6U CubeSat model

Initial design and analysis have been conducted for a 6U CubeSat with the goal to rendezvous with the already existing Orbiting Aerosol Observatory, capture, and deorbit it before it adds to the growing space debris predicament that the scientific community is now facing. The Removing Orbiting Aerosol Observatory (ROAO) will be carrying an electrodynamic tether tape on board in order to successfully execute this mission. This paper seeks to define subsystem characteristics and setup usingsoftware and simulations such as Systems Tool Kit, MATLAB, and SolidWorks, which help model the satellite’s projected trajectory, structural and thermal properties, and detumbling method. Many of the components used come from already existing, off-the-shelf products due to their reliability and previous flight heritage. Test plans and a budget sheet were then created to keep track of the costs throughout the mission.