Safe Attitude and Orbit Control for ISS-Deployed CubeSat HOKUSHIN-1 with Cold-Gas Propulsion System.

A compact propulsion system that can operate in a low-power and low-temperature environment is necessary to expand the field of activity of CubeSats from Earth orbit to deep space. Tohoku University, Hokkaido University, and Muroran Institute of Technology are developing the 3U CubeSat “HOKUSHIN-1” for future lunar exploration by CubeSats. For orbit maintenance and 3-axis attitude control, this satellite is equipped with a new 1U size cold gas propulsion system developed by Patchedconics, LLC, and is planned for technical demonstration on the ISS orbit. This paper proposes a system design and operation method to prevent hazards caused by malfunction of the propulsion system and to ensure safety during orbit operations. Furthermore, the attitude and orbit control capability of the new propulsion system is evaluated by numerical simulation.