Project:HackSat One

Flux has pledged for a Kicksat satellite dev kit. It's due in May 2012.

First Steps

• Get some MSP430 experience. Several people in the space have mentioned having boards.
  • We have at least 3 MSP430 devkits in the space, The toolchain is a bit icky tho, but I think we have enough incentive to fix that now.
• Run some MSP430 workshops
• Get MSP430 book (already bought - should be in the space shortly)

The Hardware

We don't get to design the hardware on this mission, just program it.

• controller: TI CC430, MSP430 core with a radio: http://www.ti.com/product/cc430f6137
• sensors: temperature + one other TBC (KickSat are taking suggestions)
• radio: we can transmit what and when we like (subject to solar power) but data rate is only a few bits per second

"For sensors, basically they have to be packaged in a tiny SMT chip and not use too much power (no more than a few mW). We don't have a list yet, but one example of something that would work is this magnetometer: http://dlnmh9ip6v2uc.cloudfront.net/datasheets/Sensors/Magneto/HMC5883L-FDS.pdf"

The Orbit

"While we don't know the orbit, we're aiming for a circular low altitude LEO - around 300 km. altitude. That would mean a roughly 90 minute orbit with several daylight passes per day (usually 3 or 4 over any given location). Each pass would be somewhere around 5 minutes long."

Payload

See the payload page for ideas.

Ground Station

See Hoxton Space Centre.

Resources

• MSP430 on TI site.
• MSP430 dev kit (Farnell)
• MSP430 getting started workshop