Artemis CubeSat Kit

The Artemis CubeSat Kit is a foundational enabler in the form of a low-cost CubeSat kit, developed by the Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL). The objective of Phase 1 is to create a kit that includes all subsystems of a fully functioning passive small satellite, or smallsat, with a target price of less than 5,000 USD. The standard unit satellite, a 1U CubeSat, incorporates onboard computing, radio communication, rudimentary dynamic sensors, a basic infrared camera, and an electrical power system. The hardware components are designed to offer the most basic functionality of a small spacecraft, accompanied by basic science tutorials rooted in lunar science, aiming to raise awareness of the NASA Artemis missions. Electrical and digital interfaces are designed to adhere to the CubeSat Kit Bus (CSKB) standard, facilitating easy integration with an attitude control system, additional science payloads, or propulsion components. The comprehensive kit will also include the necessary software for receiving and commanding telemetry, visualizing data, and developing software. An online spacecraft design lab course will be developed around the kit and released in Phase 2, linking spacecraft design theory to practical application. The course will focus on the nuances of smallsat design and capabilities, a topic not commonly taught, and aims to become a national online course. HSFL owns version 1 of the Artemis CubeSat, and Mahina Aerospace is the primary distributor.