BIRDSInternational
Capacity Building Platform
革新的宇宙利用実証ラボラトリー
Laboratory of Lean Satellite Enterprises and In-Orbit Experiments

Sangkyun Kim

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology1

BIRDS Projects
 BIRDS – Joint Global Multi Nation Birds
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Started in 2015 for ambitious international capacity building functions
Multi national joint project: each country sends students to Kyutech for CubeSat training
Project takes 2 years: from mission design, to building, to finally on-orbit operation
A new BIRDS project is started each year -- we are now in the 5th project
51 students from 13 Countries have been involved
We have a global community for satellite development and for tracking by ground stations
This year, 2020, we kick off the final generation of BIRDS, which is BIRDS-5

https://www.birds-project.com/

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology2

BIRDS Projects

 BIRDS – Winner of GEDC Airbus Diversity Award in 2017
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Purpose of award: to foster diversity in engineering education at universities
Major consideration: how well the project can be replicated in other institutions and countries
For 2017 contest: 45 projects were submitted, from 18 countries and 38 institutions
Announced as the winner on 10th/October/2017 at ceremony in Toronto, Canada

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology3

Flow of Project
Kick OffMDRPDR

CDR

DeliveryLaunch

Deployment& Operation

 MDR (Mission Definition Review)
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Project is introduced at “Kick Off” meeting of members
Absorb some lessons of previous projects
Members define the missions (of satellite) while consulting opinions of stakeholders
Concept design with PBS (Product Breakdown Structure)
Share development work via WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

Example of PBS

24 June 2020

Example of WBS

Kyushu Institute of Technology4

Flow of Project
MDR

Kick Off

PDR

CDR

Delivery

Launch

Deployment& Operation

 PDR (Preliminary Design Review)
 PDR checks overall design direction, and advances some design details
 Develop satellite design with the defined mission ideas
 Some BBM (Bread Board Model) tests for the functional check of some subsystems

3D CAD Model of BIRDS-4 satellite

24 June 2020

Example of BBM Test

Kyushu Institute of Technology

5

BIRDS Projects
MDR

Kick Off

PDR

CDR

Delivery

Launch

Deployment& Operation

 CDR (Critical Design Review) EM (Engineering Model) is developed using detailed design
 Functional tests for its performance
 Environmental tests at qualification level to check its reliability and safety against
harsh space environment
 CDR confirms the design for the next stage of FM (Flight Model) fabrication

Engineering Model of BIRDS-2 satellite

24 June 2020

Example of environmental test: Vibration test

Kyushu Institute of Technology6

BIRDS Projects
MDR

Kick OffPDR

CDR

Delivery

Launch

Deployment& Operation

 DeliveryFMs (Flight Models) are built using the design established at CDR
They must pass long duration test and communication test to check their functionality
They must pass all environmental tests
They must pass safety requirements of launch provider
Frequency license issues must be cleared before delivery to launch provider

Flight Models of BIRDS-4

24 June 2020

Example of long duration operation test

Kyushu Institute of Technology7

BIRDS Projects
Kick OffMDRPDRCDR

DeliveryLaunch

Deployment& Operation

 Launch Satellites enter prolonged storage (up to several months) while waiting for launch During storage time, ground stations at Kyutech and other sites around the worldmust be prepared so that first signals can be captured after ISS deployment

Antenna for BIRDS program

24 June 2020

Operation software check

Kyushu Institute of Technology

Launch to ISS© Space-X

8BIRDS ProjectsMDRKick OffPDRCDRDeliveryLaunch

Deployment& Operation

 Deployment & Operation
 With conventional launch services, the satellite is directly deployed into space after some hours
after launch However, BIRDS uses ISS deployment method -- satellites are deployed by astronauts from theISS several weeks after launch Before graduating SEIC, most BIRDS students get on-orbit operations experience; and canacquire valuable data from their own satellites

Moment of ISS deployment, © JAXA

24 June 2020

Image of Earth from BIRDS-3 satellite mission camera

Kyushu Institute of Technology9 BIRDS-1

Nigeria

BIRDS Projects

Five countries; first satellite for 3 countries (Bangladesh, Mongolia, Ghana)
Camera, Digi-Singer, demonstration of ground station network
GS-based navigation, atmosphere density monitoring
Radiation hardness of SEL (Single Event Latch-up)
Deployed from ISS, 7th/July 2017
Operation has ended

Bangladesh

24 June 2020MongoliaGhanaJapanKyushu Institute of Technology

10

BIRDS Projects
 BIRDS-2

3 countries; first satellite for Bhutan
Camera, Store & Forward communication
APRS, GPS, Magnetic sensor, SEL
BIRDS-1 heritage, but improved
Deployed from ISS, August 2018
Under operation
Moment of deployment ©JAXA

Malaysia
24 June 2020

BhutanPhilippines
Kyushu Institute of Technology

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BIRDS Projects
 BIRDS-3
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3 Countries; first satellite for Nepal and Sri Lanka
Camera, CW messaging, LoRa module test
BIRDS-1 and BIRDS-2 heritage maintained
Began to use Standard BUS, BIRDS BUSDeployed from ISS in June of 2019
Under operation currently, without problems

Japan

24 June 2020

Nepal

Sri Lanka

Kyushu Institute of Technology

12

BIRDS Projects
 BIRDS-4

3 Countries; first satellite for Paraguay
Camera, S&F, TID, Organic solar cell, Hentenna
BIRDS-3 heritage continued
Use of Standard BUS of BIRDS BUS
Deploy from ISS during fiscal year of 2020
Under FM development

Japan

24 June 2020

PhilippinesParaguay

Kyushu Institute of Technology

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Ground Station Network

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology

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BIRDS Program Textbook
 Purpose of textbook
 Introduce BIRDS program Present CubeSat system development forthe purpose of capacity building Contents of textbook
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General project management
System engineering for CubeSat development
Overall technical information of CubeSat system
Satellite operation
Frequency license issue
Safety regulation
Environmental tests
Issues facing sustainable educational programs Textbook is available as digital version
24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology15

BIRDS Platform Reliable CubeSat platform from accumulated experience Heritage of multiple CubeSats on orbit
 Abundant reference data of functional tests and environmental tests
 Strong background for critical safety regulation
 Standard BUS and easy design for first comers to space engineering

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology16

BIRDS Platform
 BIRDS 1U CubeSat Platform Heritage since BIRDS-3
 Use of Standard BUS of BIRDS BUS
 Simple mission with 1U CubeSat

 Mission system space : 0.2U (Two boards)
 Mission system mass : 0.5 [kg] Continuous power for mission : 0.4 [W] Power : 3.3 [V], 5 [V], unregulated battery power Available Interface : UART, SPI, shared memory
 Data downlink (UHF) speed to ground station : 4800 [bps]24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology

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BIRDS Platform Backplane board (BPB) style integration
 Connect sub boards without harness
 50-pin connector is used
 Two 50-pin connectors for mission boards (MSN)
Connectors for mission system

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology

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BIRDS Platform Board sample
 Need to fit 1U CubeSat 50-pin connector at bottom side
 Four holes for mechanical assembly

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology

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BIRDS Platform Simple Interface, BUS and Mission
 Serial communication using UART/SPI General DIO (Digital Input Output) available Shared memory (Flash + MUX) for large datahandling

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology

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BIRDS Platform Extendable to bigger applications
 Support for bigger size CubeSat -- up to 6U
 Minor modification is required Big + Little Concept

 1U CubeSat platform acts as little part of basic
function Mission system acts as big part with moreresources

24 June 2020

Kyushu Institute of Technology21