UCAnFly team qualifies MELISA-II payload for CubeSat mission

The UCAnFly team, currently participating in the third edition of Fly Your Satellite!, successfully completed a test campaign from 8 to 12 May 2023 with the objective of mechanically and thermally qualifying their CubeSat payload, MELISA-II. The payload is a magnetic measurement system which uses tiny sensors to detect the magnetic field around it. To make sure the measurements are accurate, the team needs to protect the sensors from any unwanted interference. What makes this experiment special is that the sensors are placed inside a small box made of mu-metal, which acts like a shield, keeping away any unwanted magnetic disturbances. The in-flight experiment will shed light on the noise behaviour of the system under harsh long-term orbit conditions, leading to more reliable and precise measurements of magnetic fields in space.

First, the payload assembly underwent a vibration test that simulated the mechanical loads exerted by the launcher on the CubeSat during ascent flight. "To see something in which you invested so much time working on getting pushed to such aggressive vibrations is quite scary - I could feel my heart almost in collapse” said one student. “However, to see it work afterwards was such a relief that made those minutes of tension completely worth it!"

Next, the payload was placed inside the thermal-vacuum chamber, where it was subjected to deep levels of vacuum and a set of cycles at extreme hot and cold temperatures. By doing this, the team gained insight into the behaviour of their payload while in orbit, where it is exposed to both the vacuum of outer space and the fluctuations of temperature experience during every orbit when the satellite transits from being exposed to the sun radiation to eclipse conditions.

One of the students involved in the test campaign highlighted that the educational return from this experience was particularly significant, as the results obtained were not only utilised for the qualification of the payload but also included in his bachelor's thesis. “Luckily thanks to this experience my bachelor thesis will be different and not just a theoretical work.”

The five-day long test campaign at ESEC concluded satisfactorily for the team, who are now confident in the suitability of the payload’s thermo-mechanical design. The UCAnFly team was pleased to have the opportunity to use ESA's facilities and receive guidance from ESA Academy personnel in the preparation and execution of the test campaign. As one student summarises it, "Not only we learnt extra space technical knowledge and laboratory procedures, but also learnt a lot about good industry practices and team organization that will improve our effectiveness as a team overall."

This campaign was the second opportunity offered by the Fly Your Satellite! program to the team for the environmental verification of their payload. In January, an EMC susceptibility test was conducted at ESTEC, when the team checked the correct functioning of the payload under various electric field conditions.

Would you like to know more about what Fly Your Satellite! teams are currently accomplishing? Visit the ESA Education website to discover the latest updates and achievements from student-led CubeSat missions.