NanoCube: A modular, open-source framework for operationally responsive space

A modular, open-source "plug-and-play" satellite design framework (nanoCube) was developed under the sponsorship of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicle Directorate (AFRL/RV) in an attempt to further the Tier-2 capabilities of the Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS). Tier-2 aims for the rapid design, assembly, testing, and launch of small, low cost satellites that are built from inventory in a "days-to-weeks" timeframe. The framework was designed to be extensible and scalable, using object-oriented techniques in MATLAB and a relational database schema for the inventory management system. NanoCube operates under the assumption that all spacecraft components are LEGO-like, using a "black box" approach to enforce the modular, interchangeable nature of the Space Plug-and-Play Avionics (SPA) architecture. Picosatellites that comply with both the Stanford/CalPoly CubeSat standards and the SPA standard interface (nanoSPA) constrain the design space of nanoCube. Currently, nanoCube determines a satellite's eclipse and pass conditions which are useful for creating power, link, and data budgets to further constrain the design space when selecting components for the spacecraft. The core of the framework is defined in abstract classes that enforce a consistent (modular) interface for future developers. By unfolding a nanoSPA CubeSat, a user can select vacant panels for placing inventoried components using the graphical user interface (GUI). The proof of concept framework is complete and the source code is available for study, modification, or redistribution. The current functionality of nanoCube has been validated using AGI's Satellite Tool Kit (STK). Future revisions of nanoCube will include the ability to stack components; dependency tracking; and constraints on usable components based on mass, volume, and power during user-defined operational modes.