Launch-Load Structural Assessment of a 1U Al 6061-T6 CubeSat Frame: A Review of Finite Element Modal, Static and Random Vibration Practice with Supporting Simulation Results

CubeSats have become a widely adopted platform for low-cost space missions, yet their compact 10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm envelope leaves little margin for structural error under the severe mechanical and thermal loads of launch and orbital operation. Nanosatellites are structurally most at-risk during launch, when they face quasi-static acceleration and broadband random vibration while mounted in a deployer. This paper surveys how finite element analysis is used to qualify 1U CubeSat structures for these conditions, limited to three analysis types: modal (eigenfrequency) extraction, static structural loading and random vibration based on power spectral density (PSD). The survey covers common modelling choices, including material selection, meshing, constraint idealization, load definition and acceptance criteria such as minimum fundamental frequency, stress margin against yield and 3σ response limits. To show how these practices work in use, a 1U frame of aluminium 6061-T6 was modelled in SolidWorks and analyzed in ANSYS Workbench with the base fixed. The modal solution gave twelve modes between 539.67 Hz and 1076.3 Hz, well above the stiffness thresholds usually quoted by launch providers. Under a 650 N static load, the peak deflection was 0.3769 mm and the maximum von Mises stress was 65.66 MPa, about a quarter of the 276 MPa yield strength. The random vibration run, pre-stressed by the modal solution, produced a smooth response PSD with its highest value at the 20 Hz lower bound of the input spectrum and no resonant amplification. Taken together, the review and the results show that the frame is stiff and structurally sound for launch. The paper also highlights common gaps in the literature, such as inconsistent boundary conditions and incomplete reporting of PSD inputs.