Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [space]

34 questions
19
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5 answers

What challenges restrict the resolution of spacefaring digital cameras?

I've been reading up about NASA's Juno mission, and came across the Wikipedia article about JunoCam, which is Juno's onboard visible-light camera. In the article, it's mentioned that the resolution of the sensor is 1200x1600 pixels, which comes out…
Jules
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Are chicken bits left in space-qualified ICs?

A chicken bit "is a bit on a chip that can be used by the designer to disable one of the features of the chip if it proves faulty or negatively impacts performance." Would space-qualified logic components leave this feature in, or would the final…
My Other Head
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3 answers

Does a pickup microphone work in space (vacuum)?

Of course in space there is no sound transmitted via air, so there is no air-borne sound, but there is structure borne sound. This sound can be recorded with a pickup microphone, but do pickup microphones need air to work as well? Considering that a…
Karsten Becker
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Design Considerations for Electronics in Space

What additional constraints do we face when designing electronics/microsystems for use in orbit? What kinds of shielding techniques are employed? Is it common to enclose all electronics in a faraday cage, or are other shielding methods…
RYS
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6
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2 answers

Current limiting solution for pocketqube satellite

A project I am working on requires a reliable current limiting solution for a pocketqube picosatellite. Currently a Texas TPS2553 is being employed which will cut power once the limit is hit. We are concerned that this could enter the power supply…
MIL-SPEC
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5
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2 answers

Threaded alternative to MMCX connectors which mates to RG-316/U

I'm currently in the process of redesigning the RF section of a communications system for a cube satellite. There are two PCBs in this system: one containing the down/up converters and modem, and another with the spring loaded dipole antennas,…
Synchrondyne
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4
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Key differences between solar-cells used for terrestrial and space applications

I'm looking for some of the key differences in materials for solar panels used in terrestrial vs. space-based applications. I have read the GaAs is common for space applications due to its relatively high efficiency. I'm hoping a few people in the…
RYS
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4
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2 answers

Good Batteries for (way) Sub-Zero Temperatures

I am building a PongSat and I need some batteries that can withstand the temperatures found at very high altitudes. The pongsat is planned to go up to around 100 km altitudes where the temperature is around -90 degrees Celsius. I was planning to use…
Koppany Horvath
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5 answers

What are the limitations of USB in aerospace (especially microsatellites)?

I have just joined a startup company that builds microsatellites. But I am quite new to the aerospace field. I noticed that to connect components with the onboard computer we use many electrical protocols such as SPI, I²C, RS-485, SpaceWire, etc.,…
LastStarDust
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3
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High-voltage capacitors in space

I'm currently designing an high voltage DC/DC converter, from a linear technology app-note. My goal is to bias an avalanche photodiode with 200 to 300V, on a small educational satellite. I picked the circuit from figure 16, at page for that. My…
pserra
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Why have space-grade components such long leads?

What are the reasons why (some) space-grade components are shaped like they are, with their characteristic long flat leads, golden finish, etc.? Image: DP83561-SP from TI Are the assembly houses supposed to cut the leads to a correct length? What…
Harnex
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2
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Is there anyway to fit a breadboard into a 1.5 inch wide space?

I am working on a model rocket and want to add electrical parts to it via a breadboard inside. The space I have to work with is only about 40mm wide. Is there any kind of breadboard that can fit in this space or any way to modify a breadboard to fit…
Aquack
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What are the consequences of not having a magnetic field in the atmosphere on electronics?

Electronics super-noob here! (I did EE in school but have managed to forget practically everything since, to an alarming degree!). I'm wondering how the field of electrical engineering and electronics would be affected if humans, say, colonized any…
8bitcartridge
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Adjustable DC/DC converter and/or LDOs for space application

I am currently designing a system for a satellite and I am looking into the components to generate the required low-voltages, and I was wondering if maybe the collective knowledge of stackexchange could be of some help. Some specs: input voltage:…
Cesco
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Reliability of electronic components in space

The Tesla car being recently shot into space made me wonder about the reliability of common electronic components in hard vacuum. I'm asking about the kind of components you would find in Musks's car-turned-stellar object, not specific components…
bobflux
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