Description

The PowerCube is a 1U CubeSat module that provides integrated propulsion, power, and precision pointing to enable the low-cost CubeSat platform to be used to conduct high-performance missions. The PowerCube concept integrates three innovative component technologies to provide these capabilities: First, a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water-electrolysis fuel cell supplies gH2/gO2 to a simple pressure-fed thruster to provide 300 Ns of impulse per 100 mL of water. This approach enables the CubeSat to launch with 'inert' propellant to comply with P-POD limitations on stored energy and then process the water on-orbit into high-Isp fuel. Second, a deployable solar array that stows along the long sides of the CubeSat and deploys in a 'windmill' configuration provides up to 96 W peak. Third, a 3DOF 'carpal-wrist' gimbal, in conjunction with magnetic torque coils, enables sun-tracking of the solar panel, vectoring of the thruster, and precision pointing of payloads. The combination of ample power and water electrolysis will provide up to 6 m/s of delta-V per 90 minute orbit for a 3U CubeSat. Compared to other CubeSat propulsion technologies, the PowerCube thruster will enable more rapid orbital maneuvering and significantly lower contamination issues. Our Phase I effort developed a detailed baseline design for the PowerCube, and built and tested a proof-of-concept prototype of the water-electrolysis thruster. The Phase II effort will mature the electrolysis thruster component to the engineering model level, develop and simulate methods for attitude control and precise pointing of both panels and payloads using the gimbal and torque coils, and develop a detailed design for the entire PowerCube module to enable flight validation in follow-on Phase III efforts.

General Information

• This data is described at

  http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/powercube-integrated-power-propulsion-and-pointing-for-cubesats-project-7eb83 Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data is published by

  National Aeronautics and Space Administration Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

Legal Information

• The rights statement is at

  http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/powercube-integrated-power-propulsion-and-pointing-for-cubesats-project-7eb83 Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• Outside the US, this data is available under

  Creative Commons CCZero Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• There are

  yes, and the rights are all held by the same person or organisation Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The content is available under

  Creative Commons CCZero Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The rights statement includes data about

  its data licence Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data contains

  no data about individuals Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

Practical Information

• The data appears in this collection

  http://catalog.data.gov/organization/nasa-gov Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The accuracy or relevance of this data will

  go out of date but it is timestamped Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The data is

  backed up offsite Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

Technical Information

• This data is published at

  http://techport.nasa.gov/xml-api/9405 Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• This data is

  machine-readable Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The format of this data is

  a standard open format Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

Social Information

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  title Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  description Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  identifier Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  landing page Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  publisher Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  keyword(s) or tag(s) Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  distribution(s) Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  release date Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  modification date Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  temporal coverage Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation includes machine-readable data for

  language Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  release date Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  a URL to access the data Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  a URL to download the dataset Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• The documentation about each distribution includes machine-readable data for

  type of download media Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• Find out how to contact someone about this data at

  http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/powercube-integrated-power-propulsion-and-pointing-for-cubesats-project-7eb83 Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know

• Find out how to suggest improvements to publication at

  http://www.data.gov/issue/?media_url=http://catalog.data.gov/dataset/powercube-integrated-power-propulsion-and-pointing-for-cubesats-project-7eb83 Do you think this data is incorrect? Let us know