UCLA's First Satellite Mission
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Instruments
ELFIN’s primary payload consists of a fluxgate magnetometer and two energetic particle detectors. These instruments are being developed in-house by UCLA staff members in the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences department.
Command and Data Handling
The Command and Data Handling (C&DH) subsystem is responsible for processing commands, collecting data, and monitoring the satellite. C&DH is composed of the Flight Computer, the Watchdog, and ADCS Main PIC, and the Power PIC.
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Thermal
Spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operate in an environment that produces temperature extremes from as low as -60 ºC to as high as 60 ºC. At these extremes, critical spacecraft components such as batteries and avionics boards cease to function. The job of the thermal team is to predict how ELFIN’s components will thermally respond to the flight environment and to develop methods for preventing the spacecraft from exceeding temperature restrictions.
Attitude Determination and Control
The ELFIN ADCS (Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem) is responsible for designing, testing, and implementing the mechanisms which precisely acquire and control ELFIN’s attitude (i.e. orientation and spin vectors) in orbit.