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Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) has developed a family of high-performance, turn-key CubeSat platforms (3U, 6U, and 12U) that provide all the necessary features to support remote sensing. The spacecraft core is BCT’s powerful XB1 avionics. The XB1 provides all C&DH, ADCS, EPS, and Software functionality in approximately 1U, which maximizes available volume for the payload and propulsion. This common avionics suite is used throughout the BCT CubeSat product line, which is currently baselined for over 20 missions, totaling over 45 CubeSats for various NASA, University, and commercial programs, such as TEMPEST-D, TROPICS, and PlanetiQ.
The XB1 ADCS utilizes dual star trackers, which provide the highest-precision pointing available for CubeSats. On-orbit results from multiple missions have demonstrated less than 5 arcsecond pointing accuracy. BCT is also providing the precision payload scan mechanisms (and the corresponding momentum compensation) for programs such as TEMPEST-D and TROPICS.
BCT’s highly-configurable solar panel deployment system (and optional solar array drive) can provide up to 120W of spacecraft power for some CubeSat configurations. The XB1 EPS performs all charge control, and provides selectable switched, regulated voltages to the payload. Battery capacity can be as much as nearly 200 Watt-hours.
The C&DH/Comm can support >200Mbps downlink rates, with data storage up to 128GB, and a dedicated payload processor.
Various XB spacecraft are also supporting multiple propulsion systems, including cold gas, electric propulsion, and green propellant.
This paper will discuss these platform capabilities in more detail, as well as highlight some of the remote sensing missions currently being supported.
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