1 CAN WE TURN A PHONE IN TO A SATELLITE? Android Open 2011San Francisco,10th Oct. 2011.

1

CAN WE TURN A PHONE IN TO A SATELLITE?

Android Open 2011 San Francisco,10th Oct. 2011

Why Phone Based Why Phone Based Satellite?Satellite?Status quo:•Typical satellite costs: $500m•‘Low Cost’ satellites: $10m

But…•All key capabilities of a satellite are in a phone•A cell phone based satellite costs ~$5k in parts •Launch for a 1U = $50-70k

With a 100x reduction in cost, could there be a vast array of new potential applications?

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

TechnologyTechnologySatellite SmartPhone

Computer systemProcessor /Memory /

Power systemBattery /Solar Arrays X

StructureStrong frame /

ADCSAccelerometers /Rate Gyros /Magnetometers /Sun sensor ?GPS /Reaction Wheels XMagnetorquers X

CommunicationsRadio /

PayloadCamera /

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

Phone(Nexus One)

Core

VHF/UHF Radio144/440 MHz

Likely Core

Extra

Battery Bank(12 x 18650 3.7V cells, 2800 mAh)

Legend

Monopole Antenna

RBF and Deploy. Switches

(Custom PCB)

Spacecraft 1.0Concept A•With UHF radio•& Hardware battery override•& Watchdog/Lazerus

Watchdog/Lazerus

(Arduino)

Power

Data

PhoneSat 1: System Architecture

Phone software overviewPhone software overview

• Android 2.1 Operating System

• Help from several Googlers on their 20% time:• Image compression algorithm• Serial data port

• Open Source Project (HW and SW)

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

Space Qualification Space Qualification TestingTesting

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

Vacuum and Thermal Vacuum and Thermal TestingTesting• 10-3 torr• -30° up to +40°

Celsius

• 1 Gyroscope• 1 Nexus One mobile

phone• 1 Motorola mobile

phone

7/#

8/#

Rocket LaunchesRocket Launches

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

LaunchesLaunches

“Rocket Mavericks”

• Flight 1: 23 July, 2010– 70 km Altitude Rocket (but did not reach altitude)– Our payload: Nexus One

• Flight 2: 24 July, 2010– 10 km Altitude Rocket– Our Payload: 2 Nexus One, 1 IMU, Arduino,

external Bluetooth

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

Launch 1: high altitude; Launch 1: high altitude; failfail

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

Launch 2: successLaunch 2: success

Rocket Details:10 m tall500 kg

Actual:- 9 km- 10 G (>1000 G

on impact)

Planned for:-70 km (18 sec burn)-12-15 G

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

13

Balloon LaunchesBalloon Launches

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

Next StepsNext Steps

Launch 3x PhoneSat 1.0 in DecemberLaunch 3x PhoneSat 1.0 in December• Taurus II --> 280x280km orbitTaurus II --> 280x280km orbit• Duration 3 weeksDuration 3 weeks• Launch Cost: $250kLaunch Cost: $250k

Launch 1x PhoneSat 2.0 in June 2012Launch 1x PhoneSat 2.0 in June 2012• Falcon 9/Dragon --> 450x300km orbitFalcon 9/Dragon --> 450x300km orbit• Duration: 3-6 monthsDuration: 3-6 months• Cost: free through ELaNa programmeCost: free through ELaNa programme

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

First Flight First Flight RequirementsRequirements

Minimalist requirements for first mission:1. Send 1 image taken by the phone to ground 2. Parts cost shall not exceed $10,0003. Work for >1 orbit4. Send minimum health data from phone to ground5. Schedule <3 months from ATP to flight readiness

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

PhoneSat 1.0

And, what if sats cost And, what if sats cost $10k?$10k?

HeliophysicsHeliophysicsMissions to space test hardwareMissions to space test hardwareSwarmed satellitesSwarmed satellitesRemote Sensing?Remote Sensing?Personal Satellites?Personal Satellites?……

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

VisionVision

… … Space as a software domain?Space as a software domain?

Android Open 2011 San Francisco, USA

Questions?

20

Have ideas? Have ideas?

Contact: william.s.marshall@nasa.gov, christopher.r.boshuizen@nasa.gov, Contact: william.s.marshall@nasa.gov, christopher.r.boshuizen@nasa.gov, rhickman@google.comrhickman@google.com

SW REPOSITORYhttps://github.com/cboshuizen/AXCS

QUESTIONS?

William.marshall@nasa.gov