SPACE & SATELLITE SYSTEMS at UC Davis
REALOP I
Estimated Launch Date: Summer 2026
Mission: Investigate a low cost alternative to traditional reaction wheels
Realop 1 is SSS's first cubesat with the mission of testing computer hard disk drives as a low cost alternative to reaction wheels. The goal is to break down some of the financial barriers that keep teams from experimentation via CubeSats. In following our core belief to prioritize the education of our members, almost all components are designed from scratch, avoiding COTS parts when possible.
Orbital Platform Rev. 1
Solar Panel
RF Front End
Orbital Platform Rev. 2
Battery Management
Orbital Platform Rev. 3
Electronic Speed Controller
Magnetorquer
and more coming soon...
Electrical Work
Our Electrical Department has been hard at work these past few years to create many custom PCBs for the satellite. The work involved includes using KiCad for design, soldering and assembly for PCBs, and rigorous testing
Our Structures team has been working on creating the frame, making sure everything fits in place, and analyzing the satellite for structure and thermal integrity. Work in structures for the satellite includes using Onshape for design, Hand tools and machines for assembly, Ansys Workbench for mechanical, and Thermal Desktop for thermal analysis
Partial Assembly
Thermal Analysis
Battery Holder
REALOP I Drawing
Mech Analysis
Assembly
Structures Work
Software Work
Our Software team focuses mainly on the embedded software and writing our custom operating system on the orbital platform called IntelliSat. IntelliSat is written fully in C, has bare metal drivers, and uses FreeRTOS to schedule mission tasks. Work in Software involves using STM32CubeIDE, looking at datasheets, documentation, looking at schematics, and embedded C
Sun Sensor Testing Rig
Coils Testing Rig
Sun Sensor Simulation
Coils Winding
HDD Testing Rig
Software Commit Graph
ADCS Work
ADCS is the mission of the satellite itself and represents our interdisciplinary team that does work in electrical, structures, and software. They have been hard at working doing HDD testing, creating our coils, using sun sensors to figure out satellite orientation, and writing algorithms to handle the data and outputs of the various components on the satellite.
