Spacecraft Design–Build–Fly Lab
Aug 2024 – Dec 2024

Cubesat orbit visualization
Hands-on assembly. Integrating solar panels, internal PCBs, and the antenna elements into the 1U CubeSat structure.

Overview

This was my first time working on anything space-related, and it ended up being one of the most interesting projects I’ve joined at CMU. Our team was designing a 1U CubeSat for an eventual launch, and I contributed mainly to the mechanical team and a bit to thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing prep.

CAD model prepared for the mechanical section of our CDR
Training for thermal-vacuum (TVAC) testing

Contributions

  • Helped update and refine the exterior CAD, including antenna mounts and side-panel features.

  • Contributed to the mechanical CDR slides (protrusion requirements, interface dimensions, antenna deployment section).

  • Created and revised CAD for the antenna mount integration, including measurements and component layout.

  • Presented the antenna deployment mechanism during our Critical Design Review (CDR), which included external reviewers (including folks from industry/NASA).

  • Assisted with TVAC testing preparation, including training sessions, documentation review, and understanding the test requirements (although the real test wasn’t completed since the prototype wasn’t finished yet).

Presenting the mechanical subsystem at our Fall 2024 Critical Design Review, with external reviewers including industry engineers and NASA guests
Our mechanical team!

What I got out of it

This project was my introduction to space hardware – learning about aerospace constraints, deployment mechanisms, and verification processes like TVAC. Even though my role was small compared to the graduate students, it was extremely cool to be part of a real spacecraft development cycle and present our work at CDR.

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