Helmholtz Cage for Attitude Testing Of CubeSat

Abstract

CubeSats are small satellites which are used to conduct space research at a fraction of the cost of a fully built satellite.is In order to test CubeSat, a testing environment similar to space is to be developed, which is usually provided by Helmholtz cage. This work presents the design of a Helmholtz cage to provide a dynamic, 3-axis uniform magnetic field and create an environment similar to the geomagnetic field a satellite would experience on-orbit. The design of the CubeSat consists of ADCS (attitude determination and control subsystem) which is a crucial subsystem of a spacecraft. The ADCS dependent upon sensing the geomagnetic field in space via magnetometer and/or use the geomagnetic field to torque the spacecraft via torque coils. The 2m*2m*2m Helmholtz cage deigned in this work is used to test the magnetometer and the magnetorquer of the ADCS. The mechanical design of the Helmholtz cage is designed using Auto Desk, the number of turns of the copper coil and its sizing is determined using Matlab based simulation studies.