BME Suborbitals CubeSat Flight Experiments

Measurements in the Sky with Eurocircuits

The Payload Team of BME Suborbitals comprises several talented students who aspire to become future satellite designers. In our rockets, we design experiments in CubeSat format. This year, we developed 2 experiments.

The goal of the BiPhys (Bacteria-Phage Interaction Study) experiment is to study the interaction between E. Coli bacteria and a bacteriophage during flight conditions. This way, we can simulate what would happen to the microbiome during spaceflight.

Our other experiment, the MSGA (Multi-Spectral Gas Analyzer) aims to analyze the molecular makeup of the atmosphere through optical measurements.

The Telemetry Computer ensures communication between the rocket and the ground station. This unit transmits the most important flight data in real time. To implement the system, we needed precisely impedance-matched traces and circuits operating with the lowest possible noise. Here, the manufacturing precision provided by EuroCircuits played a key role.

All of these subsystems have a PCB at their core, which was manufactured by EuroCircuits. Together, these subsystems represent a significant step in CubeSat design and hands-on space research here in Hungary.

A great example of how Eurocircuits supports our mission is visible in the MSGA boards. To adhere to our strict size limitations, all of our PCBs are densely populated with electronic parts and connections. These are made possible by the small tolerances and wire widths offered by Eurocircuits. In the case of the MSGA experiment, the high-frequency communication of the linear CCD is particularly critical. Ensuring high signal integrity on these connections is essential to prevent signal noise and guarantee accurate data acquisition. These requirements could only be met with professionally manufactured PCBs.

In CubeSat-style payloads, space and weight are highly constrained, which makes PCB layout and production quality critical. Eurocircuits’ reliable manufacturing allowed us to minimise board size while still ensuring robust performance. Their online design tools and fast turnaround helped us to quickly prototype and improve our boards, enabling multiple design iterations within a single project cycle.

This iterative process was key in creating boards that we can trust during flight conditions. For our team, Eurocircuits has been more than a PCB manufacturer: they provided the foundation on which our experiments could safely operate.

For more information please visit the BME Suborbitals website.