QSAT: A Low-Cost Design for 50kg Class Piggyback Satellite

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of a low-cost small university satellite. In June 2006, JAXA announced a program for the selection of H-IIA piggyback passengers to small-satellite projects performed by universities and regional communities in Japan. In this context, we started the satellite project named QSAT (Kyushu Satellite) in 2006. The primary objectives of the QSAT mission are 1) to investigate plasma physics in the Earth's aurora zone in order to better understand spacecraft charging, and 2) to conduct a comparison of the field-aligned current observed in orbit with ground-based observations. QSAT has two payload instruments, two plasma probes and a novel magnetometer. The laboratory of Spacecraft Environment Interaction Engineering of Kyushu Institute of Technology has the responsibility of the development of plasma probes, whereas, the Space Environment Research Center of Kyushu University has the responsibility of the development of the new magnetometer. The spacecraft bus is being developed at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Kyushu University with collaboration of Fukuoka Institute of Technology.