Expansion and Steady Progress

We’ve been busy at the Aphelion R&D facility lately and making steady progress on our Trailblazer vehicle! Engine development has been coming together very well and the composite chamber is currently being manufactured. The test facility, which will accommodate engines up to 30kN in thrust (for our orbital launch vehicle), is now under constructions and parts for it are coming over the next few weeks. Last but not least, we’ve invested a lot of time into our green hypergolic propellant production facility which will enable us to test and fly with minimal turnaround time. As things stand, we will be having our first test of the 9.5kN main engine in March.

Meanwhile, two new products for our Cubesat line will be released this month. We have also been putting the EPS and OBC software through their paces, so we will be able to officially start selling the Cubesat bus very soon.

Finally, our facility expansion is on the way! This for the time being will enable us to produce and launch Trailblazer vehicles multiple times a year.

Progress on Cubesat Systems

Evolved from our previous 1st generation EPS, Aphelion’s Primary Bus Module (PBM) is now undergoing rigorous testing in our facility! The PBM is a highly integrated, single-board electrical power system and OBC which supports Cubesats up to 3U, offering significant mass and volume savings while simplifying system design. And we will be offering it at a great price! Complete software drivers are supplied for PerihelionOS and we offer comprehensive support and service integrating it into your Cubesat mission.

Features include:

• 5 maximum power point tracking (MPPT) inputs with 40W input capacity
• 7 independently controlled and monitored output rails with an output capacity of 5V/3A and 3.3V/4A
• 4 channels dedicated for high current deployment mechanisms
• High-performance OBC processor with EEPROM, SD card slot, and integrated MEMS accelerometer/gyroscope
• High-reliability 6-layer PCB and space-rated Lithium cells individually tested in thermal vacuum according to GSFC-STD-7000 standard

We are currently in the process of qualifying production techniques, so the release date is tentatively set for December 2017. And we are offering a small discount for everyone who signs up below!  

Nanosatellite Store is Live!

www.nanolaunchers.com is live! We now carry in stock a selection of 1U Cubesat structures and triple junction solar arrays and offer 2U/3U/customized solar panels with a 4 week lead time depending on configuration. These products have been rigorously tested in thermal vacuum and vibration environments. We strongly suggest mission planners and designers to check them out as they are currently being offered at a highly discounted price.

These products are a small glimpse of what is to come in our Cassiopeia Cubesat ecosystem. The core monolithic EPS/OBC module will be made available in the coming weeks with a complete flight software solution. We are also developing software and drivers for our ADCS and communication modules, which are to be released in the next few months. Stay tuned for more!