Apprenticeship 2017-2018: Quetzal Luebke-Laroque

For this school year, I have a set of priorities. Some of these are 
constrained by overall project management for ARC2, while others are for my own education 
and professional development. ARC2 is expected to launch in Fall 2018, so it needs to be fully 
built and tested at some time in Summer 2018. These times are unknown because we do not 
yet have a precise delivery or launch date.  
 
My first priority is machining the structural rails for ARC2. We have already finalized the 
structure design, so now I am working with the SSEP’s new CNC milling machine. This includes 
learning SprutCam, which allows us to generate sophisticated g-code for cutting almost any 
geometry. As I continue to learn more details of SprutCam, I am teaching the other mechanical 
students how to use it. We are trying to move to a system where no g-code has to be manually 
written. My responsibility is machining the “rails”, which are the four vertical parts of the structure which allow it to interface in the satellite launcher. I am currently in the process of 
machining these. The whole structure of the satellite needs to be done by the end of 2017. This 
will allow us at least 6 months for testing and potential re-designs. 
 
My next priority is working on a system to physically test the Attitude Determination and Control 
System (ADCS). I have planned a system to hang the satellite from a very strong carbon fiber 
strand inside a vacuum chamber. Then, the non-magnetic vacuum chamber can be placed in 
the SSEP’s Helmholtz Cage, which is used to generate magnetic fields. Suspending the satellite 
in the Helmholtz Cage will allow us to simulate conditions in orbit, and make sure ADCS will 
actually be able to control the satellite’s orientation. This design has already been prototyped 
and I have proof of concept. The goal is to have this design working by the end of 2017, to allow 
plenty of testing time.  
 
The third priority is STK(Systems Tool Kit) analysis. 
When we do secure a launch date, I will need to use STK (a professional space simulation 
software) to simulate the generated power from ARC2’s solar panels while in orbit, and to 
simulate the updated orbit trajectory. I am currently working on a MATLAB script for analyzing 
average solar panel power over a long time period, based on data from STK. This is important 
data for finding the overall electrical capabilities of the satellite. All this STK analysis will need to 
be done almost immediately when we secure a launch. The skills I develop in STK are entirely 
relevant to almost any space mission I work with in the future. I plan to get a certification for 
STK, and potentially also a certification for Solidworks. 
 
The final priority is working with others on designing an improved structural design for future 
CubeSats. This is an important task, but it does not have a specific deadline. At this point, all we 
know is that the next satellite built by the SSEP should not use the current structure design. The 
future design should be simpler, optimized for easy manufacturing, scalable, and strength. I will 
be working with essentially everyone in the lab to design this new structure, not just other 
mechanical students. At this stage, we will only be prototyping, and it will probably be several 
years before any new structure designs are finalized.