Hardware

Details about the mechanical components of T-Sat-1.

Overview

The hardware for T-Sat-1 built directly on the mechanical foundation of T-Sat-0 but corrected critical shortcomings identified in earlier testing and flight. Several subsystems were reworked for greater robustness, usability, and integration, while others were streamlined to improve handling on launch day. The CubeSat continued to use a 1U form factor with PETG 3D printed components for rapid prototyping and iteration.

Major Improvements from T-Sat-0

• Parachute Deployment System (PDS):

  • Linkage problems, where pivot bolts would loosen or bind, were redesigned for more reliable motion

• Housing and Panels:

  • The 1U structure was updated to use heat-pressed threaded inserts for panel mounting, improving assembly consistency

  • The camera panel was redesigned with the same threaded inserts as the battery panel, addressing the failures of thin-walled 3D printed parts from T-Sat-0

Figure 1: T-Sat-1 redesigned housing capable of using 3mm threaded inserts

Figure 2: Front of camera panel for T-Sat-1

Figure 3: Rear of panel

• Materials and Manufacturing:

  • PETG remained the material of choice, balancing durability and flexibility

  • Extra housings and panels were printed to allow for parallel testing and flight backups, eliminating the bottlenecks experienced when single components broke during T-Sat-0

• Launch Hardware:

  • Rigging was simplified and lightened using appropriately sized 3D printed carabiners and rings

  • Ground support equipment was expanded to include physics weights for lift testing and a 25 lb iron anchor for tether stability, making launch day operations more predictable and controlled

Outcomes

The T-Sat-1 mission successfully demonstrated controlled separation and parachute deployment at the programmed altitude. By addressing both mechanical and software shortcomings of its predecessor, T-Sat-1 achieved a complete and reliable flight cycle. This mission validated the T-Sat platform as an effective stepping stone between basic student projects and more complex efforts such as KAOS and the orbital CubeSat program.

Although the PDS is not a system intended for long-term use in future missions, it served as an excellent engineering challenge. The development process gave the team valuable skills, practical testing experience, and awareness of pitfalls to avoid in subsequent designs.

T-Sat-1 stands as proof of the club’s iterative design philosophy: start simple, learn quickly, and refine relentlessly.