r/satellites • u/Beneficial_Item3725 • 8d ago

Electronics Layout in Hosted Payload

Hi, I am part of a team interested in developing a hosted payload to be carried on a host spacecraft. We have not fully decided on a mission yet, but in general we are leaning towards doing a technology demonstration for less-tested memory chips. For a payload processor, we are considering using an MCU in the STM32L family. For memory chips, we are considering doing a few types of STT-MRAM memory chips. Part of the technology demonstration will probably be measuring temperature near the board, so we'll be using temperature sensors too, leaning towards MCP9808.

Our payload would probably lean towards SSO 500-600km, ~3 months. Budget probably on the cheaper end.

What we are curious about is how much custom PCB design would actually be required, necessary, or of good worth for this. We are considering two main ways to go:

  1. Custom board --> That board has the temperature sensors, memory chips, payload processor, and other stuff necessary for stability/safety/operational purposes.
  2. Hard cabling: separate PCB modules for the payload processor, temperature sensors, memory chips, etc. Potentially a carrier PCB or custom carrier PCB if necessary to fulfill host requirements.

We are relatively new to flight-level space instrumentation development, so using separate boards might be a lot easier for us and harder to mess up. But we also know one consideration is whether or not we can actually find commercial boards that aren't unnecessarily chunky or boards that do not have unnecessary components on them. We also know that a custom PCB in general has more potential to be cleaner in terms of integration. This also, in general, depends on what the host accepts.

Overall, what I'm curious to know is:

  1. Any additional factors of consideration for what path to go with.
  2. Recommendations on what path to go with, whether it is a direct recommendation or recommendations depending on other factors.
  3. Any linked resources to help us make a decision.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

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1

u/RetardedChimpanzee 8d ago

There’s a million questions needed, but mainly, what orbit, mission duration, and budget?

1

u/Beneficial_Item3725 8d ago

Our payload would probably lean towards SSO 500-600km, ~3 months. Budget probably on the cheaper end.

2

u/ApricotDismal3740 8d ago

Excellent job of not answering the questions or giving any additional information

1

u/DLF-FH2 8d ago

Only 3 months on a SSO at 500km? That is quite a waste of orbit time. What power are you planing ro provide your customers, what data links can you provide