• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.39.3-40
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• 2020

For the space weather research, KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute) is developing the SNIPE (Small-scale magNetospheric and Ionospheric Plasma Experiment) mission, which consists of four 6U CubeSats of ~10 kg. Besides of space weather research, the SNIPE mission has another astrophysical objective, detecting Gamma-Ray Bursts(GRB). By cross-correlating the light curves of the detected GRBs, the fleet shall be able to determine the time difference of the arriving signal between the satellites and thus determine the position of bright short bursts with an accuracy ~100'. To demonstrate the technology of the GRB observation, CSI gamma-ray detectors combined with GPS and IRIDIUM communication modules are placed on each SNIPE CubeSat. The time of each spacecraft is synchronized and when the GRB is detected, the light curve will be transferred to the Mission Operation Center (MOC) by IRIDIUM communication module. By measuring time difference of each GRB signals, the technology for localization of GRB will be proved. If the results show some possibilities, we can challenge the new astrophysical mission for investigating the origin of GRB.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.9
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• pp.802-808
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• 2014

MEMS based solid propellant thruster researched for the purpose of an academic research will be verified at space environment through CubeSat program. For this, the temperature of the MEMS thruster should be within allowable operating temperature range by proper thermal control to prevent the ignition failure caused by ignition time delay and to guarantee the structural safety of the MEMS thruster in the low temperature. In this study, we proposed an effective thermal control strategy, that is to use micro-igniter as a heater and temperature sensor for active thermal control instead of using additional heater. The effectiveness of the strategy has been verified through on-orbit thermal analysis of CubeSats with MEMS thruster.

• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.342-354
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• 2023

The paradox of cubesat development process in the New Space paradigm is related to a complicated and time-consuming system engineering procedure. Due to their low cost and quick production time, cubesats are a highly accessible space asset in the startup-driven "New Space" industry. In reality, however, the development process experienced by the student teams selected through the national cubesat competition is quite different from what we expect. This is because cubesats are designed and implemented using a lengthy and tedious procedure defined by the systems engineering perspective. The purpose of this work is to explain to developers who are unfamiliar with systems engineering the role and function of systems engineering in each step of the cubesat development process.

• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.104-120
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• 2022

The Small Scale magNetospheric and Ionospheric Plasma Experiment (SNIPE)'s scientific goal is to observe spatial and temporal variations of the micro-scale plasma structures on the topside ionosphere. The four 6U CubeSats (~10 kg) will be launched into a polar orbit at ~500 km. The distances of each satellite will be controlled from 10 km to more than ~1,000 km by the formation flying algorithm. The SNIPE mission is equipped with identical scientific instruments, Solid-State Telescopes(SST), Magnetometers(Mag), and Langmuir Probes(LP). All the payloads have a high temporal resolution (sampling rates of about 10 Hz). Iridium communication modules provide an opportunity to upload emergency commands to change operational modes when geomagnetic storms occur. SNIPE's observations of the dimensions, occurrence rates, amplitudes, and spatiotemporal evolution of polar cap patches, field-aligned currents (FAC), radiation belt microbursts, and equatorial and mid-latitude plasma blobs and bubbles will determine their significance to the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction and quantify their impact on space weather. The formation flying CubeSat constellation, the SNIPE mission, will be launched by Soyuz-2 at Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2023.