October Newsletter

Overview

October is a busy period for many university students, with exams and final assessments as well as the end of semester rapidly approaching. PAST members have been balancing study with PAST projects to make for a very successful month, with lots planned for the coming weeks when everyone has finished Semester 2!

ADCS Advancements

Our members have been making significant strides in Attitude Determination, completing a range of exciting projects. The sun sensor was successfully tested with ceramic and rare-earth magnets, and the magnetorquer test board underwent revisions. Additionally, the Arduino test board was able to read data from current sensors, magnetic fields, and angular rates. The first revision of the magnetometer PCB was finalised following extensive testing and calibration. The air-coil mount was also completed, and we’re thrilled to announce that Bill has been elected as our new proxy Division Representative.

Mechanical Progress

Significant progress has been made on the mechanical aspects of the CubeSat. Our Division Representative, Sam, had begun development on the HAB Chassis inspired by Binar’s, tensioning mechanisms, resistors and locking pins were also implemented to designs. Additionally, the deployable solar panels were modified to unlock for testing. The deployable mechanism for STARCOMM was introduced onto the chassis, and the 3D print form request was submitted for the chassis print.

Avionics Developments

Our Avionics division has made excellent progress on projects despite exam commitments. The team has advanced STARCOMM with new antenna simulations and improvements, and GLoBe testing continues, with GNSS data mapping and software support. A recent meeting with GNSS-SPAN technician Amir provided valuable insights for enhancing GLoBe’s GNSS functionality, while Sean redesigned the Pulsar and Quasar PCB layouts. The team also started the FISH schematic for STM32, integrated flight storage connectors, and kept FlatSat on track with 3D-printed components. Battery Management System testing plans are underway, covering charging and capacity. Following the CIRA induction, the team is exploring alternative feed paths and investigating a ground station antenna for the High-Altitude Balloon.

Mission

The Mission division was only formed a couple of months ago but already made outstanding progress towards their high altitude balloon (HAB) project. The second and third HAB meetings were held on the 11th and 25th, where the subsystems for the balloon were reviewed, any concerns were raised and the distribution of tasks amongst other divisions was discussed. A team-wide competition to name the HAB was also held, with a total of 44 names submitted and the final selection revealed on the 11th of November on the first day of the Habathon.

Team Branding and Engagement

The website is a consistently developing task which now has two pages up and running, with more coming in the future alongside more refinements in terms of presentation, content and accessibility. Potential website hosting options have been thoroughly researched and compared, and will be selected and in action soon. Team templates have been created to act as guidelines for future presentations, and plans for a PAST commercial have been drafted, with filming set to commence in November.

Events and Team Building

HR has been diligently working on interviewing our new members, team building activity ideas, team policies and a team structure diagram to build the cohesion of PAST and clarity for anyone looking to join. New team building and social event ideas are always being brainstormed and will be put into place at future events. This October 17th marks PAST’s first birthday! The team has officially been running for over a year, and we have rapidly expanded from a small pilot meeting to a thriving team of over 50 total members. PAST has achieved many milestones along the way, including the formation of technical and team resources divisions, the creation of our website and brand identity, and several projects already completed. Congratulations to all members of PAST and our early collaborators, and we look forward to even more growth and success in our second year as a team.

Looking Ahead

Habathon is HABening from 11-13 November! PAST members will be coming together to work on their projects in preparation for the HAB launch projected for February 2025. The schedule consists of project development sessions, team building activities run by HR, progress showcases and Binar-supported sessions, as well the monthly meeting, a special guest speaker and a team social event planned for Wednesday. PAST will continue to run as the semester break begins, and will hopefully set the team up for a successful HAB launch!