Mechanical structure
Satellite bus
The mechanical concept - the satellite bus - was developed by external pageELSE SA, a partner of EPFL's eSpace. The structure is easily assembled, very flexible and versatile.
Basically, all satellite subsystems are created as boards of a standardized size which are connected and held together by a metal frame. Side panels are mounted on the rack holding the solar panels for power, the GNSS antennas, and the satellite laser ranging retro reflectors.
external pageThis video (by EPFL) shows an EPFL student assembling the CubETH STM.
Antenna deployment system
The deployment system for the communication antenna is a quite - if not the most - complex mechanical part of CubETH. For launch the 4 antennas are rolled up and savely stowed away inside the satellite. Once in orbit, the antennas will be released and unwind automatically. The video shows the antenna deployment with the satellite model sitting on a table. Moreover, the deployment is shown for the system mounted on an air cushion in order to get an impression of the resulting torques on the satellite.
external pageHere (video by EPFL, bottom of page) you can see how the antenna deployment system works.