The application of systems and safety engineering principles to the design of the USU nanosatellite

Utah State University (USU) was selected to design a nanosatellite under the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP). This program was sponsored by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Primary funding and management were provided through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The program was designed to provide students with real-life design experience and to perform research in formation flying, advanced communications, miniaturized sensors, attitude control, and maneuvering.; This thesis deals with the systems and safety engineering performed on the USU nanosatellite, USUSat. Initial systems-level work was performed by Pat Patterson and Bryce Carpenter at Space Dynamics Laboratory. This thesis describes the evolution of the design in response to requirements imposed by program management and NASA safety. It also details the approach used by USUSat engineers in order to ensure compliance with safety regulations.*; *This dissertation is multimedia (contains text and other applications not available in printed format). The CD requires the following system requirements: Microsoft Office.