PILOT stands for PSLV In-Orbital OBC and Thermals is a 1U payload for the PS4 stage of PSLV-C55 (POEM-2) developed at SSPACE. I proposed the project during the last semester of my B.tech program at IIST. PILOT consists of an On-board computer, a PSLV interface board and a sensor board.
Brief specifications of PILOT are as follows -
- Size - 1U (10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm)
- Mass < 1kg
- Power - 5 V/ 2 W
The objectives of PILOT are as follows -
1. In-orbit qualification of On-board computer
This on-board computer is planned to support multiple future missions of IIST. PILOT would help to understand the behaviour of the OBC in the orbit. Especially focusing on the number of resets, SEU, SEL and the behaviour of a commercial SD-card.
2. Thermal Body Validation Various sensors are put on the PILOT’s body. Temperatures from all these sensors for thermal model validation of the structure.
3. Validation of in-house flight software PILOT’s OBC runs a flight software fully developed by students at IIST. This mission will help students getting a hands-on experience on developing software for small satellites.
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