Nov 22, 2020
Nano Avionics: The Future of Commercial Space
A Simple Way of Getting your Technology into Space
Nano Avionics is a Nano-satellite mission integrator headquartered in Columbia, Illinois, USA, and with facilities in North America, Northern Europe and the UK. The company manufactures a range of nano-satellite buses with a standardized configuration suitable for a wide array of applications, along with many other in-house developed sub-systems.
In addition, as a full service mission integrator Nano Avionics offers a range of services to satellite developers and operators including development support, consultancy and a hosted payload flight solution. Mission services include, for example, payload integration, performance testing, spacecraft registration and logistics, frequency allocation and payload on-orbit operations.
In this article we take a look at how Nano Avionics began, what products and services the company offers today, and its recent achievements. We’ll also share some insights on the company’s exciting future plans and thoughts on the progress and evolution of the space sector in general.
Nano Avionics on Satsearch: The Company’s Origin
Nano Avionics was officially established as a business in 2014, but the company concept, and associated R&D activities, began in 2011 by a group of aerospace engineering students following an internship at NASA.
Those students contributed to the development of spacecraft propulsion technologies and led a project to launch the first Lithuanian satellite into space by using the cost-efficient CubeSat standard. This work evolved into a national project involving more than 100 space technology enthusiasts, sponsors, and partners, including Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite who was an official supporter.
After the successful mission the natural next step for the team was to enter the developing nano-satellite market, bringing all of the knowledge and components developed throughout their project work to the commercial space sector. The company Nano Avionics was born in 2014.
Nano Avionics Products and Services
As a specialist nano-satellite technology manufacturer, and an established mission integrator, Nano Avionics has a wide array of commercially-available products and services.
This portfolio includes standardized buses in a range of CubeSat form factors, many in-house developed sub-systems, and a full spectrum of mission support services including launch brokerage, integration, flight readiness testing, logistics, satellite registration, mission operations and more.
The company has built bespoke facilities in all of the countries it operates to support day-to-day design and engineering activities including an ISO 7 class certified cleanroom with ISO 5 clean areas, thermalvacuum chambers, and assembly and testing procedures that follow ESA’s standards
Nano avionics Nano-Satellite Development on Satsearch
The company’s products are flight-proven, space-qualified and 25 kRad tested. Nano Avionics also ensures that the long-term goal of mass production is embedded into all new designs.
Vertical integration and production principles taken from automotive and medical technology industries have helped Nano Avionics to develop products with competitive prices, short lead times, and high reliability.
An overview of the company’s current commercial offer is included below:
Satellite Buses
With 80% of hardware and software remaining the same for each mission, the standardized buses are readily-available for a variety of missions
1. Multi-Purpose 1U Nano-Satellite Bus
A versatile, proven 1U bus with a standardized configuration that makes it suitable for commercial or emergency communication applications, as well as scientific missions.
Features: total mass of less than 1.3 kg, payload volume of up to 0.35U, and provided pre-integrated and pre-qualified, ready for payload integration.
2. Multi-Purpose 2U Nano-Satellite Bus
A versatile, proven 2U bus with a standardized configuration that makes it suitable for commercial or emergency communication applications, as well as scientific missions.
Features: total mass of less than 2.4 kg, payload volume of up to 1U, and provided pre-integrated and pre-qualified, ready for payload integration.
3. Multi-Purpose 3U Nano-Satellite Bus
A versatile, proven 3U bus with a standardized configuration that makes it suitable for commercial or emergency communication applications, as well as scientific missions.
Features: total mass of less than 2.5 kg, payload volume of up to 2U, and provided pre-integrated and pre-qualified, ready for payload integration.
4. Multi-Purpose 6U Bus
A versatile, proven 6U bus with a standardized configuration that makes it suitable for commercial or emergency communication applications, as well as scientific missions.
Features: total mass of less than 4.5–5.5 kg, payload volume of up to 5U, and provided pre-integrated and pre-qualified, ready for payload integration.
5. Multi-Purpose 12U Bus
A versatile, proven 12U bus with a standardized configuration that makes it suitable for commercial or emergency communication applications, as well as scientific missions.
Features: total mass of less than 5.5–6.5 kg, payload volume of up to 11U, and provided pre-integrated and pre-qualified, ready for payload integration.
6. Multi-Purpose 16U Bus
A versatile, proven 16U bus with a standardized configuration that makes it suitable for commercial or emergency communication applications, as well as scientific missions.
Features: total mass of less than 8 kg, payload volume of up to 15U, and provided pre-integrated and pre-qualified, ready for payload integration.
7. SatBus 3C2
A highly integrated small satellite main bus unit containing advanced functionality, tailored for smallsized spacecraft and complying with the CubeSat standard.
Features: an on-board flight computer (OBC), an attitude determination & control system (ADCS) and a redundant UHF communication system (COMM).
Antennas and radios
1. UHF Antenna System 1X1U
An antenna system consisting of 1 RF splitter and 4 monopole antennas. Providing an almost omnidirectional radiation pattern with no blind spots and fitting a 1U by 1U form factor.
Features: mass of 30 g, frequency of 350–500 MHz, RF power rating of 10 W and an operating temperature range of -40 — +85 ˚C.
2. UHF Antenna System 1X2U
An antenna system consisting of 1 RF splitter and 4 monopole antennas. Providing an almost omnidirectional radiation pattern with no blind spots and fitting a 1U by 2U form factor.
Features: mass of 51 g, frequency of 400–500 MHz, RF power rating of 10 W and an operating temperature range of -40 — +85 ˚C.
3. UHF Antenna System 2X2U
An antenna system consisting of 1 RF splitter and 4 monopole antennas. Providing an almost omnidirectional radiation pattern with no blind spots and fitting a 2U by 2U form factor.
Features: mass of 60 g, frequency of 400–455 MHz, RF power rating of 10 W and an operating temperature -40 — +85 ˚C.
4. UHF Radio SAT2RF1–1D / UHF Radio SAT2RF1–1B
UHF radios with a half-duplex architecture and low-power consumption transceivers.
Features: frequency ranges of 395–440 MHz and 430–440 MHz respectively, RF output power of up to 3 W and up to 2 W respectively, and designed for high operating efficiency.
5. CubeSat S-Band Patch Antenna
Designed by Nano Avionics’ partner IQ-Wireless for pico- and nanosatellite applications.
Features: circular polarization antenna that achieves high data rates and robust performance for satellite-to-ground communication.
CubeSat structures
1. CubeSat Standard Structure
A flexible, easy-to-use, modular nano-satellite structure compliant with the CubeSat Design Specification.
Features: an open structure, proven performance, avionics or payload modules are built up as single 1- unit form factor building blocks that are mounted onto the primary load carrying elements.
2. SSTR6U 6U Structure
A durable and rigid chassis construction for 6U satellites. Features: made from high-grade aluminum 7075-T7351, lightweight, PC/104 stacks can be mounted inside the framework structure using mounting rings.
Solar panels
1. GaAs Solar Arrays
Assembled using NASA-qualified, low-outgassing adhesive materials in a cleanroom environment. Customized deployable solar panels are also available.
Features: achieves up to 29.5 % efficiency, includes triple junction GaInP/GaInAs/Ge epitaxial structure solar cells and an integrated cover glass for improved durability and radiation protection.
2. M6P Solar Panels
Assembled using NASA-qualified, low-outgassing adhesive materials in a cleanroom environment. Customized deployable solar panels are also available.
Features: achieves up to 29.5 % efficiency, includes triple junction GaInP/GaInAs/Ge epitaxial structure solar cells and an integrated cover glass for improved durability and radiation protection.
Magnetorquers
1. SatBus MTQ M6P
A magnetic torquer suitable for CubeSat de-tumbling and magnetic attitude control that can be easily installed in 1U, 2U, 3U or 6U satellites.
Features: mass of 31 g, typical voltage of 5 V, typical power consumption of 0.86 W and operating temperature range of -40 — +80 ˚C.
2. Magnetorquers MTQ3X
A set of two (X and Y-axis) magnetorquer rods and an air core Z-axis magnetorquer coil which are mounted on a PC/104 form factor PCB to enable nanosatellite attitude control.
Features: Suitable for CubeSat de-tumbling & magnetic attitude control, compatible with PC/104 form factor and most CubeSat structures, includes 3 separate 1.5 mm pitch PicoLock™ connectors for power input to each axis (connectors can be customized if required).
Additional satellite sub-systems and services
- Propulsion System EPSS C1
- Propulsion System EPSS C2
High-performance and environmentally-friendly propulsion systems for small satellites that are also compatible with CubeSats.
Features: modular design, efficient AND-based monopropellant, and can be scaled for different satellite sizes.
Payload Controller
Payload Controller 1.5
Sub-systems designed to provide an efficient and versatile interface between the payload and bus.
Features: a CortexTM M7 core with a clock speed up to 400 MHz (configurable — 200 MHz typical), 1 MB of integrated RAM, 2 MB of integrated FLASH memory, and including multiple payload interfaces such as CAN, RS422, I2C etc.
Electrical Power System
A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) power conditioning and distribution unit that is compatible with different size and configuration of solar panels without any additional hardware or software configurations.
Features: up to 96% MPPT and output converter efficiency, 4 MPPT converters and 8 solar panel input channels, with wide range input voltage (2.6–18 V), and integrated ideal diodes that minimize the voltage drop to 20 mV.
Satcom FM Repeater
A small satellite FM repeater that is fully pre-programmed and configured prior to shipment according to customer requirements.
Features: user’s voice message is recorded from .mp3 or .wav file as human voice, telegraph or any other legal sound format message, ability to share single VHF reception antenna with other receivers working on the similar band through passive electronic splitter circuit.
Hosted Payload Flight Service
A dedicated rideshare mission including all service aspects typically associated with bus launch and operations including:
- Payload integration
- Performance testing
- Flight acceptance testing
- Spacecraft registration Launch and logistics
- Frequencies allocation
- Commissioning of the spacecraft
- Payload in-orbit operations for 12 months
- Secure data delivery to the customer
Recent Achievements
In recent years Nano Avionics has undergone a period of significant expansion. With 300% growth each year and recognition growing in the industry, the company has been able to develop its operations while also improving core products and processes.
This has led to opportunities to work with and supply missions for some of the most innovative organizations in the field including NASA, ESA, and MIT, as well as private sector clients including Thales Alenia Space, SEN, and Lacuna Space.
“Realizing that our assumptions about the direction of the market, our own growth predictions, and the strategic steps we have taken were all very closely aligned has made it clear we are on the right track!”
The Future at Nano Avionics
With a solid foundation and growing reputation in the industry, the next phase in NanoAvionics’ progress as a technology manufacturer will be driven by client needs. The company has been preparing all aspects of their manufacturing capabilities and commercial structures to grow with its clients.
As their partners reach the final phases of the development, and start launching constellations and full services, Nano Avionics will be able to proceed with serial manufacturing and smooth scaling up due to the product mass manufacturing philosophy they have embedded.
The Future of the Space Industry
As the space industry continues to respond to the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic while also experiencing growth and disruption across many countries around the world, there are several emerging drivers of expansion that are having an impact on commercial activity.
Nano Avionics has highlighted several trends that are all playing a role in the company’s future market strategies:
1. Specialization
The ability of companies to develop precision-engineered, space-qualified components and sub-systems, that are highly reliable yet versatile enough for modern missions and services, requires specialization in key areas.
2. Standardization
The development of modular products, constellations, and the emergence of industry standards for certain technologies (whether formalized or informally regarded as best practice) has driven a lot of innovation in recent years.
For some clients however it is a standardization of result or service quality that is primarily required, as opposed to standardization of technology. The scope of each project is usually highly specific and Nano Avionics has identified that more and more clients are looking for turnkey mission solutions, where Nano Avionics can take care of all aspects of the mission and the client simply receives the data they need.
3. Application of industrial principles
Scaled up mission servicing and mass production will require new approaches to product development as discussed above. Nano Avionics hopes that its work in this area will stand the company in good stead moving forwards.
4. Consolidation of market players
Finally, another trend that we may see in the forthcoming years is an increase in mergers and acquisitions activity as the industry grows. It will be really interesting to see which companies stay independent and which determine that they can have more of an impact by combining with other players.
With that we have reached the end of this article. We hope this article has helped you get a gist of what Nano Avionics is and how it is shaping the future. If you believe we made any mistake or if you have doubt, feel free to ask in the comments section. Stay tuned for the next article, Happy Learning!
