Design and On-Orbit Verification of EPS for the World’s First 12U Polarized Light Detection CubeSat

This paper addresses the design methodology and verification of electrical power system (EPS) for Aoxiang-Sat, the world’s first 12U CubeSat on orbit to detect the polarization of the light of the Earth’s atmosphere. Considering the specific characteristics of Aoxiang-Sat, a novel-centralized EPS architecture using COTS devices for micro/nanosatellite is proposed. Based on the power budget analysis of Aoxiang-Sat, design process along with the operation modes of the EPS is discussed. To obtain the most power from photovoltaic conversion, maximum peak power tracking (MPPT) based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is carried out and studied using Matlab/Simulink. The functionality and reliability of the proposed EPS are verified through comprehensive ground tests. On-orbit telemetry data of the EPS confirm that it can effectively convert, store, condition, and distribute the power generated by solar panels, and the EPS worked with excellent performance during the 3-month lifetime of Aoxiang-Sat from June to September of 2016.