"Project book: living past launch"--Cover.

Is your picosatellite ready for launch? Can it withstand rocket thrusts and the vacuum of space? This do-it-yourself guide helps you conduct a series of hands-on tests designed to check your satellite’s readiness. Learn precisely what the craft and its electronic components must endure if they’re to function properly in Low Earth Orbit. The perfect follow-up to DIY Satellite Platforms (our primer for designing and building a picosatellite), this book also provides an overview of what space is like and how orbits work, enabling you to set up the launch and orbit support you’ll need. Go deep into the numbers that describe conditions your satellite will face Learn how to mitigate the risks of radiation in the ionosphere Pick up enough formal systems engineering to understand what the tests are all about Build a thermal vacuum chamber for mimicking environment of space Simulate the rocket launch by building and running a vibration shake test Use a homebuilt centrifuge to conduct high G-force tests Get guidelines on scheduling tests and choosing an appropriate lab or clean room

Want to build your own satellite and launch it into space? It’s easier than you may think. The first in a series of four books, this do-it-yourself guide shows you the essential steps needed to design a base picosatellite platform—complete with a solar-powered computer-controlled assembly—tough enough to withstand a rocket launch and survive in orbit for three months. Whether you want to conduct scientific experiments, run engineering tests, or present an orbital art project, you’ll select basic components such as an antenna, radio transmitter, solar cells, battery, power bus, processor, sensors, and an extremely small picosatellite chassis. This entertaining series takes you through the entire process—from planning to launch. Prototype and fabricate printed circuit boards to handle your payload Choose a prefab satellite kit, complete with solar cells, power system, and on-board computer Calculate your power budget—how much you need vs. what the solar cells collect Select between the Arduino or BasicX-24 onboard processors, and determine how to use the radio transmitter and sensors Learn your launch options, including the providers and cost required Use milestones to keep your project schedule in motion

What can you measure and what are your limits when orbiting in space? Learn about what physical quantities you can measure and what types of sensors you can buy or build. We cover the 5 essential design limits as well: power, bandwidth, resolution, computing... and legal limitations. Explore what you can play with using your own personal satellite.

Radio spectrum for commanding and recording from our satellites is a shared resource with subtle hurdles. We walk the path originally paved by AMSATs to discuss the steps and licensing needed to set up and operate both a command uplink and a data download station and network. Find out how playing nicely with others maximizes your ability to get your data down.

"Can any hobbyist build a satellite? Our DIY guide steps you through designing and building a base picosatellite platform tough enough to withstand launch and survive in orbit. If you have basic maker skills, you can build a space-ready solar-powered computer-controlled assembly suitable for attaching instruments and rocketing into space." [résumé éditeur].