Kristian Soares

Ke Ao: A Low-Cost 1U CubeSat for Aerospace Education and Research

Overview

The Ke Ao CubeSat is a 1U satellite developed by Team Laniākea as part of the VIP Aerospace Technologies program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The project aims to demonstrate low-cost, student-led satellite design and AI-powered image recognition in space. Ke Ao’s primary mission is to capture images of the Hawaiian Islands from orbit and use machine learning algorithms to autonomously identify them. This aligns with the growing trend of onboard AI processing in small satellites, reducing the need for bandwidth-heavy data transmissions.

Another key objective of this mission is to prove that CubeSats can be developed for under $10,000, significantly lower than the industry standard of $100,000 or more. By leveraging commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, in-house fabrication at the Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL), and collaboration with Firefly Aerospace for launch, Ke Ao serves as a proof-of-concept for cost-effective satellite development. The project also contributes to Hawaii’s aerospace workforce development, preparing students for careers in space engineering.

My Role in the Project

As part of the software development team, my role focused on implementing and testing flight software for Ke Ao’s onboard computer (OBC) and ground station systems. I was responsible for cleaning, documenting, and finalizing the Artemis COSMOS Teensy Flight Software while assisting in the transition to F Prime (F’) for future mission control software. Additionally, I contributed to the development of GNU Radio for signal processing, which is critical for establishing uplink and downlink communication between the CubeSat and the ground station.

I worked alongside my team to debug and restructure various parts of the software, ensuring that it met the standards for safety-critical systems in aerospace applications. My contributions accounted for a significant portion of the software team’s efforts, particularly in documenting the “Life of a Packet”, organizing development kits, and testing code on FlatSat hardware. Furthermore, I co-hosted a GNU Radio workshop and a Git workshop to help onboard new team members.

Lessons Learned

This project gave me invaluable experience in real-world aerospace software development, particularly in satellite flight systems, embedded programming, and RF communications. I learned how to develop software for extreme environments, where efficiency and reliability are crucial. Additionally, working with GNU Radio and F Prime (F’) exposed me to industry-standard tools for satellite communications and mission control.

Beyond technical skills, I gained project management and teamwork experience by collaborating with mechanical, avionics, and fiscal management teams. I also learned the importance of documentation and knowledge transfer, as CubeSat development often spans multiple semesters with different student contributors. This experience has solidified my interest in space systems engineering and has prepared me for future work in aerospace and embedded systems.

Project Components

The Ke Ao CubeSat consists of multiple subsystems:

Current Status

As of Spring 2024, the team has completed 68% of hardware integration and 33% of software development. Key milestones achieved include:

Challenges this semester included hardware delivery delays, which impacted the overall timeline. However, the project is still on track for a future test launch with Firefly Aerospace.

References