Integration and Miniaturization Challenges in the Design of Micro-Propulsion Systems for Picosatellite Platforms

As a further step in the research towards miniaturization of satellite components and sub-systems, the Department of Space Systems Engineering at the Delft University of Technology has recently embarked in the end-to-end engineering of the Delfi-PQ picosatellite platform, designed according to the PocketQube size standard. This new satellite platform, inspired by the success of previous Delfi satellite projects, is seen as a great opportunity for innovativeness and offers great research challenges. Since a consolidated standard for PocketQubes has not been established yet, a significant amount of design freedom can be harnessed despite the small volume available. The miniaturization process required to integrate the core bus forces the team to think differently about space technology: it is not sufficient to simply down-scaling existing concepts used in larger satellites, and it is often necessary to develop and qualify completely new components and integration methods. The paper is about systems engineering process, technology developments, and verification and validation for the design and development of the micro-propulsion payload for PocketQubes and its integration with the core bus platform.