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MISSION ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

This topic covers the conceptual design of all high-level elements of a smallsat mission. This includes payload, spacecraft bus, launch system, orbit,...

MISSION SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS

This topic covers simulation and analysis at the mission-level. It includes all high-level analyses used to complete conceptual orbit and mission architecture...

PLANNING FOR MISSION SUCCESS

This topic covers the design of high-level process requirements for a smallsat project. This planning involves the selection of design, analysis, test,...

ASSEMBLING A TEAM

This topic page covers the assembly of a team for a smallsat project. This includes selecting the types of individuals to include in the project, structuring...

SCHEDULING

This topic covers the processes and procedures related to schedule management from conceptual design through the development and testing of a smallsat...

COST ESTIMATING

This topic covers the processes and procedures that small satellite teams should follow when developing a cost estimate for their projects. It is essential...

REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION

This topic covers reports and other documentation involved in the design, development, and operation of a smallsat mission. This includes, but is not limited...

LICENSING AND REGULATIONS

This topic covers administrative, legal, and regulatory requirements related to satellite communications, data transmission, and remote sensing. It is...

DESIGN REVIEWS

This topic covers design reviews employed throughout the design lifecycle of spacecraft, spacecraft subsystems, and space missions. These reviews aim to...

ORBIT DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

This topic covers detailed orbit design and analysis for smallsat missions. Orbit design is fundamental to a satellite mission because it determines the...

CONOPS PLANNING AND AUTONOMY

This topic covers concept of operations (ConOps) planning for spacecraft, including plans for autonomous behavior on-orbit. In many cases, the ConOps refers...

MECHANICAL AND THERMAL DESIGN

This topic page covers mechanical and thermal design of spacecraft hardware - from full spacecraft to subsystems and components. Beyond the specific functional...

MATERIAL SELECTION

This topic covers the selection of materials throughout a spacecraft design. This includes - but is not limited to - spacecraft structure, circuit boards,...

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

This topic covers structural analysis of spacecraft hardware – from full spacecraft to subsystems and components. This includes processes used to simulate...

THERMAL ANALYSIS

This topic covers thermal analysis of spacecraft hardware – from full spacecraft to subsystems and components. This includes processes used to simulate...

MECHANICAL FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

This topic area covers fault tree analysis (FTA) of spacecraft mechanisms. Fault tree analyses provide a graphical, logical representation of the reliability...

CIRCUIT DESIGN

This topic covers reliable electrical circuit design for spaceflight. Satellite electronics are exposed to the harsh environment of space, which imposes...

BOARD LAYOUT

This topic page covers board layout of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for spacecraft electronics. This task is where the physical implementation of a schematic...

PART SELECTION

This topic page covers electrical, electronic, and electromechanical (EEE) part selection for space flight hardware. Selection of EEE parts is driven primarily...

CIRCUIT ANALYSIS

This topic covers the analysis of the electrical circuits implemented in space electronics. These analysis are used to verify that circuit designs can...

RADIATION ANALYSIS

This topic page covers radiation analysis of spacecraft electronics. This includes modeling and of the radiation environment based on the spacecraft orbit...

NUMERICAL RELIABILITY ANALYSIS

This topic covers prediction of the reliability of spacecraft electrical systems. The goal of a numerical reliability analysis is typically to obtain...

DEVELOPMENT

This topic page covers development of embedded software (including firmware). This includes any software that is not what we categorize in this knowledge...

TESTING

This topic page covers testing of embedded software (including firmware). This includes any software that is not what we categorize in this knowledge base...

TIMING ANALYSIS

This topic page covers timing analysis of firmware running on an FPGA or other programmable logic devices (PLDs). These devices use hardware description...

DEVELOPMENT

This topic covers development of smallsat flight software. This includes testing of all software running on the flight computer and responsible for command...

TESTING

This topic covers testing of smallsat flight software. This includes testing of all software running on the flight computer and responsible for command...

ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL

This topic page covers the design of attitude determination and control subsystems (ADCSs) for small satellites. This includes design of subsystem components;...

PROPULSION

This topic page covers the design of propulsion subsystems for small satellites. This includes design of subsystem components; selection of commercial...

ELECTRICAL POWER

This topic page covers the design of electrical power subsystems (EPSs) for small satellites. This includes design of the subsystem components, selection...

COMMUNICATIONS

This topic page covers the design of communications subsystems for small satellites. This includes design of subsystem components; selection of commercial...

COMMAND AND DATA HANDLING

This topic page covers the design of command and data handling (C&DH) subsystems for small satellites. The C&DH subsystem is responsible for controlling...

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING

This topic page covers manufacturing of spacecraft electronics. This includes printed circuit board (PCB) procurement/specification, soldering, and polymeric...

MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY

This topic page covers mechanical assembly of spacecraft hardware up to the subsystem-level of integration, including staking and other mechanical or thermal...

INTEGRATION

This topic page covers the systems engineering and physical assembly tasks of integrating a smallsat. This process typically starts with an assembled bus...

DAY-IN-THE-LIFE TESTING

This topic page covers day-in-the-life (DITL) testing of fully integrated spacecraft. The goal of this testing is to verify that the complete system functions...

EMI/EMC TESTING

This topic page covers electromagnetic interference/compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing of spacecraft electronics. EMI/EMC testing for space hardware includes...

ACCELERATED LIFE TESTING

This topic covers accelerated life testing of spacecraft components and subsystems. This testing involves exposing the unit under test to exceptionally...

ELECTRONICS FUNCTIONAL TESTING

This topic covers functional testing of electronics, which refers to comprehensive testing that verifies that the assembled system meets all functional...

BAKE OUT

This topic page covers bake out of space flight hardware. Bake out is intentional acceleration of the outgassing process and typically involves heating...

SINGLE EVENT EFFECTS TESTING

This topic covers single event effects (SEE) testing of spacecraft electrical, electronic, and electromechanical (EEE) components and assemblies. In orbit,...

TOTAL IONIZING DOSE TESTING

This topic covers total ionizing dose (TID) testing of spacecraft components and assemblies. In space, hardware is exposed to significantly elevated levels...

SHOCK TESTING

This topic page covers shock testing of spacecraft and component sub-assemblies or parts. Shocks are very short and high intensity loads (i.e., high peak...

VIBRATION TESTING

This topic covers sinusoidal and random vibration testing of spacecraft and component sub-assemblies or parts. This testing ensures that the spacecraft...

ACOUSTIC TESTING

This topic page covers acoustic testing of spacecraft. The acoustic (i.e., noise) environment during launch extends into a higher frequency range than...

THERMAL BALANCE

This topic page covers thermal balance testing of smallsats. Thermal balance is typically performed as part of the thermal vacuum test, and its goal is...

THERMAL CYCLING

This topic covers thermal cycling testing of electronics. Thermal cycling involves heating and cooling the environment at ambient pressure to expose the...

THERMAL VACUUM

This topic covers thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing of a spacecraft and/or its subsystems. TVAC testing is the most realistic thermal simulation of the flight...

BURN-IN

This topic pages covers burn-in testing of electronics. Burn-in is a screening process where acceptance units (i.e., hardware intended for flight) is operated...

ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL

This topic page covers testing of spacecraft attitude determination and control subsystems (ADCSs). Smallsat ADCSs vary significantly based on the mission,...

PROPULSION

This topic page covers testing of smallsat propulsion subsystems. Propulsion systems for smallsats are extremely diverse, from chemical systems that burn...

ELECTRICAL POWER

This topic page covers testing of smallsat electrical power systems. Smallsat power subsystems typically include power management and distribution (PMAD)...

COMMAND AND DATA HANDLING

This topic page covers the testing of command and data handling (C&DH) subsystems for small satellites. The C&DH subsystem is responsible for controlling...

LAUNCH PROCUREMENT

This topic covers the launch procurement process, launch service providers, and the legal obligations of the launch provider versus the satellite manufacturer....

SPACECRAFT TRANSPORTATION

This topic page covers the transportation of a small satellite or other flight hardware. Transporting space flight hardware needs to be carefully coordinated...

COMMISSIONING

This topic page covers the commissioning phase of a smallsat mission. Commissioning is the first phase of satellite operations and begins immediately after...

ON-ORBIT FAULT RECOVERY

This topic page covers on-orbit fault recovery for smallsat missions. Responding to a fault detected during operations involves isolation, diagnosis, and...

DEORBIT AND CLOSEOUT

This topic page covers the deorbit and closeout phase of a smallsat mission. Deorbit is a common regulatory requirement for low Earth orbit (LEO) smallsat...

Explore > Interactive Tree

Explore > Outline

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

MISSION ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

MISSION SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS

PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

PLANNING FOR MISSION SUCCESS

ASSEMBLING A TEAM

SCHEDULING

COST ESTIMATING

REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION

LICENSING AND REGULATIONS

DESIGN REVIEWS

DETAILED DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

ORBIT DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

CONOPS PLANNING AND AUTONOMY

MECHANICAL AND THERMAL

MECHANICAL AND THERMAL DESIGN

MATERIAL SELECTION

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

THERMAL ANALYSIS

MECHANICAL FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

ELECTRICAL

CIRCUIT DESIGN

BOARD LAYOUT

PART SELECTION

CIRCUIT ANALYSIS

RADIATION ANALYSIS

NUMERICAL RELIABILITY ANALYSIS

EMBEDDED SOFTWARE FIRMWARE

DEVELOPMENT

TESTING

TIMING ANALYSIS

FLIGHT SOFTWARE

DEVELOPMENT

TESTING

SUBSYSTEM DESIGN

ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL

PROPULSION

ELECTRICAL POWER

COMMUNICATIONS

COMMAND AND DATA HANDLING

MANUFACTURING

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING

MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY

INTEGRATION AND TEST

INTEGRATION

DAY-IN-THE-LIFE TESTING

EMI/EMC TESTING

ACCELERATED LIFE TESTING

ELECTRONICS FUNCTIONAL TESTING

BAKE OUT

RADIATION TESTING

SINGLE EVENT EFFECTS TESTING

TOTAL IONIZING DOSE TESTING

LAUNCH ENVIRONMENT TESTING

SHOCK TESTING

VIBRATION TESTING

ACOUSTIC TESTING

THERMAL TESTING

THERMAL BALANCE

THERMAL CYCLING

THERMAL VACUUM

BURN-IN

SUBSYSTEM TESTING

ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL

PROPULSION

ELECTRICAL POWER

COMMAND AND DATA HANDLING

LAUNCH

LAUNCH PROCUREMENT

SPACECRAFT TRANSPORTATION

OPERATIONS

COMMISSIONING

ON-ORBIT FAULT RECOVERY

DEORBIT AND CLOSEOUT