Changes

== Our Website: [https://saplingsat.org saplingsat.org] ==

== Our Website: [https://saplingsat.org saplingsat.org] ==

One of our main goals of the satellites team is to increase accessibility to space, and while we can have made a ton of progress on this from an engineering standpoint, it's pretty limited unless we get the word out. So we made a website! At [https://saplingsat.org saplingsat.org], you'll be able to find everything from our project overview to how to assemble our main flight computer. If you wanna take a deep dive into our software repositories or just brush up on terminology, the website is the place for you :)

One of our main goals of the satellites team is to increase accessibility to space, and while we can have made a ton of progress on this from an engineering standpoint, it's pretty limited unless we get the word out. So we made a website! At [https://saplingsat.org '''saplingsat.org'''], you'll be able to find everything from our project overview to how to assemble our main flight computer. If you wanna take a deep dive into our software repositories or just brush up on terminology, the website is the place for you :)

== Current Mission: SAMWISE ==

== Current Mission: SAMWISE ==

Our current mission is SAMWISE, a 2U CubeSat (10cm x 10cm x 20cm rectangle) with a bunch of super cool technologies. Stay tuned.

Our current mission is SAMWISE, a 2U CubeSat (10cm x 10cm x 20cm rectangle) with a bunch of super cool technologies. Stay tuned.

== Subteams ==

== Subteams ==

Welcome to the payload subteam! The payload often defines the mission of the satellite, so it's basically the most important part :) These payloads can be anything from telescopes like Hubble to communication systems like Starlink. Our recent satellites have largely focused on low-cost camera systems and radio modules. This subteam covers a huge variety of topics, so no matter your interests definitely join the Slack and reach out!  

Welcome to the payload subteam! The payload often defines the mission of the satellite, so it's basically the most important part :) These payloads can be anything from telescopes like Hubble to communication systems like Starlink. Our recent satellites have largely focused on low-cost camera systems and radio modules. This subteam covers a huge variety of topics, so no matter your interests definitely join the Slack and reach out!  

Our current projects are developing a multi-camera system and a higher speed radio module for the SAMWISE mission. This system is based on the Raspberry Pi architecture and will include an Earth-facing camera, a star tracker used in conjunction with our ADCS system, and a selfie camera! The higher speed radio will allow us to more quickly send images back down to Earth.

Our current projects are developing a multi-camera system and a higher speed radio module for the SAMWISE mission. This system is based on the Raspberry Pi architecture and will include an Earth-facing camera, a star tracker used in conjunction with our ADCS system, and a selfie camera! The higher speed radio will allow us to more quickly send images back down to Earth.  

 

In our ''Sapling'' missions, the payloads consisted of a Google Coral Dev Board Mini computer and a Google Coral Camera. These payloads were selected to demonstrate on-orbit image processing and selection using an AI filter. This process would allow the Google Coral to select a single "best" image out of a series of images taken, reducing the amount of data needed to be transmitted down to Earth.

=== Software ===

=== Software ===

Slack channel: [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/messages/satellites-structures satellites-structures]          Subteam Leads: Jacob Mukobi, Siolé Mayeski, and Jeremy Merritt

Slack channel: [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/messages/satellites-structures satellites-structures]          Subteam Leads: Jacob Mukobi, Siolé Mayeski, and Jeremy Merritt

Here's the description

 

Our upcoming satellite is going to be twice as big as our last one, so one of the big projects this year is to design its structure! It will be an evolution of our current sheet metal structure and its design will determine how everything else in the satellite fits together. We're also going to be including a number of deployables (stuff that folds out from the main structure) on this upcoming satellite, including bigger solar panels and a selfie stick (!!!), so if you're interested at all click that link above and join the Slack channel!

=== Systems ===

=== Systems ===

Sapling-2 also showcased an advanced attitude determination and control system (ADCS) featuring magnetorquer coils positioned on each of the six faces of the satellite. When activated, the magnetic field created by these coils interacts with the Earth's magnetic field and generates a torque on the satellite, allowing for rotation around all three axes. This could be used to de-tumble the satellite after deployment and for pointing of the Google Coral camera.  

Sapling-2 also showcased an advanced attitude determination and control system (ADCS) featuring magnetorquer coils positioned on each of the six faces of the satellite. When activated, the magnetic field created by these coils interacts with the Earth's magnetic field and generates a torque on the satellite, allowing for rotation around all three axes. This could be used to de-tumble the satellite after deployment and for pointing of the Google Coral camera.  

On June 18th, 2023, Sapling-2 stopped sending telemetry. While the precise cause is unknown, it is likely that a solar storm which occurred around that time disabled the satellite. Prior to its shutdown the satellite was in good health, with a high state of charge and in a nominal temperature range.   

On June 18th, 2023, Sapling-2 stopped sending telemetry. While the precise cause is unknown, it is likely that a solar storm which occurred around that time disabled the satellite. Prior to its shutdown the satellite was in good health, with a high state of charge and in a nominal temperature range. Despite this early loss of the satellite, Sapling-2 was a success on a great number of levels and laid the groundwork for future missions.   

=== ''Sapling'' ''Sempervirens'': 2020–2023 ===

=== ''Sapling'' ''Sempervirens'': 2020–2023 ===

[[File:Sapling1.jpeg|thumb|''Sapling Sempervirens'' before delivery]]

[[File:Sapling1.jpeg|thumb|''Sapling Sempervirens'' before delivery]]

Also referred to as Sapling-1, this was the first of the ''Sapling'' 1U cubesats (better descriptions to come + photos!)

Also referred to as Sapling-1, this was the first of the ''Sapling'' 1U CubeSats. While [https://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/Category:Satellites#POINTR:_.5Byear.5D.E2.80.932018 POINTR] was the Satellite team's first payload to reach space, Sapling-1 would be the first entire satellite designed and built in-house by SSI.

 

Paragraph on the avionics (PyCubed version, battery board)

 

 

The payload of Sapling-1 consisted of a [https://coral.ai/products/dev-board-mini Google Coral Dev Board Mini] computer and a [https://coral.ai/products/camera/ Google Coral Camera]. This payload was selected to demonstrate on-orbit image processing and selection using an AI filter. The Coral would use this processing to select a single "best" image out of a series of images taken, reducing the amount of data needed to be transmitted down to Earth. The camera was mounted on the Z- face of the satellite opposite the antennas (towards the table in the photo on the right).

=== Sequoia: 2019–2020 ===

=== Sequoia: 2019–2020 ===

Sequoia was a planned 3U CubeSat that would demonstrate on-board image classification and processing with updateable machine learning models. The goal of the project was to obtain a high volume of scientifically important imagery for ecological and climatology research. Researchers many times have no need of images saturated with clouds or uninteresting areas—so why not filter them out with a convolutional neural network? We will retrain Sequoia’s deep learning with images taken by the satellite, uplinking improvements. SSI worked on developing deep learning models for forest fire risk assessment and detection and a number of other applications. The mission architecture is user definable with the operator specifying desirable image locations or types and resolutions, and the satellite maximizing delivery of fully open-source images.  

Sequoia was a planned 3U CubeSat that would demonstrate on-board image classification and processing with updateable machine learning models. The goal of the project was to obtain a high volume of scientifically important imagery for ecological and climatology research. Researchers many times have no need of images saturated with clouds or uninteresting areas—so why not filter them out with a convolutional neural network? Sequoia’s deep learning with images taken by the satellite would be retained, with improvements implemented on-orbit. SSI worked on developing deep learning models for forest fire risk assessment and detection and a number of other applications. The mission architecture was user definable with the operator specifying desirable image locations or types and resolutions, and the satellite planned to maximize delivery of fully open-source images.  

Project materials can be found in the [https://github.com/stanford-ssi/Sequoia Sequoia GitHub].

Project materials can be found in the [https://github.com/stanford-ssi/Sequoia Sequoia GitHub].

=== POINTR: [year]–2018 ===

=== POINTR: [year]–2018 ===

The Satellites Team developed various [[Optical Communications]] technologies, culminating in the launch of [[POINTR]]. This was a 1U segment of a 3U CubeSat launched in 2018, but it unfortunately never connected with ground control due to improper orbital insertion from the launch provider.  

The Satellites team developed various [[Optical Communications]] technologies, culminating in the launch of [[POINTR]]. This was a 1U segment of a 3U CubeSat launched in 2018, but it unfortunately never connected with ground control due to improper orbital insertion from the launch provider.  

=== Additional Projects ===

=== Additional Projects ===