Join the EPFL Spacecraft Team !

RECRUITMENT SESSION

19H15 Thursday 29th of September in ce 1 5

The only student association on the campus dedicated to building spacecrafts. No matter your background or section, if you are motivated, this is a unique opportunity! Discover the space industry with us, through the CHESS mission: launch 2 nano-satellites into space.

Ready to learn and enrich your student experience in a great association ?

Did you miss our recruitment sesson? Don’t worry. You can find the recording online.

Application

You can apply to the EPFL Spacecraft Team using either the form for the CHESS Mission or the form for the cansat project. We will contact you to schedule an interview. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

Project description

Below is a list of projects for the 2022 spring semester. There are association roles but also semester project positions. We are also launching a new project (Cansat mission) so we will need a lot of people for this one and the roles are not listed here. You will have more information during the recruiting session.

CDR lead
Type of project: Semester ptoject

Participants: 1 Student

Description: Main systems engineer to prepare the mission for Critical Design Review.

Launch and pre-launch

Type of project: Association

Participants: 1 Student

Description: Detailed plan from phase D to launch, launcher selection, pod selection, logistic from EPFL to space.

Test bench orbit simulator

Type of Project: Association

Participants: 1 Student

Description: Adapt the orbit propagator to provide the following inputs to the satellite:

– Telecom windows/quality

– Sun exposure

– Position

– Temperature of the satellite

Risk analysis

Type of Project: Association or Semester project

Participants: 1 Student

Section: all, STI, minor space tech, elec, IC, Physics, Math

Description: Create a detailed risk analysis of the project focusing on failures of other missions/lessons learned, human aspect and technical failures, and propose adequate counter measures.

Skills needed:

  • Spacecraft design
  • Systems engineering

Simulation

Type of project: Association

Participants: 1 students

Description:  Thermal and vibration simulation and Catia implementation.

Detailed CAD

Type of project: Association

Participants: 1 students

Description:  Catia implementation

ADCS testbench

Type of project: Semester project / Association

Participants: 1 student

Description: Build a 3 DOF in rotation test bench for the ADCS. Test it and test the ADCS. Integrate the ADCS in the flatsat.

 

Inhouse ADCS
Type of project: Association

Participants: 1 student

Description: Build a really simple low-cost in-house ADCS

Hardware design iteration II

Type of Project: Semester project

Participants: 1 student

PIC implementation

Type of Project:Association

Participants: 1 student

Description: Finish the implementation of the PIC, test it on our prototype. Improve the design

OBC Testbench integration

Type of Project: Association

Participants:

Description: Integrate the OBC with ADCS, EPS and telecom modules

FS implementation for Endurosat OBC

Type of Project: Association or Semester project

Participants: 2 students for a semester project and multiple people for association

Background and skills:

  • C/C++

Port and implement F’ on the in-house OBC

Type of Project: Association or Semester project

Participants: 1 student for semester project and several people for association

Description: Integrate with cysec system

Simulator

Type of Project: Association

Participants: 1 student

Description: Create a simulator of all subsystems

Power simulations

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1-2

Description: Develop power simulation module for the flatsat

Inhouse EPS

Type of Project: Semester project

Participants: 1 student

Description: PCB circuit design, MPPT algorithm development and appropriate components choice for space missions.

UHF ground station iteration II

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1 student

X-band ground antenna

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1 student

X-band ground station mount

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1 student

Ground station system engineer/lead

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1 student

Description: Coordinate the work on the ground station, make sure everything works

Mission control software

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1 student

Description: Decide on final mission control software, get a working prototype

Testbench Design I

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1 student

Description: Help building the test bench by building a block to: 

– intercept and read all communication

– detect anomalies

– visualise the output

– log informations

VP for operation

Type of Project: Association

Participants: 1

Description: Make coordinator

Legal manager

Type of Project: Association

Participants: 1

Description: Manage contracts, status and legal requirements for chess

CHESS project manager

Type of Project: Association

Participants: 1

VP for sponsoring 

Type of project: Association

Participants: 1 students

Sponsoring manager

Type of project: Association

Participants: lot of people needed

Description: Get funding for the mission



Website master

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 2 student

Description: Maintain and update/improve the website

Social media master

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 1 student

Description: Take care of the social media channels and create content

Event manager

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 2 students

Description: Organize events including workshops, reviews and aperos

Print designer

Type of Project: Association 

Participants: 4 students

Description: Design print media like flyers, posters documents, templates…

After 3 years of development of the CHESS space mission, a mission that consists of putting two 3u CubeSats in orbit for scientific purposes, the EPFL Spacecraft team, the team developing and coordinating CHESS, realized that because of the necessity of very specific skills in its members it would be a good idea to have a separate project which trains the new students interested in joining the development of CHESS. With this goal in mind, the project consists of a competition evaluating the development of a CanSat.

A CanSat is a miniature satellite integrated within the shape and volume of a can which is launched and deployed at high altitude and operates while in controlled descent. 

The development of the satellite would last a full semester and each group (4-5 students) would have to develop its own. The development consists of designing, building, programming and testing the CanSat. All the CanSats will be launched and deployed at the end of the semester. For preparation purposes the students will be invited to 2 required workshops, which are about basics of systems engineering and testing, and 5 optional ones covering embedded software, control electronics, recovery systems, telecommunication and power electronics. Additionally, the teams will be in close contact with members from the main mission receiving feedback on their CanSat. There are a few required features the CanSats should have, like being able to measure pressure and temperature, but the teams are free to add all the features they like while respecting the requirements. Since they will be launched, the CanSats should also be able to withstand very high acceleration while remaining lightweight and precise.

The project would allow the participants to get familiar with not only the technical aspects of the development, giving them insight on what subsystem they are more comfortable with, but also the procedure behind missions like CHESS.