Artemis CubeSat Kit
A low-cost CubeSat kit and an undergraduate spacecraft design course built around it, developed at HSFL to put real small-satellite hardware within reach of students.
The goal of this project is to create a foundational enabler in the form of a low-cost CubeSat kit and develop an undergraduate course that transitions into an online course in the public domain. The objective of Phase 1 is to develop a kit that contains all subsystems of a fully functioning passive small satellite, or smallsat, with a target price of less than 5,000 USD.
The hardware components are designed to be the most basic functionality of a small spacecraft, with basic science tutorials based upon lunar science, raising awareness of the NASA Artemis missions. Electrical and digital interfaces follow the CubeSat Kit Bus (CSKB) to allow easy connection to an attitude control system, additional science payloads, or propulsion components. The complete kit includes the software to receive and command telemetry, visualize data, and develop software.
At a glance
Key facts
The kit
Everything a working satellite needs
Onboard computing
A flight computer, with a Teensy 4.1 as low-level controller and a Raspberry Pi Zero.
Radio communication
Send commands and receive telemetry from the ground.
Dynamic sensors
Rudimentary sensors for the satellite's motion and attitude.
Infrared camera
A basic IR camera for imaging experiments.
Electrical power system
Power generation, storage and distribution for every subsystem.
Ground software
Receive and command telemetry, visualize data, and develop software.
The course
From theory to hardware
An online spacecraft design lab course is developed around the kit in Phase 2. As the hardware platform is a CubeSat, the lectures focus on the nuances of smallsat design and capabilities, a topic not typically taught, and a spacecraft lab course is extremely rare.
By tying the theoretical curriculum directly to hardware, students truly ingrain what they learn in a conventional classroom. The project shows that smallsats are within the realm of an undergraduate education, and the course is being developed into a national online course in the public domain.
Today
Get in touch
Questions about the kit
Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory
HSFL owns version 1 of the Artemis CubeSat Kit and can answer questions about its details.
artemis@hsfl.hawaii.eduBuying a kit
Mahina Aerospace
The primary distributor of the Artemis CubeSat Kit.
info@mahinaaerospace.com
Resources
Links to begin your Artemis CubeSat Kit
Getting started
University Nanosat Program
In use
Where the kit has been used
STEMWorks Design Challenge
HSFL collaborated with STEMWorks on a design challenge for middle and high school students from the State of Hawaiʻi, with final presentations in March 2021.
People
Artemis team and alumni
- Frances ZhuAssistant Researcher
- Miguel NunesDirector, Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory
- Yosef Ben GershomOperations Manager, HSFL; Affiliate Faculty, HIGP
- Amber Imai-HongFormer staff
- Jharrell SimSatellite Avionics Engineer
- Riley TerryVolunteer, Payload Lead
- Skyler Konno
- Kevin Williams
- Kasey HagiSoftware Mentor
- Chris AmendolaFormer graduate student
- Mitchell Mastumori-KellySoftware Intern
