RHOK-SAT: A 1U CubeSat to Characterize Novel Photovoltaics in LEO

RHOK-SAT is a 1U CubeSat collaboration between Rhodes College and the University of Oklahoma’s Photovoltaic Materials and Devices group. The satellite is planned for launch in late 2023 or early 2024. The project’s primary mission is to provide real-world engineering experience to students at Rhodes College, a liberal arts institution with no formal engineering program. Students developed teams to divide labor and learn different aspects of the project. The payload team focuses on the structural and electrical components of the satellite. RHOK-SAT’s secondary mission is to characterize the performance and degradation of novel perovskite photovoltaic cells in Low Earth Orbit. RHOK-SAT’s payload will consist of 36 experimental perovskite cells, one control CIGS cell, eight measurement microcontrollers, 12 multiplexers, seven temperature sensors, and one sun sensor. The sun sensor was developed and constructed in-house from a quad-photodiode and a square aperture above the active diode areas. The sun sensor will determine the angle of incident sunlight on the payload face of the satellite. This presentation will overview the payload development and its next steps.