TeraLink-1
Structural design and mechanical integration for a custom 6U CubeSat carrying a 225 GHz communications payload.
Earlier team spacecraft configuration. My scope covers the structure, custom mounts, and mechanical interfaces. Assembly views include other subsystems.
Structural subsystem
TeraLink-1 is a 6U communications CubeSat developed by the Northeastern Satellite Laboratory for the University Nanosatellite Program. Its payload requires clear antenna apertures and mounting space within a constrained spacecraft envelope.
The custom frame supports the spacecraft bus and payload while providing interfaces for electronics, attitude-control hardware, deployables, and external panels.
Responsibilities
- Own structural CAD, frame layout, and custom mounting interfaces.
- Coordinate component placement and mechanical interfaces across the spacecraft team.
- Run static and modal finite element analysis across six frame iterations.
- Coordinate manufacturing reviews and technical exchanges with Amphenol CIT.
Payload clearance and frame layout
Large openings accommodate payload hardware and antenna apertures. The frame layout must preserve these clearances while supporting launch loads and providing attachment surfaces for the bus hardware.
The documented structure uses 6061-T6 aluminum. Chassis panels and connecting members form the primary frame, with dedicated brackets and mounts for internal and external hardware.
| Spacecraft format | 6U CubeSat |
|---|---|
| Maximum spacecraft mass | 12 kg |
| Payload antenna aperture | 82 × 82 mm minimum clear opening |
| Quasi-static acceleration | 30 g in each principal axis |
| Axial load | 1200 N |
Component mounting
Custom mounts locate subsystem hardware within the frame. Interface work includes attachment geometry, available clearance, and coordination with the responsible subsystem leads.
The CAD details below show the reaction-wheel mounting plate and the deployable magnetic-field sensor bracket in the earlier assembly configuration. The reaction-wheel units and sensor hardware are subsystem components.
Static and modal analysis
The Ansys model retains the primary frame geometry and represents major components as remote point masses at approximate component centers of mass. The earlier CDR model uses deformable attachments, bonded structural joints, and simplified rail-interface restraints.
Load cases include 30 g acceleration applied separately in X, Y, and Z, and a 1200 N axial load. Modal analysis characterizes the frame's natural frequencies and mode shapes.
| Mass representation | Component remote masses |
|---|---|
| Joint representation | Bonded contact in the CDR model |
| Restraints | Rail-interface approximation |
| Verification work | Mesh, restraint, and joint refinement; environmental testing |
- Peak stress
- 102.8 MPa
- Reported factor of safety
- 2.7
- First structural mode
- 155 Hz
Latest iteration recorded in my current resume. These are simulation results, not qualification-test results.
The plots illustrate the earlier analysis workflow. Results from different revisions are not presented as a controlled comparison. Launch-interface definition, connection behavior, mesh convergence, and environmental verification remain part of the verification effort.
Manufacturing review and integration
Serve as the student liaison for biweekly technical exchanges with Amphenol CIT, the frame's manufacturing partner. Work includes review of the structural design and preparation of a preliminary manufacturing drawing ahead of frame fabrication.
Mechanical integration also requires assembly access and support during panel installation. The documented handling interface supports the chassis while keeping handling loads clear of the solar panels.
Structural design and analysis are ongoing. The frame is in manufacturing preparation; the analyses shown do not establish flight qualification.