Dan Maloney
If you need a GPS unit capable of operating at these altitutdes, or an ion thruster for a private project how can you be a member of the general public and attempt this? DIY sort of implies anyone with the knowhow could attempt this but there are obvious barriers, aren't there? Do you have to be professionally certified to be launching these satellites and get your hands on requisite hardware? You mention 'spicy solar panels' and radiation hardened hardware, stuff that isn't easily available to even a hobbyist engineer off hand. I feel like a lot of the DIY part of what you're saying is incomplete, of course you can use a Raspberry Pi or SDR or anything you like, but what about the stuff that you absolutely need? What's the process like?
How the tin fears in space ? I was under the impression it turns to dust at low temperatures
@Boian Mitov - like tin whiskers?
Hey guys, I'm running very short on time here, gonna try to answer a few quick
Can you just sneak tin-lead in? Would mitigate both the whiskers and tin pest.
I feel like I heard a lot of stuff about open source space tech before from outfits like Copenhagen Suborbitals for example, but eventually they had to take their designs down because of security concerns
No worries, we're up against the top of the hour anyway.
If I recall the pure tin turns to dust at very low temperatures
so special soldering has to be done for low temperature applications etc.
Thought. GaN-based optocouplers. Ordinary optos are GaAs that is rather rad-sensitive. GaN should be way more robust. Blue LED optically coupled over a photosensor?
Indium solders for cryo... nom!
Wait, is there enough atmosphere for buoyancy to work on the low orbit sattelite?
- Tin whiskers are a concern, but we mitigate this whenever possible using very little solder, and specialized ( fairly certain it can be got on Amazon )
GPS chips themselves are required to not work higher than certain altitudes or faster than certain speeds. However, it's not actually needed to know the positioning. Orbits are fairly reliable and after a location is locked, we can track it until re-entry using math and signal reaquisition alone.
> I feel like I heard a lot of stuff about open source space tech before from outfits like Copenhagen Suborbitals for example, but eventually they had to take their designs down because of security concerns
@lakeskin This is part of why we are maintaining a versioning gap in our releases.
How long do they orbit for? I'm guessing a few months?
what if you have to make adjustments? are reaction wheels enough to change your trajectory?
Our estimated mission duration per-sat is 3-5 years @anfractuosity.
sorry i mean in terms of staying in orbit
oh wow!
@lakeskin Reaction wheels are more like flailing your arms while sitting on a barstool. You sort of just spin.
That's why we have Thrust!
What fuel for the ion engines?
Could laser-ablation of an otherwise inert block of solid "fuel" work too?
Check out the link above for AIS, there's a few different fuels.
Alright, last call for images, questions, anything else before I have to go!
I assumed ion engines were for special missions, are they on all your satellites?
What material for wire insulations to cope with space?
Any conformal coatings on the boards?
And can you buy an ion thruster as a hobbyist lol
that'd be a fun thing to play with, i assume you need a vac chamber to measure the thrust on earth?
I saw somewhere a vacuum glovebox using arms from a spacesuit...
> I assumed ion engines were for special missions, are they on all your satellites?
All of our main constellation sats, we're aiming for 400 in orbit at the same time!
> And can you buy an ion thruster as a hobbyist lol
Joe found AIS through friends, but aside from being back-ordered, I believe the answer is totally yes!
You can make ion Thruster for air pretty easily.
Ours are indeed vac-only
yes of course for vacuum, not for air.
Alright everyone, Thank you SO MUCH!
I had a blast, if you need to reach out to me I'm frantically available via email at nathaniel.evry@quub.space and twitter @NathanielEvry
That' is of course if you can get me out of a cleanroom ;P
@Nathaniel@quub.space Thanks for an inspirational hack chat!
@Nathaniel@quub.space, thanks so much for dropping by today, this was fantastic. Lots of great discussion, plenty to learn. And great questions from everyone, too. Thanks to all!
And transcript coming right up, too. Thanks all!
Thank you @Nathaniel@quub.space Cool stuff, and Great Chat!
Very inspirational. Thanks!
Don't they use like Xenon as "fuel" normally, because of being non-reactive??
thx a lot, very inspiring!
thanks a lot!
And thank you @Dan Maloney for organizing it!
Thanks @Dan Maloney !
And make sure you come by next week:
@Nathaniel@quub.space I sent you a private message for when you have time to check... ;-)
https://hackaday.io/event/190943-desktop-edm-hack-chat
Desktop EDM Hack Chat
Precision parts, one spark at a time
Thank you all!
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