CUBESAT

Description

The CubeSat Prototype project is designed as an educational model to demonstrate how satellites collect, process, and interpret real-time data using onboard sensors and microcontrollers. Although it is not a space-ready satellite, it accurately represents the essential systems used in modern Earth-observation satellites for environmental monitoring, navigation, and orientation. The main objective is to make satellite technology more understandable and accessible to students by recreating its core functions using simple, affordable electronic components.

The project aims to build a compact, functioning system capable of gathering multiple types of environmental and positional data simultaneously. An Arduino Nano is used as the onboard computer, similar to the processing units found in real satellites. It communicates with several sensors that measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, altitude, magnetic field, movement, and global positioning. Each of these represents a subsystem commonly found in actual scientific satellites.

The DHT11 sensor measures temperature and humidity, while the BMP180 sensor estimates altitude through changes in air pressure. The HMC5883L magnetometer functions as a digital compass, identifying orientation relative to Earth’s magnetic field. The MPU6050 accelerometer-gyroscope module detects movement and tilt, helping understand real-time orientation. The NEO-6M GPS module provides accurate latitude and longitude, demonstrating how satellites track their position.