CSTB 1

CSTB 1 [Boeing]

The CSTB 1 (CubeSat TestBed 1) cubesat is a 1.5 kg Nanosatellite for technical research. An Integrated Defense Systems Advanced Systems team of engineers at Huntington Beach, Calif., is building the spacecraft as a testbed for components that will be used in Boeing's development of nanosatellites (spacecraft weighing less than 10 kg).

Besides its “brains” - four microcontrollers - the tiny satellite contains:

• Redundant communications systems with two independent radios.
• Two high-capacity batteries.
• A deployable antenna.
• A sophisticated control system that determines the attitude (relative position) of the spacecraft by using sun and magnetic field sensors.
• A simple attitude control system that uses embedded magnetic torque coils.
• Multifunctional boards on the side panels that contain a variety of sensors and electronics.