Husky Satellite Lab Missions

HuskySat-1link

The HuskySat-1 (HS-1) is a 3U CubeSat designed, built, and tested by the Husky Satellite Lab. HS-1's goal was to test two experimental payloads, a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT), and a high-frequency K-band communication system, as well as hosting an Amateur Radio Linear Transponder.

HS-1 was developed by an interdisciplinary team at the University of Washington. It was aboard NASA's Cygnus NG-12 when it launched on November 2, 2019, and was deployed into Low Earth Orbit on January 31, 2020 to become the first amateur, student-built satellite from Washington state.

This CubeSat demonstrated the capabilities of new technologies being developed at the University of Washington and expanded the capabilities of CubeSats as a whole. In particular, the PPT and high-gain communications system formed the core technology suite on board the satellite. The HS-1 also flew a newly developed amateur radio linear transponder developed by AMSAT, aimed at contributing to the worldwide communication networks built and operated by ham radio enthusiasts.

Status: Complete

Mission Type 3U CubeSat
Launch Date October 10th, 2019
Deployment Date January 31st, 2020
Deployment Location Low Earth Orbit
Mission Completion Date June 1st, 2020

PHAT-1link

While satellite launches are the ultimate goal of HSL, sometimes results are needed in a more immediate (or at least more cost-effective) method. To accomplish this, we created our first Platform for High Altitude Testing (PHAT-1) in the 2018-19 school year. This allowed the team to improve on and experiment with the technology used in the HuskySat-1 mission, as well as try out new techniques for future missions.

The PHAT-1 mission consisted of two parts: a system bus, containing mission hardware, and a payload section, both of which hung below a high altitude balloon. The balloon was then launched to ~90,000 feet. Components on the bus included main power, data logging, and controls, as well as a GPS, magnetometer, and altimeter. The payload section consisted of a camera, pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) and deployable langmuir probe.

Unfortunately, not long after reaching its operational altitude, contact with the PHAT-1 was lost. Flight trajectory puts the landing point in the middle of a reservoir near the launch site, so the onboard data was never recovered.

Still, the mission provided useful insight for future missions. The development of the PPT led to a new ignitor/charge board design that is more compact than that used in HuskySat-1's PPT. The mission opened up new ideas for computational software, and the lack of recovery reinforced the need for effective and efficient radio transmission.

Status: Complete

Mission Type High-Altitude Balloon
Launch Date June 1st, 2019
Launch Altitude ~90,000 feet
Deployment Location Moses Lake, WA
Mission Completion Date June 1st, 2019

HuskySat-2link

HuskySat-2 (HS-2) is a CubeSat currently under development, funded by the University Nanosatellite Program. It will be a technology demonstrator for cislunar and deep space navigation, featuring multiple in-house developed open-source systems including:

  • LOST: Open-source Star Tracker. Extensively optimized to run on low-powered hardware, this piece of software identifies on-camera constellations to determine which way the satellite is pointing. It provides a free and publicly available alternative to expensive and proprietary solutions.
  • FOUND: Open-source Universal Navigation Determiner. This custom-designed system precisely calculates the satellite's orbital trajectory by using a clever algorithm to analyze pictures of the Earth.
  • GOOD: Open-source Orientation Driver. A set of four motorized reaction wheels arranged in a pyramidal shape. Harnesses the power of Newton's third law and conservation of momentum to control the cubesat's orientation with pinpoint precision. To rotate the satellite in one direction, the reaction wheels are spun in the opposite direction.
  • LUCK Utilizing CO2 Kicker. A propulsion system with the purpose of providing sufficient maneuvering capacity to reduce a CubeSat's orbit from the Lunar Gateway Station's Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) down to a lower science orbit around the moon suitable for HuskySat-3.

These subsystems (and more!) will be open source and publicly accessible. We hope these efforts will lower the cost of entry for cubesat builders around the globe. These technologies will be utilized in HuskySat-3, a future moon orbiting CubeSat that will map lunar lava tube cave systems using ground penetrating radar.

Status: In Progress

Mission Type CubeSat
Launch Date ~2028
Deployment Location Low Earth Orbit

HuskySat-3link

The HuskySat-3 (HS-3) is the final satellite in the HuskySat mission journey, and its scientific objective is to map lava caves under the moon's surface using a Ground Penetrating Radar. HS-3 will likely be a 6U or 12U CubeSat that will enter a Gateway orbit (a Near-Rectilinear-Orbit around the moon). Currently, the launch date for HS-3 is unknown as the Gateway Station hasn't been established yet.

HS-3 will be Husky Satellite Lab's most ground-breaking satellite, featuring many in-house developed subsystems such as Reaction Wheels, Solar Panels, Propulsion, Flight Computer, Communications, and much more. Furthermore, our bleeding-edge software (LOST & FOUND) will be onboard HS-3 to provide autonomous decision-making capabilities and orbital parameters. All subsystems onboard HS-3 will be put on HS2 for preliminary and space-readiness testing.

All in-house developed hardware and software on HS-3 will be open-source and publicly accessible! We hope that HS-3 success will lay the groundwork for many more future deep-space missions at lower costs and with shorter development timelines. After HS-3, the Husky Satellite Lab will initiate various new missions for different research purposes and objectives.

Status: Planning Phase

Mission Type CubeSat
Launch Date 2030s
Deployment Location Lunar Orbit

PHAT-3link

PHAT-3 (Platform for High Altitude Testing) will be Husky Satellite Lab's second high-altitude mission.

A helium balloon will lift our CubeSat-style payload to an altitude of 27,000 meters (90,000 ft) where the thin air can be as cold as -50°C. An adaptive resistive thermal management system will warm the onboard battery, atmospheric sensors, and cameras.

As the balloon rises external atmospheric pressure will decrease causing the balloon to expand until it pops at its peak altitude, just a few hours after launch. From there, a parachute attached to the payload will passively unfurl, gently carrying it to the ground.

Onboard radios will continuously transmit sensor readings and GPS coordinates to the ground, guiding us as we drive from the launch site to the predicted landing location hundreds of kilometers away.

This project will allow us to practice skills like PCB design, electrical engineering, radio operation, and firmware programming. As a bonus, we'll collect high-definition high-altitude footage and fine-grained atmospheric data.

Status: In Progress

Mission Type High-Altitude Balloon
Launch Date Planned for 2025
Target Altitude ~90,000 feet
Deployment Location Eastern Washington