So, you want to build a CubeSat? • Hacker News Board

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#61

Post by zaarn » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 10:21 AM UTC

The interesting challenge would be when the first cubesats launched by private persons reach the moon and send back a picture of earth rise.

From what I can tell, cubesats might be able to get ride-alongs on future launches towards the moon, so that is basically what this challenge would be hinging on.

You'd have to figure out long distance communication, a simple LoRa module won't cut it. Your power needs to handle 3 days of travel, possibly without power until the sat gets deployed and sees the sun for the first time.

You'd have to figure out how to orient and point a camera outside the stronger parts of the earth's magnetic field (commonly cubesats seem to rely on magnets to orient themselves).

Then you'd have to bring a camera with decent quality and that works in vacuum along, snap a picture or ten and finally send them back.

It would be awesome if I, as a private person, could organize and launch that.

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#62

Post by zaarn » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 11:35 AM UTC

erklik wrote: post #60

beamatronic wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Adjusted for inflation that is not too much different from buying a couple of Apple Macintosh computers in 1984.

Honestly, I might start saving for a few years and actually do it. It sounds like a thing that would be awesome to do and more so, a good experience in general. Would there be any restrictions for people not living in the USA?

To my knowledge, you have to check with the space agency of your country, they probably know more too.

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#63

Post by massimo-nazaria » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 5:10 PM UTC

modeless wrote: post #21

asdfman123 wrote: post #17

Now I want to build a CubeSat that will point a laser pointer at different population centers as it passes around the earth. E.g. this pass of North America you choose LA, then NYC, then Houston, then Chicago... so you can see it streak by in the sky. My rough estimation is you could create a spot 2 miles across with a standard laser pointer at 400 miles high. Maybe you could use a different kind that would have a li…

You don't need a laser pointer. All you need to do is reflect sunlight. There was a recent attempt to deploy a cubesat that would become the brightest object in the night sky (besides the Moon), simply by deploying some white fabric. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your opinion (I lean toward the latter), it failed to fully deploy. http://spaceflight101.com/soyuz-kanopus-v-ik/mayak-lighthous... Many satell…

> Many satellites are visible to the naked eye; some even brighter than the stars. If you want to see them, heavens-above.org is a great place to find out when to look. https://heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=42830

Interesting link. Another interesting one is https://spotthestation.nasa.gov about the ISS, which is probably the most visible to the naked eye.

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#64

Post by growlist » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 9:30 PM UTC

mothsonasloth wrote: post #22

I had this thought, why not build a small rifled tube with an explosive charge and bullet like projectile. The projectile has a rocket motor too. Get the cannon as high as possible with a balloon. At the limit, the cannon fires the projectile at high velocity. The rocket motor ignites giving the extra velocity. Do you think it could reach escape velocity? IANARS (I am not a rocket scientist)

It's called a Space gun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_gun

You also might be interested in SpinLaunch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpinLaunch

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#65

Post by elkos » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 11:33 PM UTC

kartikkumar wrote: post #57

elkos wrote: post #31

If you are interested in open-source licenced Cubesat hardware, software and low earth orbit communications feel free to check out Libre Space Foundation https://libre.space Feel also free to check our repositories at Gitlab. https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation

LSF FTW! :) Great to see the SatNOGS network going from strength to strength!

We couldn't do it without our awesome community

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#66

Post by elkos » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 11:37 PM UTC

dear wrote: post #52

elkos wrote: post #31

If you are interested in open-source licenced Cubesat hardware, software and low earth orbit communications feel free to check out Libre Space Foundation https://libre.space Feel also free to check our repositories at Gitlab. https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation

Any Cubesat forum/board you would recommend? I joined the Cubesat.org mailing list but it's very quiet.

We have a forum at https://community.libre.space most threads are about SatNOGS (our global satellite ground-station network) but there are several people from Cubesat teams that are hanging around there from time to time

I also follow AMSAT-BB here to keep track of radio amateur activity in space https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#67

Post by elkos » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 11:40 PM UTC

marshall_law wrote: post #41

elkos wrote: post #31

If you are interested in open-source licenced Cubesat hardware, software and low earth orbit communications feel free to check out Libre Space Foundation https://libre.space Feel also free to check our repositories at Gitlab. https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation

go LSF! are y'all attending SmallSat this year? the Kubos team would love to meet up if so :))

Sadly no.

But if you attend the ARRL/TAPR DCC conference there will be a four hour workshop on SatNOGS for the Sunday Seminar. :)

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#68

Post by elkos » Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 11:41 PM UTC

tectonic wrote: post #39

elkos wrote: post #31

If you are interested in open-source licenced Cubesat hardware, software and low earth orbit communications feel free to check out Libre Space Foundation https://libre.space Feel also free to check our repositories at Gitlab. https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation

We're big fans!

Thanks. We try our best. Input and and code are much appreciated.

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#69

Post by wickedlasers » Thu, Aug 01, 2019, 8:42 AM UTC

asdfman123 wrote: post #17

Now I want to build a CubeSat that will point a laser pointer at different population centers as it passes around the earth. E.g. this pass of North America you choose LA, then NYC, then Houston, then Chicago... so you can see it streak by in the sky. My rough estimation is you could create a spot 2 miles across with a standard laser pointer at 400 miles high. Maybe you could use a different kind that would have a li…

Maybe check out the lasercube for a laser you can program https://wickedlasers.com/cube

Re: So, you want to build a CubeSat?

#70

Post by JetSpiegel » Thu, Aug 01, 2019, 2:09 PM UTC

iyn wrote: post #7

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Not sure why they don't advertise the RSS Feed:

https://orbitalindex.com/feed.xml