Your Selfie From Space: How to Build and Launch Your Own Satellite

Have you ever dreamed of taking a selfie from space? Well, thanks to a new custom-built satellite called SATGUS, that dream is about to become a reality. This satellite has been designed with the sole purpose of capturing your selfie from orbit, with the Earth as the ultimate photo-bomber.

In this post, we’ll take you through the entire process of building and launching your own satellite, using the development of SATGUS as a real-world example. From the initial design to the final launch, you’ll learn the key steps involved in turning your space exploration dreams into reality.

Step 1: Design Your Satellite in CAD

The first step in building a satellite is to design it digitally using computer-aided design (CAD) software. This allows you to visualize the final product and make important design decisions about the placement of components.

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For SATGUS, the team opted to use a CubeSat design – a standardized satellite format that is much more affordable than a custom build. CubeSats come in various sizes, from the smallest 1U (about the size of a Rubik’s cube) to the larger 12U. SATGUS is a 12U CubeSat, providing ample room for the necessary hardware and the unique payload.

The key components of SATGUS include:

Payload: A Google Pixel phone and a space-hardened camera, designed to capture your selfie from orbit and beam it back to Earth.
Power: Two fixed solar panels that charge 120 Wh batteries, providing enough power to charge your phone nine times per 90-minute orbit.
Attitude Control: Three reaction wheels and three torque rods, allowing the satellite to precisely orient itself in any direction without the need for thrusters or propellers.
Navigation: A GPS, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and star trackers to determine the satellite’s location and orientation.
Communication: Two radios – a UHF for basic commands and telemetry, and an S-band for transmitting the high-data selfie images.
Flight Computer: The “brain” of the satellite, processing data from the sensors and controlling the various systems.

Step 2: Analyze Your Design for the Harsh Realities of Space

Before you can start building your satellite, you need to ensure it can withstand the extreme conditions of the space environment. There are four main ways that space tries to “kill” your creation, and you need to address each one in your design.

Vibration: The powerful rocket launch can shake your satellite apart if its components have the same resonant frequency as the launch vehicle. To prevent this, you’ll use finite element analysis to model the satellite’s structure and identify any potential resonance issues.
Temperature Extremes: In the vacuum of space, your satellite will experience dramatic temperature swings, from scorching hot in direct sunlight to freezing cold in the shade. Careful thermal modeling and the use of heaters, insulation, and radiators are crucial to maintain the optimal operating temperatures.
Radiation: The harsh radiation environment of space can damage sensitive electronics. By calculating the necessary shielding thickness and using radiation-hardened components, you can protect your satellite from this threat.
Vacuum: The lack of air pressure in space can cause materials to expand or release gases, potentially damaging your satellite. Thorough testing in a vacuum chamber is essential to identify and mitigate any such issues.

For SATGUS, the team partnered with experts like Schott for radiation-resistant glass and REDWIRE for the space-hardened camera to ensure the satellite could withstand the rigors of the space environment.

Step 3: Assemble Your Satellite

With the design complete and the analysis done, it’s time to start building your satellite. This is where the fun really begins! For SATGUS, the team put together a 15-second build montage, showcasing the assembly process.

Once the hardware is assembled, it’s crucial to run a full suite of tests to ensure everything is working as intended. This includes deploying the solar panels, testing the camera and screen, and running a complete selfie upload and transmission simulation.

SATGUS has a redundant backup system, with two screens and two cameras, just in case the primary components fail during the mission. This level of redundancy is common in space hardware design, as you can’t exactly send someone up to fix it if something goes wrong.

Step 4: Shake and Bake Your Satellite

Before your satellite can be launched, it needs to undergo rigorous testing to simulate the harsh conditions it will face during launch and in orbit. This “shake and bake” process involves subjecting the satellite to intense vibrations and extreme temperature cycles.

For the “shake” part, SATGUS is attached to a shake table and subjected to vibrations that are even more intense than what it will experience during the rocket launch. This ensures that any potential resonance issues or loose components are identified and addressed.

The “bake” part involves placing the satellite in a vacuum oven and cycling it through the expected temperature extremes of space, from scorching hot to freezing cold. This verifies that the thermal management systems are working as designed and that the satellite can withstand the temperature swings.

Once the satellite has passed these tests, it’s ready to be loaded into its launch dispenser and prepared for the final step: the launch.

Step 5: Launch Your Satellite to Space

For SATGUS, the launch will take place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Vandenberg is an ideal launch site for this mission, as it allows the satellite to be placed in an orbit that provides full coverage of the Earth’s surface.

The Falcon 9 rocket is a popular choice for small satellite launches due to its affordability and reusability. The rocket’s first stage will separate and return to Earth, where it can be refurbished and used for another launch, helping to keep costs down.

During the launch, SATGUS will be one of many small satellites hitching a ride to orbit, all contained within the rocket’s fairing (the nose cone). After the rocket reaches its target altitude and speed, the fairing will split open, exposing the satellites to be deployed one by one.

Step 6: Operate Your Satellite in Space

Once SATGUS is deployed from the Falcon 9, it will begin its mission of capturing your selfie from space. After a successful deployment, the satellite will unfurl its solar panels and activate its camera and screen systems.

The team will be closely monitoring SATGUS from their mission control room, ensuring that all systems are functioning as expected. After a few weeks of in-orbit testing, the satellite will be ready to start taking selfies.

When you submit your selfie at spaceselfie.com, SATGUS will capture your image as it passes over your location, with the Earth as the backdrop. You’ll even be able to go outside and wave at the satellite as it takes your picture!

The selfies captured by SATGUS will be beamed back to Earth and made available for you to download and share. And as a special bonus, everyone who submits a selfie will receive a free mission patch in the mail, as well as a chance to attend the launch event in California.

But SATGUS’s mission won’t last forever. Due to the nature of its orbit, the satellite will eventually re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, burning up in a spectacular display. This is an inevitable fate for most satellites, as the increasing air resistance slows them down and causes them to fall back to Earth.

Explore the Wonders of Space with CrunchLabs

Building and launching a satellite may seem like a daunting task, but with the right resources and guidance, it’s a dream that can become a reality. And if you’re not quite ready to take on a full-scale satellite project, there are other ways to explore the wonders of space and learn valuable engineering skills.

The team behind SATGUS has created CrunchLabs, a company that offers educational kits and experiences to help people of all ages dive into the world of science, technology, and engineering.

For kids, the CrunchLabs Build Box provides hands-on kits that teach the principles behind the technologies used in SATGUS, such as flywheels and reaction wheels for attitude control. These kits are designed to be fun and engaging, sparking a love for STEM subjects.

And for teens and adults, the CrunchLabs Hack Pack takes things to the next level. These programmable robot kits allow you to build, code, and customize your own creations, learning valuable skills that could one day be applied to building your own satellite or other space-bound projects.

As an added bonus, every CrunchLabs Hack Pack has a chance to contain the “Platinum Diploma,” which means the recipient can receive free college tuition. So not only will you be learning and building amazing things, but you could also be setting yourself up for a brighter future.

Get Your Space Selfie and Support the Next Generation of Space Explorers

The opportunity to take a selfie from space is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. By visiting spaceselfie.com and submitting your photo, you can be a part of this historic mission and receive your very own space-captured selfie.

But the impact of SATGUS goes beyond just taking cool pictures. By supporting this project, you’re also helping to inspire the next generation of space enthusiasts, engineers, and problem-solvers. A portion of the proceeds from the space selfie program will go towards funding the CrunchLabs educational kits, ensuring that more young minds can explore the wonders of space and technology.

So, what are you waiting for? Head to spaceselfie.com and submit your selfie today. And while you’re at it, consider checking out the CrunchLabs Build Box or CrunchLabs Hack Pack to start your own journey into the world of space exploration and engineering. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be the one designing and launching your own satellite to capture selfies from the final frontier.