CubeSat Release Mechanism.

A 3D-printed mechanism that keeps a CubeSat’s solar panels and antennas stowed through launch, designed and validated under high-vibration conditions.

Deployable solar panels and antennas have to survive the violent vibrations of launch folded against the spacecraft, and then release reliably once in orbit. That is the job of a Hold-Down Release Mechanism (HDRM).

For my bachelor’s thesis at UPC I designed and validated a 3D-printed HDRM for a CubeSat’s solar panels and antennas. The mechanism was tested under high-vibration launch conditions and checked against a requirements compliance matrix.

Highlights

1. 01Design of a 3D-printed hold-down and release mechanism for solar panels and antennas
2. 02Tests under high-vibration launch conditions
3. 03Verification against a requirements compliance matrix
4. 04Graded 10/10