GASPACS

GASPACS was a 1U CubeSat, meaning it measured 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters (3.9 in). The AeroBoom worked similarly to the feathers on an arrow. Molecules of air in the Earth's upper atmosphere struck the AeroBoom (drag force), causing a stabilizing torque. The CSLI contract provided launch services for GASPACS. GASPACS was delivered to Nanoracks on September 23, 2021. On December 21, 2021, GASPACS was launched to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX CRS-24, as part of NASA mission ELaNa 38. One month later, on January 26, 2022, GASPACS was deployed from the ISS via a Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer by U.S. astronauts Raja Chari and Thomas Marshburn. NASA requires all CubeSats deployed from the ISS to wait a minimum of 30 minutes after deployment to begin booting up and starting their mission. After this required lapse of time, GASPACS autonomously booted up and deployed its antennas. 18 hours after deployment from the ISS, GASPACS passed over the mission control ground station located on USU's campus and transmitted a photograph of the satellite's inflated boom, confirming primary mission success. In the weeks following deployment, several sections of attitude data from the onboard accelerometer were downlinked, confirming the effectiveness of the AeroBoom mechanism. == GASPACS construction ==

GASPACS was constructed utilizing the following components: A secondary mission of the satellite was to test the viability of cheap commercial microcontrollers such as the Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 The Pi Camera was used to confirm successful deployment of the AeroBoom. 18 hours after deployment, GASPACS transmitted the first photograph taken by the camera, confirming the successful deployment of the boom. GASPACS has taken several additional photographs, many including Earth in the background. This Beetle acted as a watchdog to ensure the Raspberry Pi functioned properly. The Beetle monitored the Pi at 0.25 Hz to detect malfunctions due to radiation. In the case of a malfunction, the Beetle automatically turned the Pi off, and then back on. This process was designed to revert any upsets due to radiation back to normal. Another component included on the interface board was a custom burn wire mechanism used to deploy the AeroBoom. EnduroSat components GASPACS incorporated many EnduroSat components in its bus. The EnduroSat electrical power system included a battery, and was charged by solar panels, which included Sun sensors and temperature sensors. GASPACS also contained an EnduroSat transceiver and antenna for communications, and their 1U structure. The AeroBoom consisted of a layer of Polyvinylidene fluoride plastic, pressurized with 2.2 psia of air. This tube was encased in a sleeve of braided fiberglass. The outermost layer of the AeroBoom was a final sleeve of Fluorinated ethylene propylene plastic. == Mission status ==

The North American Aerospace Defense Command designated GASPACS as NORAD ID 51439. Three days after deployment, on January 29, 2022, GASPACS faced a major setback when power was lost on the Y-channel. This caused a significant reduction in the available power. GASPACS entered a perpetual charge cycle, charging up for approximately six hours on its remaining solar panels before reaching the power required to turn back on. Once booted up, GASPACS would stay powered on for approximately an hour before shutting off due to low power, and repeating the cycle. This continuous power cycle greatly reduced the quantity of data GASPACS was able to transmit to Earth. == References ==