2.1. Use of demonstrator satellites for teaching During the 2010/11 academic year a new laboratory was
created, where students work in groups to carry out the integration and validation of the subsystems of a
micro satellite. To set up the laboratory some equipment (e.g. PCs, power supplies, multi meters) and an educational
micro satellite were acquired. The educational micro satellite serves to demonstrate the basic functionalities of a satellite,
and due to the high demand from students and the success of the practical lessons a second unit was acquired during
the 2011/12 year.The subsystems which the students have to integrate and validate are: power, data handling, communications, attitude control and thermal control. Some of the activities performed by the students are the verification of:
- The solar panels, obtaining their P-I and V-I profiles.
- The peak power tracker performance in different illumination conditions.
- The electrical voltages and currents for different load profiles.
- The power switches functionality.
- The mass properties of all subsystems and of the integrated satellite.
- The telemetry measurements calibration.
- The telemetry data rates, and verification of the telecommutes.
- The attitude determination and control sensors and actuators.
- The attitude control algorithms.