Design and Analysis of the Housing of the Communication Payload of the Petite Amateur Navy Satellite (PANSAT)

Abstract

The Naval Postgraduate School's (NPS) Space Systems Academic Group is developing the Petite Amateur Navy Satellite (PANSAT), a small satellite for digital store-and-forward communication in the amateur frequency band. This thesis describes the design and the analysis of the communication payload housing of PANSAT. The payload consists of four circuit boards. The main challenge is to provide enough stiffness and minimize electromagnetic interference within the small amount of space determined by other parts surrounding the housing. The design of this particular housing is especially demanding and requires paying a lot of attention to details. Many factors, including launch loads, board weight, component size, orientation, and mounting must be considered.A particular aspect of this housing is the fact that there are an unusual number of electrical connectors involved in this design. Complicating this issue is the extreme physical constraint imposed by the configuration of the satellite. The structure as well as the boards are analyzed using classical hand calculation methods and more sophisticated methods, using SDRC® I-DEAS design software. In addition, a finite element analyses is performed using the I-DEAS finite element application which allows to model all structures in great detail mathematically. It also permits to examine the behavior of these structures under all possible load conditions, static as well as dynamic. Another important aspect of this design is to guarantee manufacturability. The complexity of this housing makes it mandatory that the design be carried out in close cooperation with the machinist who is responsible for the actual manufacturing of these parts. The analysis results show that the structure of the housing is very robust and most likely will accommodate all the requirements.