FoxSat-1 Design
Design Status
The 1U FoxSat-1 is currently in the design stage. We are actively researching and experimenting to produce the best design possible. FoxSat-1 will be capable of data transmission, using data from a SenseHAT and multiple piezoelectric sensors.
Payload Idea
For our scientific mission, we will be using Piezoelectric Sensors. These sensors utilize the piezoelectric effect, which states that crystalline materials with no inversion symmetry release an electrical charge when under mechanical stress. By using these sensors we can detect whenever small pieces of space debris contacts our satellite, stressing the material and thus resulting in a voltage that we can translate into data. The purpose for collecting this information is so that we can determine how much of a risk space debris is to satellites and if we are accumulating more space debris in low Earth orbit over time. In addition to tracking the density of space debris, FoxSat-1 will also be taking environmental measurements such as atmospheric density and temperature.