In this thesis, the development of a structure for use in an educational CubeSat kit is explored. The potential uses of this kit include augmenting existing curricula with aspects of hands on learning, developing new ways of training students on proper space systems engineering practices, and overall contributing to academic capacity building at Cal Poly and its collaborators. The design improves on existing CubeSat kit structures by increasing accessibility to internal components by implementing a modular backplane system, as well as adding the ability to be environmentally tested. Manufacturing of the structure is completed with both additive (Fused Deposition Modeling with ABS polymer and Selective Laser Melting with AlSi10Mg metal) and subtractive (milling with Al-6061) technologies. Modal, harmonic, and random vibration analyses and tests are done to ensure the structure passes vibration testing qualification loads, as outlined by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s General Environmental Standards. Successful testing of the structure, defined as deforming less than 0.5 millimeters and maintaining a factor of safety above 2, is achieved with all materials of interest. Thus, the structure becomes the first publicly available CubeSat kit designed to survive environmental testing. Achieving this goal with a structure made of the cheap, widely available material ABS showcases the potential usability of 3D-printed polymers in CubeSat structures.
","abstract_html":"<p>In this thesis, the development of a structure for use in an educational CubeSat kit is explored. The potential uses of this kit include augmenting existing curricula with aspects of hands on learning, developing new ways of training students on proper space systems engineering practices, and overall contributing to academic capacity building at Cal Poly and its collaborators. The design improves on existing CubeSat kit structures by increasing accessibility to internal components by implementing a modular backplane system, as well as adding the ability to be environmentally tested. Manufacturing of the structure is completed with both additive (Fused Deposition Modeling with ABS polymer and Selective Laser Melting with AlSi10Mg metal) and subtractive (milling with Al-6061) technologies. Modal, harmonic, and random vibration analyses and tests are done to ensure the structure passes vibration testing qualification loads, as outlined by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s General Environmental Standards. Successful testing of the structure, defined as deforming less than 0.5 millimeters and maintaining a factor of safety above 2, is achieved with all materials of interest. Thus, the structure becomes the first publicly available CubeSat kit designed to survive environmental testing. Achieving this goal with a structure made of the cheap, widely available material ABS showcases the potential usability of 3D-printed polymers in CubeSat structures.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Snyder, Nicholas B"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Pauline Faure","Aerospace Engineering","College of Engineering"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z","subjects":["Small Sat","Vibration Analysis and Testing","Additive Manufacturing","Capacity Building","Engineering Education","Space Vehicles","Structures and Materials","Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2020.50"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2020.50","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2020.50","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2148","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Pauline Faure","Aerospace Engineering","College of Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Snyder, Nicholas B"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-06-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Small Sat","Vibration Analysis and Testing","Additive Manufacturing","Capacity Building","Engineering Education","Space Vehicles","Structures and Materials","Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2148","10.15368/theses.2020.50"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this thesis, the development of a structure for use in an educational CubeSat kit is explored. The potential uses of this kit include augmenting existing curricula with aspects of hands on learning, developing new ways of training students on proper space systems engineering practices, and overall contributing to academic capacity building at Cal Poly and its collaborators. The design improves on existing CubeSat kit structures by increasing accessibility to internal components by implementing a modular backplane system, as well as adding the ability to be environmentally tested. Manufacturing of the structure is completed with both additive (Fused Deposition Modeling with ABS polymer and Selective Laser Melting with AlSi10Mg metal) and subtractive (milling with Al-6061) technologies. Modal, harmonic, and random vibration analyses and tests are done to ensure the structure passes vibration testing qualification loads, as outlined by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s General Environmental Standards. Successful testing of the structure, defined as deforming less than 0.5 millimeters and maintaining a factor of safety above 2, is achieved with all materials of interest. Thus, the structure becomes the first publicly available CubeSat kit designed to survive environmental testing. Achieving this goal with a structure made of the cheap, widely available material ABS showcases the potential usability of 3D-printed polymers in CubeSat structures.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Design, Validation, and Verification of the Cal Poly Educational Cubesat Kit Structure"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Pauline Faure","Aerospace Engineering","College of Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Snyder, Nicholas B"],"dc:date.available":["2020-06-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this thesis, the development of a structure for use in an educational CubeSat kit is explored. The potential uses of this kit include augmenting existing curricula with aspects of hands on learning, developing new ways of training students on proper space systems engineering practices, and overall contributing to academic capacity building at Cal Poly and its collaborators. The design improves on existing CubeSat kit structures by increasing accessibility to internal components by implementing a modular backplane system, as well as adding the ability to be environmentally tested. Manufacturing of the structure is completed with both additive (Fused Deposition Modeling with ABS polymer and Selective Laser Melting with AlSi10Mg metal) and subtractive (milling with Al-6061) technologies. Modal, harmonic, and random vibration analyses and tests are done to ensure the structure passes vibration testing qualification loads, as outlined by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s General Environmental Standards. Successful testing of the structure, defined as deforming less than 0.5 millimeters and maintaining a factor of safety above 2, is achieved with all materials of interest. Thus, the structure becomes the first publicly available CubeSat kit designed to survive environmental testing. Achieving this goal with a structure made of the cheap, widely available material ABS showcases the potential usability of 3D-printed polymers in CubeSat structures.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2148","10.15368/theses.2020.50"],"dc:subject":["Small Sat","Vibration Analysis and Testing","Additive Manufacturing","Capacity Building","Engineering Education","Space Vehicles","Structures and Materials","Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"],"dc:title":["Design, Validation, and Verification of the Cal Poly Educational Cubesat Kit Structure"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z"}