Surviving Orbit the DIY Way: Testing the Limits Your Satellite Can and Must Match

Is your picosatellite ready for launch? Can it withstand rocket thrusts and the vacuum of space? This do-it-yourself guide helps you conduct a series of hands-on tests designed to check your satellite’s readiness. Learn precisely what the craft and its electronic components must endure if they’re to function properly in Low Earth Orbit.

The perfect follow-up to DIY Satellite Platforms (our primer for designing and building a picosatellite), this book also provides an overview of what space is like and how orbits work, enabling you to set up the launch and orbit support you’ll need.

• Go deep into the numbers that describe conditions your satellite will face
• Learn how to mitigate the risks of radiation in the ionosphere
• Pick up enough formal systems engineering to understand what the tests are all about
• Build a thermal vacuum chamber for mimicking environment of space
• Simulate the rocket launch by building and running a vibration shake test
• Use a homebuilt centrifuge to conduct high G-force tests
• Get guidelines on scheduling tests and choosing an appropriate lab or clean room