Company Developing CubeSats To Be Launched From ISS

A satellite manufactured by CRP USA is setting the stage for a new era of reduced size, high reliability, 3D printed satellites, the company says. TuPOD encompassing a 3U CubeSat with a deployment platform for two smaller satellites (TubeSats).

TuPOD is the first complete 3D printed satellite to be launched from the ISS, it utilizes ground breaking carbon fiber reinforced composite material Windform XT 2.0 supplied by CRP USA. Windform XT 2.0 is known for its superior mechanical properties and has passed outgassing screening at NASA so it is suitable for space applications.

As demand grows for cost effective "nanosatellites" CRP engineers are innovating, adapting existing technologies, and pushing technological boundaries.  Given that TubeSats are cylindrical in shape and not compatible with the normal CubeSats deployer platform (P-POD) on ISS, an innovative nano-satellite, TuPOD (Tubesat-POD), was developed to address the issue.

"Using Windform XT 2.0 material in the 3D manufacturing of TuPOD was one of the best decisions we have ever made," said Amin Djamshidpour, designer of TuPOD. "During the prototyping phase and even during final manufacturing, we got into multiple situations where we needed to drill parts or make small modifications to the 3D printed structure, working with Windform XT 2.0 gave us the ability to do so."

The TubeSats contained within TuPOD are the results of different collaborations. The concept for TANCREDO-1 was developed by Brazilian students from "Escola Municipal Presidente Tancredo de Almeida Neves" and INPE as part of the UbatubaSat Project. OSNSAT was developed by the Californian company, Open Space Network.

TuPOD satellite/deployer is the result of a successful international collaboration between CRP USA (manufacturer), Teton Aerospace (Tetonsys), Morehead State University, JAXA, the TANCREDO and OSNAT teams.

(Image provided with CRP USA news release)

FMI: crp-group.com