X-CubeSat
XCubeSat is a nano-satellite developed within the framework of the international QB50 project led by the Belgian laboratory Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics. In this context, it is equipped with the FIPEX instrument (phi – Probe – Experiment, developed by the University of Dresden) which measures the oxygen density over the lifetime of satellites in low orbit.
These are, with SpaceCube (Mines ParisTech), the first 2 French double-CubeSats (10 x 10 x 22.7 cm) put into orbit, and they have been from the International Space Station.
These two cubesats were developed in synergy between the 2 schools in order to optimize efforts. More than 70 students from the Ecole des Mines de Paris and 10 BTS students have contributed to the development of SpaceCube. More than 80 students from École Polytechnique contributed to the development of XCubesat.
A student carrying out the integration and testing of X-CubeSat
The X2012 promotion during the X-cubeSat definition review, with on the right Alain Gaboriot (CNES), Gérard Auvray (Thales), Malik Monsourt (LPP) and Alexis Jeandet (LPP)
The 2 flight models, after successfully passing the environmental tests (vibrations and thermal vacuum at the PIT of the University of Versailles Saint Quentin) were delivered to ISIS (Holland) in September 2016 for final tests and integration into their Nanoracks deployment device.
CubeSat transmitted telemetry from its orbit. Then after approximately 1 year and 9 months of operation in orbit, XCubeSat re-entered the atmosphere on February 4, 2019. SpaceCube emitted the UHF telemetry signal, but little data was analyzed due to a noisy radio frequency signal. Spacecube reentered the atmosphere in early March 2019.
More information on data processing on this page.