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.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.NPS Report Number
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