This article was first published by The Conversation. Space.com's Expert voices: Op-Ed and Insights was contributed by the publication.
Ben Hartig PhD Candidate, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University
A SpaceX rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Aug. 28. A small satellite will also be aboard, which represents a huge leap into space for our Western Australian research program.
Our team from Curtin University's Space Science and Technology Centre designed and built the satellite Binar-1, which is named after the Noongar word "fireball".
This name was chosen for two reasons. To acknowledge the Noongar Nation's Wadjuk people and to recognize the connection between our satellite program, Curtin’s Desert Fireball Network and our satellite program. Curtin has been successful in searching for meteorites within the Australian desert.
Related: SpaceX will launch the Dragon cargo ship for NASA in August 28. Follow it online.
Australia's first satellite built from scratch. Image credit: Curtin University
Binar-1, a cubesat, is a small satellite made of 10-centimeter cube-shaped components. Binar-1 is made up of one module. This makes it technically a 1U cubesat.
Its primary objective is to demonstrate that the technology works in space. This will be the first step towards future missions, in which we hope to send cubesats on the moon.
Binar-1 has two cameras. The first is to take photographs of Western Australia from space. This will allow us to test our instruments and capture the imagination of young WA students. Second, we want to image stars. The satellite's orientation will be determined by the star camera, which is a critical capability for future moon missions.
Bespoke build
Our center is the largest group of planetary researchers in the Southern Hemisphere. We also participate in space missions with NASA, the European and Japanese space agencies. Spacecraft are necessary to explore the different planets and other objects in the solar system. However, most countries have not been able to participate in the space age because of the high costs involved in building and launching the technology.
The rise of consumer electronics has resulted in smartphones that are far more powerful than Apollo-era computers. With new launch options, startups and research groups can now afford small satellite launches. The market for "COTS", or consumer-off-the-shelf, satellite components has seen a boom in the last decade.
We began our journey into space, like other Australian research groups with a mission in mind: To build instruments capable of observing flaming meteors from space. We quickly realized that the cost of purchasing satellite hardware for multiple missions was prohibitive.
Then we realized that our research group had an advantage. We had previous experience building space observatories in remote areas such as the Desert Fireball Network. We were able to develop our own satellites thanks to this experience.
The Binar-1 team tested their satellite in a vacuum chamber. Image credit: Curtin University
There are many things that orbital satellites and outback observatories have in common. Both must monitor the sky and work in extreme conditions. Both depend on solar energy and must function independently in space. Just like the desert, nobody can fix things at the last minute. Both experience high vibrations while they travel to their destinations. There is much debate about whether corrugated outback roads or rocket launches make for a bumpier ride.
In 2018, we began building a custom satellite. We built prototype circuit boards, tested them to the limit, and refined our designs with each new version. This took us two and a half years. To simulate different environments, the testing was done in our space environment lab, which has vacuum chambers, liquid nitrogen, and shaker tables.
The International Space Station will allow astronauts to unload Binar-1 from the Japanese Kibo Module and then deploy it from the airlock. The satellite will orbit at approximately 400 km (250 miles) above Earth in a similar orbit. The satellite will soon fall into thicker atmosphere at that altitude because there is enough atmospheric drag.
It will eventually become a fireball like its nameake. If we are very lucky, we may be able to capture images from one of our ground-based observatories. This is expected to occur in 18 months. However, this can change due to many factors such as solar storms. We will continue to gather data for future missions. We have already begun looking at data collection methods as the next satellites enter the atmosphere.
Jam-packed with cubesats
CUAVA-1, which was built under the australasian research council's cubesat program, will launch on the same rocket as Binar-1. Although the satellites will be sharing the same trip to space, their development paths are completely different.
The CUAVA team, as per our original plan, has focused on developing instrument payloads and buying components from Danish and Dutch suppliers.
The satellite was built entirely in-house. This allows us to reduce costs by producing multiple versions of the same product, and also means that we can constantly test and refine our hardware for future missions.
Six more 1U satellites are scheduled for the Binar program. Each represents a step towards our ultimate goal, a lunar mission.
Binar is being tested at the National Space Test Facility. Image credit: Curtin University
Shooting for the Moon
We are currently conducting a feasibility study as part of the Australian government’s Moon to Mars Initiative. This mission will see two CubeSats of six units making close-up observations while in low-altitude lunar orbit.
We expect the mission to launch in 2025, when NASA launches its commercial lunar payload services. There are many opportunities to launch cubesats on the moon before the end of the decade. These questions are part of the feasibility study, and remain confidential for the time being.
Australia will also benefit from shooting for the moon. This is not only a scientifically interesting endeavor. We can develop all of our technology locally, so the Australian space industry is able to stand on its own while reaching for the stars.
This article was republished by The Conversation under Creative Commons. You can read the original article.
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