The Design and Construction of the Stanford Audio Phonic Photographic Infrared Experiment (SAPPHIRE) Satellite

The students of Stanford University's Satellite Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL) have commenced detailed design and construction of a new micro satellite. Named the Stanford Audio Phonic Photographic Infrared Experiment (SAPPHIRE), this spacecraft's payloads include a miniature infrared (IR) research package, a digital camera, and a voice synthesizer. The bus consists of a 25 pound, 9 inch tall, 16 inch diameter hexagonal structure with complete processor, communication, power, thermal, and attitude control subsystems. The SAPPHIRE spacecraft is the first vehicle of the SSDL's new Satellite Quick Research Testbed (SQUIRT) program. The goal of this project is to produce student engineered satellites capable of servicing state-of-the-art research payloads on a yearly basis. Through student participation, voluntary mentoring from the industrial and academic community, and the extensive use of off-the-shelf components, the initial cash outlay target for SQUIRT class vehicles is $50,000. This paper introduces the goals of the SQUIRT program and details the design progress of the current SAPPHIRE vehicle.