UKube-1
The UK's miniature space tech pioneer.
Artist's impression of UKube-1.
Credit: Clydespace
The UK Space Agency’s pilot programme to design and launch a CubeSat - a miniature cube-shaped satellite that will allow the UK to test cutting-edge new technologies in space - is now well underway. In December 2010 the payload competition for the pilot mission, UKube-1, stimulated more than 20 high quality proposals from UK industry and academia, and from these the Space Agency selected 7 excellent proposals for further development. In March 2011 four payloads were finally selected to fly on UKube-1. These will be integrated onto the spacecraft, which measures just 10cm x 10cm x 34cm, by Clyde Space. In addition UKube-1 will fly FunCube, an educational payload provided by AMSAT-UK, with the goal of enthusing and education young people about space, electronics, physics and radio.
View the payload summaries.
UKube-1 is the pathfinder mission for a national cubesat programme of one mission a year.
It is envisaged that the national CubeSat programme will not only increase the UK’s ability to market new space technologies; it will also provide hands-on, real-time training and research opportunities for the next generation of space engineers and scientists, at relatively low-cost and within a short timescale.
UKube-1 is an exciting and novel collaboration between the UK Space Agency, industry and academia. The funding partners for UKube-1 are the UK Space Agency, the Technology Strategy Board and STFC. The spacecraft is being developed through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with innovative Scottish company Clyde Space and the University of Strathclyde, supported with internal funding from Clyde Space. The UK’s largest space company, EADS Astrium Ltd, is providing engineering and programme management support to the Agency for the pilot programme. UK industry and academia are providing the payloads and the ground support operations.
UKube-1 is a fast programme, provisionally scheduled for launch as an auxiliary passenger on a launch vehicle in 2012. The Agency is in negotiations with launch brokers and the optimum launch vehicle will be selected shortly.
UK Space Agency to launch Britain's first CubeSat - Press release.
UK space company involvement
The following companies are involved with UKube-1.The UK Space Directory is a useful resource for contact details.
Steepest Ascent
Steepest Ascent is providing the onboard computing capabilities to the UKube platform as well as contributing its extensive software design and systems integration experience. The Steepest Ascent Mission Interface Computer (SA-MIC) provides next generation onboard computing capability to the UKube platform. The SA-MIC supports all Telemetry and Telecommand processing, Platform operations, as well as providing onboard mass storage allowing data from the multiple payload units to be stored centrally before downlink to the ground. The SA-MIC will also demonstrate the feasibility of updating the main processing fabric in-flight allowing future novel concepts to be supported such as the re-purposing of an entire platform to a new mission.
Isotron
Isotron is well known in the space industry as a provider of radiation testing services for electronics and materials for use on satellites. They have a range of irradiation facilities, covering total dose, electron and proton environments, specialising in fast response testing to meet the short timescales required for many missions. Isotron is providing these services free of charge to payload providers on UKube-1 and will be working to ensure that their equipment will survive the harsh environment expected in orbit.
Xilinx
Xilinx Virtex(R) FPGAs are in high demand for space applications, due primarily to their very large capacity for signal processing and their in-flight re-programmability. UKube-1 provides an excellent vehicle for Astrium to thoroughly test Virtex FPGAs in space and validate their use for future missions.
DS SolidWorks Corp.
DS SolidWorks Corp. is proud to sponsor any student team that competes in any design competition by providing free software to each team member.
Invotec Group
Invotec Group is one Europe's leading independent manufacturer of time critical, high technology printed circuit boards. Their financial, human and technological resources make them a leading player in the production of sophisticated PCBs, and position them as an extension to their customers' engineering, design, manufacturing and logistics operations.
