Satellite Design Competition 2021 - 22

The Satellite Design Competition invites students to design, construct and operate a nanosatellite payload system with the objective to design a payload to perform a space debris deorbiting mission. Students shall create a payload concept, trade off performance parameters and pass through a rigorous review process with panels of experts within the space industry. The competition aims to reach out to students from multiple scientific fields, including, but not limited to, physicists, engineers and computer scientists.

The competition aims to:

• Challenge students to perform a complex, systems engineering task of the development of a payload to a set of real space mission requirements.
• Gain exposure and experience of the typical design processes and protocols in industry projects, including multiple project reviews.
• Enable students to apply taught technical skills and learn new ones relevant to a job in the space industry in an applicable project environment.
• Provide students with an opportunity to develop and practice other important and transferable skills, such as teamwork, leadership and project management.

This year marks the fifth instalment of the Satellite Design Competition. During the first 2 years, competing teams researched and designed a space mission utilising cubesats for astronomy, where an extensive final report was submitted. In 2019, the competition was expanded to include a build phase, where competing teams had the opportunity to design and construct a nanosatellite payload. The heritage of the competition was kept, where the extensive report was separated out into multiple, smaller reports that can be expected in industry space mission design: a Preliminary Design Report, a Critical Design Report and a Test Readiness Review. This year the competition will be themed around space debris removal and will challenge students to tackle this growing problem.

If you have any questions or inquiries please contact satellites@ukseds.org.

Organisers

UKSEDS

Formed in 1988 and now with over 1000 members and 27 affiliated societies located up and down the country, the UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UKSEDS) is a charity run by student volunteers, for students. We support students and enthusiasts across the country by running space projects, hosting conferences and workshops, and doing outreach to inspire and educate the next generation of space enthusiasts. We run and support multiple events throughout each year, including events, workshops, competitions and conferences. Our most popular being the National Student Space Conference (NSSC), which is held annually every March.

SSPI

Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. With more than 3,700 members in 40 nations, it is the largest space and satellite industry association in the world. It delivers on its mission through programs that promote space and satellite as the invisible but indispensable infrastructure of the modern world, and that help turn individual promise into careers filled with purpose through research, career education for young people, management education for working professionals and talent recognition that spans the industry. SSPI maintains local chapters in the US, UK, Luxembourg, Brazil, Nigeria and Japan, and an international women’s group, Women in Space Engagement or SSPI-WISE.

AIRBUS

Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The Company constantly innovates to provide efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. Airbus is the global leader for modern and fuel-efficient airliners and associated services. Airbus is a European leader in defence and security and one of the world's leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions and services worldwide. Airbus Defence and Space is the UK’s largest space company with turnover in excess of £1 billion and is the third largest aerospace and defence employer in the UK with more than 3,500 highly skilled employees. Airbus Defence and Space makes up over 70 per cent of the UK’s space industry, providing a vital national industrial capability; and leverages its capability as a system prime to develop SME supply chains, maintain links with UK and global academic institutions, and bring forward the next generation of talent for a future STEM-based workforce both in the space sector and beyond.

NanoAvionics

NanoAvionics is a smallsat bus manufacturer and mission integrator currently based in four locations across the USA, UK and Lithuania. The company’s efforts are focused on enabling critical satellite functions and optimising their hardware, launch and satellite operation costs by providing end-to-end small satellite solutions – ranging from single missions to constellations. Its core engineering team has implemented over 90 successful satellite missions and commercial projects during the past several years. With a modularity such as the fundamental principle of NanoAvionics systems’ architecture, NanoAvionics provides economic viability to a wide range of small satellite constellation-based missions, businesses and organizations worldwide.

Key Dates

Competition Launch	25th October 2021
Deadline for Competition registration	21st November 2021
Requirements Freeze	7th November 2021
Preliminary Design Review	19th December 2021
PDR Feedback	24th January 2022
Critical Design Review	27th March 2022
CDR Reviewer Meeting	15th April 2022
5 Teams selected	29th April 2022
Competition Grant Deadline	15th May 2022
Test Readiness Review	3rd July 2022
Competition Event	9/16 July 2022

Useful links

Previous winners

Last year's site

Resources

Rules and requirements	PDR Template	CDR Template
TRR Template	Orbital Parameters	FAQ

Learn more about the organisers and sponsors

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