Communications Module

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the NEUDOSE hardware series! This week’s hardware post is focusing on the communications module, which can be seen in images 1 and 2. Keep reading to learn more about this hardware! 

Q: What is the Communications Module?

A: The communications module is the radio onboard the NEUDOSE CubeSat mission. The module contains two independent radio systems; one for uplink (receiving commands on the satellite) and another for downlink (transmitting data out of the satellite). This module works in a full-duplex mode meaning we can transmit and receive information at the same time.

Q: What is the Communications Module used for?

A: The communications module is what allows us to talk with the NEUDOSE CubeSat while in orbit.  It has three key objectives during the mission:

1. the reception of telecommands (i.e. operational commands) onboard the satellite as it travels 400km+ overhead,

2. obtaining vital telemetry and subsystem health information to inform ground-based operators on the satellite status, and

3. relaying the scientific data generated by the payload to the ground for further analysis.

Q: What are the improvements since the last version?

A: Since the last revision, the communications module has undergone a major design overhaul. Many aspects of the design required an upgrade or modification to meet the capabilities of the NEUDOSE mission. An upgrade to the radio frequency (RF) front-end has led to improved signal quality, strength and efficiency. The digital systems, such as the microcontroller and sensors, have been modified to handle mission tasks. This revision strikes a balance between performance and efficiency, and the ability to do more with less is at the heart of each design choice.

Q: What progress have we made during quarantine?

A: Since quarantine began, the team has fabricated and manufactured the latest revision (rev 3.0). The module is currently undergoing testing, software development, and fine-tuning to ensure each component works as intended. The lessons learned from rev 3.0 have allowed us to develop our next and hopefully final revision, rev 3.1. The next revision aims to improve the subsystem design flaws and manufacturability for flight-ready hardware.

Payload Data Acquisition Module (DAM)

Welcome to the new NEUDOSE hardware series! Over the coming weeks we’ll be introducing you to the essential NEUDOSE hardware we use, what it does, and how it works. This week’s hardware post is focusing on the payload team’s Data Acquisition module (DAM), which can be seen on image 2. In Image 3, the DAM is the blue PCB located underneath the Payload assembly. Keep reading to learn more about this hardware! 

Q: What is the DAM?

A: The Data Acquisition Module (or DAM for short) is the brain of the payload on NEUDOSE. It controls and monitors all electronic components and instruments in the Payload section of the CubeSat. The DAM is mounted at the bottom of the Charged and Neutral Particle Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (CNP-TEPC), and interfaces with the Pressure Vessel, Anti Coincidence Detector (ACD) as well as the rest of the satellite.

Q: What is the DAM used for?

A: The DAM is responsible for reading data from the Charged and Neutral Particle Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (CNP-TEPC), Anti Coincidence Detector, and monitoring the status of several sensors throughout the payload subsystem. The DAM reads the data obtained from each sensor and instrument, processes this data, and then communicates this data to the rest of the satellite. In addition to the reading and transmitting data, the DAM is also responsible for converting and distributing power to each of the electrical components in the payload subsystem.

The DAM also has firmware uploaded in order to detect and differentiate particle interactions based on the signals sent from the ACD (anti coincidence detector) and TEPC (tissue equivalent proportional counter) instruments.

The History of Satellites: Archaeoastronomy and Modern Space Research

The quest for scientific innovation has constantly accompanied human development and cultural changes. In this pursuit for knowledge, space and astronomy have always been subjects that held important cultural significance and motivated researchers. Although this field of research is still incredibly relevant and constantly evolving, the history of space and astronomy is also fascinating to examine. By examining the history of astronomy, and satellites, the development of modern technology and the cultural significance of space exploration can be fully understood. 

The field of archaeoastronomy is dedicated to the study of ancient astronomical concepts and understandings in the cultural context of ancient people and cultures. It also examines the importance of astronomy and celestial features/ events to cultures and civilizations. Archaeoastronomers often examine the ancient sky over multiple distinct time periods, such as prehistoric, ancient Babylonian, China, Egypt, Greeks, heavenly spheres, Ptolemaic Cosmos, and the Jain universe. Some common areas of focus are the medieval sky, which includes Islamic astronomy, European astronomy, celestial phenomena, and Mesoamerica. 

The scientific revolution and its influence on our astronomical and scientific understandings can be seen everywhere in our modern technology and scientific pursuit. For all of us here at NEUDOSE, looking at how satellites and their impact on culture is an essential key to completing our satellite. The Space Race and pursuit of extraterrestrial knowledge has inspired cultural shifts and technological advancement, and the development of satellites has been no exception to this trend. By understanding the history of satellites, a thorough understanding of the incredible developments that have led to modern technology and astronomy can be achieved. 

Satellites are objects in space which orbit around a larger object, but they can be natural (such as the moon orbiting Earth) or man-made, such as our project. Artificial satellites were developed in the mid-20th century, with Sputnik being the first. This was a satellite launched by the soviet union, which was an approximately beach ball sized space probe that lifted off on October 4th, 1957. Following Sputnik,  Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3rd; this satellite was larger, and carried a dog. 

The Space Race had begun with the launch of the Sputnik satellites, which was shortly followed by Explorer 1, the United States’ first satellite. Although merely 2% the mass of Sputnik, this was the onset of satellites being used as a political tool. Different countries had varying focuses, with the USA focused on the Moon landing and space shuttle, which the Soviet Union created the world’s first space station. Other countries began sending their own satellites into space, which had a significant impact on everyday life.

Weather satellites improved forecasting, land-watching satellites tracked changes on Earth’s surface, telecommunications satellites led to long-distance phone calls and live television broadcasts, and this ultimately improved internet connections. Satellites have become an essential scientific tool, both in space and on Earth. These developments went hand-in-hand with the increasingly smaller computers and hardwares, which are often implemented as “CubeSats”. CubeSats are cube-shaped satellites which populate low orbit, and can go on rockets with bigger payloads, or are sent from mobile launches on the ISS. McMaster NEUDOSE is funded by the Canadian Space Agency Grant of the Canadian CubeSat Project, showing how this technology is commonly implemented for scientific development and research. 

“Per aspera ad astra”- through hardship to the stars. By studying the past of astronomy and science, we can gain a fuller understanding of the cultural significance and changes in the field of astronomy. The recent history of satellites, while not nearly as broad or ancient as Archaeoastronomy studies, illustrates the benefit of understanding how innovative development has led to our current position in science and astronomy.

Space Medicine and its Importance in Space Exploration

Space exploration is an incredible achievement which may include manned missions to outer space. On these missions, it is important to keep the health of astronauts in top shape as they are performing crucial tasks for space discovery. Space medicine is the field that focuses on keeping humans safe and healthy during space missions. It strives to maintain the overall well-being of astronauts using interdisciplinary knowledge in medicine, psychology, and more. It deals with the physical, mental, and social aspects of health.

Being in space subjects astronauts to extreme low-gravity conditions. This impacts bodily functions, including those that affect cardiopulmonary, muscle-related, bone-related, neurological, and immunological processes. One of the many changes that can stem from this is firstly a difference in coordination. The varying gravity conditions between Earth and space can make astronauts feel unbalanced or experience motion sickness. An example of a change in bone function is the loss of minerals due to a lack of gravity. Another issue is fluid flowing to the head and increasing ocular pressure. Overall, astronauts must pay close attention to their health with onboard equipment as they are far away from the help of doctors on Earth.

Another large barrier in space exploration is space radiation and its impacts on human health. On Earth, humans are protected from space radiation. However, in space, three types of ionizing radiation can harm the human body with much higher doses than those received on Earth, even when compared to getting an x-ray. This includes Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR), particles from the sun or from solar flares, and radiation trapped in the Earth’s field. This radiation is highly detrimental to astronauts; short term symptoms may include nausea or blood changes, but long term effects can cause dangerous outcomes such as cancer and infertility. This makes space radiation a large factor to consider when sending manned space missions.

The mental health of astronauts is also important to consider. Confinement and isolation far from Earth, in addition to missing loved ones, can have large impacts on astronauts. The study of psychology can help treat anxiety or loneliness in astronauts, helping them build resiliency in space environments.

The McMaster NEUDOSE team also wants to make an impact on astronaut health and space medicine. With this project and the Charged & Neutral Particle Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (CNP-TEPC), NEUDOSE aims to make space travel safer by assessing space radiation in low orbit. The CNP-TEPC does this by simulating the human cell to observe the radiation on the payload. This will help us further understand space medicine and how to keep astronauts safe in future manned missions.

Canadian Contributions to Space Discovery

Space exploration is an ever-evolving field in which new technology and discoveries are constantly being made. From complex robotic devices to supporting the health of astronauts, Canadian teams have played a pivotal role through science, innovation, and leadership excellence. With the recent celebration of Canada Day, the NEUDOSE team would like to take a moment and recognize the amazing contributions of Canadians to the field of space exploration. 

The most famous are the Canadarm and Canadarm2, a series of robotic arms that perform a variety of tasks including the maintenance of the Internation Space Station (ISS), the grappling of various vehicles or objects, or the moving of astronauts. Canadarm2, launched in 2001, was used to build the ISS and is still employed there today. Dextre, another robot, also helps to maintain the ISS. Containing cameras, wrenches, lights, and high movement abilities, it is one of the most complex robots in space history. It also continues to service the ISS to this day since it’s launch in 2008.

Other than robots, there are many Canadian contributions that play an important role in astronaut health and safety. The Bio-Analyser, Bio-Monitor, and MicroPREP technologies come to mind. Bio-Analyser is an on-board test device for saliva, blood, and other substances for astronauts. MicroPREP is similar in that it can also analyse an astronaut’s health by centrifuging blood in the low-gravity conditions of space. Due to the compact size of both, their ability to be used on-board provides a quicker way to assess the health of humans in space. The Bio-Monitor additionally introduces wearable technology to track astronauts’ vital signs, again providing another way to ensure astronaut safety.

With the recent launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, we would like to recognize Canadian scientist Dr. Chris Herd’s contribution to the mission. Selected by NASA, Dr. Herd is a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Alberta who will be studying the scientific data and geological discoveries of the rover.

Like all the hard-working Canadians who have contributed to space exploration, the McMaster NEUDOSE team also hopes to make an impact with its CubeSat project. Similar to some of the aforementioned projects, NEUDOSE hopes to understand the effects of radiation on the human body to help better inform decisions regarding long-term space missions. The Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) aims to track the radiation dose received in low Earth orbit. With this mission, NEUDOSE hopes to contribute to more accurate radiation dosimetry and safer manned space missions.

Operations Team

1. What does operations do?

   Operations manages both the internal and external communications for the NEUDOSE team. The internal and external members all work together to facilitate communications and help to keep the team running smoothly, inside and out!

2. Internal ops 

   The internal operations team is responsible for making sure all communications among the team members is maintained. This includes organizing the recruitment and on-boarding process, keeping documentation on the status of projects and team members, designing logos, team photography, and much more.

3. External ops

   External operations facilitates communication of NEUDOSE activities and announcements to the general public. This includes running social media accounts, attending conferences and events, and promoting the team’s work and opportunities.

   DM or email us with any questions!

Payload Team

1) What does payload do?

The payload team is responsible for the scientific payload of NEUDOSE, which is the Charged and Neutral Particle Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (CNP-TEPC). The CNP-TEPC is an advanced radiation monitoring instrument.

2) What does CNP-TEPC do?

The CNP-TEPC is being developed to separately measure the interaction of charged particles and neutrons in low Earth orbit in real time (for the first time). This is essential to our mission of studying the effects of ionizing radiation on the human body.

3) How it works

The instrument consists of two detector technologies which are combined. This permits for real-time separation of absorbed dose and quality factors from the charged particles and neutrons. The combination of the segmented spherical Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter and the anti-coincidence detectors helps to separate the neutron component of lineal energy which is produced by the charged particles.

DM or email us with any questions!

Mechanical Team

1) What does mechanical do?

The mechanical team is responsible for the design, manufacturing, and testing of the mechanical structure of the satellite, along with the deployment mechanism. It's divided into structural and thermal subsections of the team.

2) Key objectives

1. Manufacturing a reliable structure for all internal and external components

2. Incorporate deployment switches, deployable systems, hardware, and fasteners

3. Integrate with the NRCSD (NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer) and fulfill all CSA and NRCSD requirements for the launch

4. Determine operational temperature and heat management for the satellite

3) Team projects

1. Design a mechanical structure for the payload and hardware which also fulfills the CSA and NRCSD requirements

2. Organize the location and mounting of solar panels

3. Deployment switches to isolate the satellite battery system before flight

4. Analysis and validation for all potential mechanical stresses, including vibration and stress stimulations

DM or email us with any questions!

Command & Data Handling Team

1) What’s CDH?

The command and data handling team is essentially the brain of our satellite here at NEUDOSE. CDH communicates with all systems to maintain satellite health, send commands to other systems, and ensure everything runs smoothly.

2) The Hardware

The CDH hardware consists of the purchased on-board computer (OBC), a custom interface board, and the secondary on-board computer (SOBC). The secondary on-board computer (as seen on the next slide) was designed from scratch by the CDH team. The SOBC is a secondary payload after the radiation detector.

3) The Software

Software used by the CDH team includes the core flight software (CFS) developed by NASA. CFS is being used to develop applications to fulfill CDH's requirements and operate the satellite successfully.

DM or email us with any questions!

Space From Your Place

We will be hosting a series of 3 live online lectures hosted by our members! These lectures will explore topics of space and space exploration, especially as it pertains to students. They will be occurring April 9, 10, and 11th at 7-8pm. Each event will be followed by a 15-20 minute Q&A session. Follow our Facebook update to stay up to date on all the details.

Click the link on events below to learn more about the event, speaker, and their background.

SCHEDULE:

Thursday April 9: Astronomy Through the Ages with Devin Burke

Friday April 10: Space, Students, and SBX with Paula Bosca

Saturday April 11: Introduction to Satellite Communication with Aaron Pitcher

Zoom links to the lectures will be posted in an update soon! Recordings of the events will be uploaded to a video streaming site afterward.

We hope to see you there!