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: 1
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.