Run a Mini CubeSat Test Campaign: A Practical Guide for University Labs

This classroom-ready, step-by-step guide shows how students and teachers can replicate key elements of ESA Academy’s Spacecraft Testing Workshop on a campus budget. The plan covers cleanroom practices, assembly and integration testing (AIT), a mock vibration campaign, and thermal cycling/thermal vacuum simulation using low-cost rigs and open data logging tools. Use this as a reproducible project for engineering courses, student satellite teams or STEM outreach weeks.

Why run a mini CubeSat test campaign?

Hands-on CubeSat testing teaches systems thinking, product assurance, instrumentation, and data analysis — core skills for careers in space and engineering. A compact campaign gives students experience in:

• Cleanroom and electrostatic discharge (ESD) practices
• Assembly, wiring harness and functional checks (AIT)
• Vibration testing concepts and data capture
• Thermal cycling and simple thermal-vacuum simulation
• Writing test reports and interpreting results

Overview: one-week classroom plan

The campaign below is designed to fit within a 5–7 day intensive module, or be split across several lab sessions. Adapt timing to available equipment and student experience.

1. Day 0: Planning & test matrix — define objectives and test article
2. Day 1: Cleanroom induction, ESD training and AIT (assembly)
3. Day 2: Baseline functional tests and sensor calibration
4. Day 3: Low-cost vibration test campaign
5. Day 4: Thermal cycling and thermal soak tests
6. Day 5: Data analysis, reporting and lessons learned

What to build and test: the educational test unit

Use one of these as your test article:

• A 1U or 2U CubeSat structural mock-up populated with representative mass, PCBs and connectors
• A flight-like payload demonstrator such as a camera or sensor module mounted on a mass-dummy bus
• Modular witness samples: PCB boards with components, tethered wiring looms and fastener assemblies

Design the unit so students can repeat assembly and disassembly easily, and instrument it with accelerometers and thermocouples for data capture.

Low-cost equipment and materials

Here’s a practical kit list that keeps costs low while teaching the right concepts.

• Portable clean tent / pop-up laminar flow cabinet or HEPA air purifier and sticky mats for a low-cost cleanroom
• Anti-static wrist straps, ESD-safe mats and disposable nitrile gloves
• 1U/2U CubeSat structure (aluminium extrusion kits or 3D printed frames)
• Off-the-shelf IMUs (3-axis accelerometer + gyro) for vibration sensing
• Thermocouples (K-type) and a DAQ board, or inexpensive USB thermocouple loggers
• Microcontroller or single-board computer for logging: Arduino, Teensy, or Raspberry Pi
• Mini shaker rig options: eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor with mount, audio speaker-based shaker, or a small commercial shaker if budget allows
• Clamps, torque wrenches for repeatable fastening, and marking pens for witness marks
• Insulated box for thermal cycling, plus hot plate, ice/phase-change packs or a peltier heater/cooler with PID controller

Practical cleanroom practices for campus labs

Teach students the discipline rather than demanding a certified cleanroom. Focus on behaviour and repeatable steps:

• Set up a quarantined build area: sticky mat, HEPA unit, and a single entry/exit point
• Gowning sequence: hair nets, shoe covers, nitrile gloves, and anti-static wrist strap. Demonstrate correct glove changes
• Keep tools and parts in sealed containers while not in use; label everything
• Control particulate sources: forbid food/drink, limit speaking over hardware, and keep coats/backsacks outside the area
• Implement cleanliness checklists: pre-build inspection, post-build inspection, and acceptance sign-off

This gives students the same mindset taught at ESA’s workshops: reduce contamination and human error during assembly integration testing.

Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT) steps

AIT is an exercise in procedure and documentation. Use clear, short procedures suitable for classroom use.

1. Prepare parts: cleanliness, inventory and visual inspection
2. Place primary structure on a workstand; apply witness marks and torque limits to each fastener
3. Integrate PCBs and harnesses following cable routing diagrams; use cable ties to control strain
4. Perform functional checks after each major step (power buses, communications, sensors)
5. Record all deviations in a simple non-conformance log and encourage corrective actions

Classroom deliverables

• A concise build log and photograph set
• Functional test scripts (power-on checklist, sensor sanity checks)
• Workmanship acceptance sheet signed by the student team lead

Designing a low-cost vibration test campaign

Full environmental qualification requires expensive shakers and fixtures. For pedagogy you can run a scaled, repeatable campaign that teaches modal response, data acquisition and damage detection.

Test plan basics

Define objectives and a simple test matrix:

• Objective: demonstrate structural response and detect loose connectors after vibration
• Levels: low, medium, high RMS acceleration (e.g., 0.5 g, 2 g, 5 g) for short durations
• Waveforms: sine sweep, random vibration (use ERM motor noise to approximate random), and shock pulses
• Duration: short bursts (10–60 s) with pauses for inspection to catch early failures

Low-cost shaker options and safety

Practical shaker ideas:

• Eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor on a rigid base to create controlled vibration. Vary speed to change frequency content.
• Speaker-based shaker: mount the test article to a large paper cone speaker and drive with a signal generator or audio output.
• Mechanical cam or eccentric wheel to create repeatable shock pulses (useful for drop/impact demonstration).

Important safety points: secure the test article, keep bystanders at a safe distance, and avoid driving motors beyond their rated limits. Use enclosures to contain debris in case of failure.

Instrumentation and data logging

Capture vibration data using:

• IMUs or MEMS accelerometers (sample at >1 kHz for shock; 200–500 Hz is fine for lower-frequency sweeps)
• Microcontroller (Teensy/Arduino) with SD logging or Raspberry Pi for higher-throughput needs
• Simple signal generators (phone apps or small function generators) to create sine sweeps or chirps

Teach students how to filter data, compute RMS acceleration and plot frequency spectra. After each test stage do a functional check and visual inspection to find loose fasteners or broken solder joints.

Thermal cycling and thermal vacuum simulation on a budget

Authentic thermal-vacuum chambers are expensive. Simulate the thermal environment and the stresses of cycling using low-cost alternatives:

• Insulated enclosure as a thermal chamber: use foam or polystyrene box with ports for cabling
• Heating: a hot plate or Peltier module controlled by a PID controller
• Cooling: frozen gel packs, dry ice for supervised demos (with safety protocols), or Peltier cooling
• Control and automation: cheap PID controllers or microcontroller loops to ramp temperatures on a schedule

Instrument the unit with thermocouples at critical locations. Run repeated cycles between low and high temperatures and log component temperatures and functional behaviour. Although not a vacuum, removing convective heat exchange helps students appreciate thermal gradients and the need for thermal design.

Data analysis, reporting and assessment

Finish the campaign with structured analysis and reporting. Key student deliverables:

• Raw logged data and processed plots (acceleration time series, FFTs, temperature curves)
• Pass/fail checklist after each vibration and thermal cycle
• Root-cause analysis for any anomalies and suggested design or test changes
• Final test report: objectives, procedures, results, and recommendations

Curriculum connections and assessment rubrics

Link outcomes to learning objectives: systems engineering, instrumentation and data analysis, risk mitigation and professional practice. Assess students on procedure adherence, data quality, and clarity of technical writing. For inspiration on classroom project structure, see our project examples such as DIY water quality testing projects and hands-on network building in creating urban naturalist networks.

Roles & team organisation

Divide students into small teams with clear responsibilities to mimic professional test campaigns:

• Project lead / test conductor
• AIT & build team
• Instrument & data acquisition team
• Safety officer and quality assurance recorder
• Data analyst and report author

Safety, ethics and product assurance

Teach students about risk assessment and configuration control. Implement a simple hazard log and require sign-off for hazardous steps (hot plates, rotating equipment, dry ice). Discuss ethical considerations such as environmental impact of materials and waste handling.

Next steps and connections to ESA Academy

This mini campaign gives students a realistic taste of the workflows taught in ESA Academy’s Spacecraft Testing Workshop. Use the experience to prepare applications to formal workshops, to refine university satellite projects, and to build portfolios for careers in space systems engineering. For further reading on formal courses and how ESA runs hands-on training, see the ESA Academy programme announcements and consider pairing this module with classroom assignments on systems engineering and product assurance.

Quick checklist: classroom-ready shopping list

• Portable clean tent / HEPA purifier, sticky mats, nitrile gloves, hair nets
• Anti-static wrist straps and ESD mat
• CubeSat structure, fasteners, cables
• IMU accelerometers, thermocouples, Arduino/Raspberry Pi and SD logging
• ERM motor or speaker shaker and a small function generator or audio interface
• Insulated box, Peltier modules (optional), hot plate and PID controller

Final advice for instructors

Start simple, emphasise safe and repeatable procedures, and prioritise learning goals over perfect reproduction of flight qualification levels. Encourage students to document everything — the build log and data set will be their primary learning artefacts. This hands-on campaign builds practical skills and confidence that transfer directly to student projects and future careers in the space sector.

Ready to run a campaign? Begin with a one-day pilot: assemble the mock-up, instrument it and run a brief vibration sweep. Use the pilot to refine procedures and safety measures before scaling the exercise to a multi-day module.