Python Platform as a Basis for RF and Spectral CubeSat Data Collection

Together the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Naval Research Lab, U.S. Naval Academy, Old Dominion University, and the Air Force Institute of Technology have built upon the technology in the ‘Space PlasmA Diagnostic suitE’ (SPADE) mission operating from NASA’s International Space Station to construct a 3U CubeSat with multiple payloads. The AC impedance measurements are collected as raw data using a sweeping frequency through surface-mounted antennas. While the compact multispectral ‘Pixel Sensor’ with a 450 nm - 1000 nm spectral range plus the motion and position sensor data are bundled and transmitted through the CubeSat bus. Original python code, which will serve as a hub to unify the existing MATLAB and LabVIEW code, and provide near-time results during the short-lived mission. Data parameters, and laboratory density comparisons to previous experimental analyses will be reported.