Micro-Vibrations Analysis in LEO CubeSats Using MEMS Accelerometers

Small satellites or CubeSats orbiting in low Earth orbit (LEO) have become increasingly popular in Earth Observation missions, where high-resolution imaging is essential. Due to the lower mass of these spacecrafts, they are more sensitive to vibrations, and image quality can be particularly negatively affected by micro-vibrations. These vibrations originate from on-board subsystems, such as the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), which uses reaction wheels to change the orientation of the satellite. The main goal of our research was to analyze these micro-vibrations so that the acquired data could be used for post-correction of camera images. Obuda University, as a participant in a research project, was tasked with designing and building a micro-vibration measuring device for the LEO CubeSat called WREN-1. In the first phase of the project, the satellite was launched into orbit, and test data were collected and analyzed. The results are presented in this article. Based on the data obtained in this way, the next step will be to analyze the images taken at the same time as the vibration measurements and to search for a correlation between the image quality and the vibrations. Based on the results of the entire project, it could be possible to improve the image quality of the onboard cameras of microsatellites.