Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft

Mousawi, Zainab; Ali, Anwar; Mughal, Muhammad Rizwan; Khan, Shoaib Ahmed; Egwebe, Augustine

doi:10.1016/j.rineng.2025.106534

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Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft

Zainab Mousawi, Anwar Ali

, Muhammad Rizwan Mughal, Shoaib Ahmed Khan

, Augustine Egwebe

Results in Engineering, Volume: 27, Start page: 106534

Swansea University Authors: Zainab Mousawi, Anwar Ali , Augustine Egwebe

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.106534

Abstract

In pursuit of compact, redundant and miniaturized subsystems for nanosatellites, this paper introduces the design of a Hexagonal Power Management and Attitude Sensor Tile (HPMAST), a multifunctional unit integrated into an hexagon-shaped spacecraft. Six HPMAST tiles are mounted on the external perip...

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Published in:	Results in Engineering
ISSN:	2590-1230 2590-1230
Published:	Elsevier BV 2025
Online Access:	Check full text
URI:	https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70070

first_indexed	2025-07-31T10:29:28Z
last_indexed	2025-08-14T05:39:46Z
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The tile also houses miniature attitude sensors, including a gyroscope, magnetometer, and sun sensor, enabling localized three-axis attitude sensing. While the HPMAST tile primarily manages the power harvesting, conversion, and distribution subsystems of the hexagonal-shaped spacecraft, the integration of attitude sensing and actuation ensures scalability, compactness and provides more space for the payload. Findings from this work show that the proposed system achieved stable and efficient power regulation in simulation, with the hysteresis-based MPPT boost converter delivering a regulated 28 V output and maintaining voltage ripple within 0.2 V. The system achieved a peak efficiency of 93% under standard input conditions. The embedded magnetorquer exhibited a magnetic dipole moment of 0.415 A·m² while maintaining thermal limits in the hybrid configuration. These results validate the technical feasibility and robustness of the HPMAST tile for future in-orbit deployment. 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spelling	2025-08-13T15:23:16.8293985 v2 70070 2025-07-31 Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft 5781680e927fae359ae521c9a678a9cb Zainab Mousawi Zainab Mousawi true false f206105e1de57bebba0fd04fe9870779 0000-0001-7366-9002 Anwar Ali Anwar Ali true false d5ffa623b56e225005868c183357e133 0000-0001-6478-1203 Augustine Egwebe Augustine Egwebe true false 2025-07-31 In pursuit of compact, redundant and miniaturized subsystems for nanosatellites, this paper introduces the design of a Hexagonal Power Management and Attitude Sensor Tile (HPMAST), a multifunctional unit integrated into an hexagon-shaped spacecraft. Six HPMAST tiles are mounted on the external periphery of the spacecraft. Each HPMAST tile combines high-efficiency solar energy harvesting, power conversion with localized maximum power point tracking (MPPT), and attitude determination capabilities within a tightly packed eight-layer PCB structure. The power subsystem features a hysteresis-controlled boost converter that raises the 19.8V input, generated from 36 photovoltaic cells arranged as four parallel strings of nine series-connected 2.2V cells, to a regulated 28 V Power Distribution Bus (PDB). Each HPMAST tile with dimensions 16.5cm x 99cm produces 36W, with conversion and control circuitry located on the panel's backside. Embedded within four internal PCB layers is a reconfigurable planar magnetorquer coil, designed for torque generation through its interaction with the Earth’s magnetic field. The tile also houses miniature attitude sensors, including a gyroscope, magnetometer, and sun sensor, enabling localized three-axis attitude sensing. While the HPMAST tile primarily manages the power harvesting, conversion, and distribution subsystems of the hexagonal-shaped spacecraft, the integration of attitude sensing and actuation ensures scalability, compactness and provides more space for the payload. Findings from this work show that the proposed system achieved stable and efficient power regulation in simulation, with the hysteresis-based MPPT boost converter delivering a regulated 28 V output and maintaining voltage ripple within 0.2 V. The system achieved a peak efficiency of 93% under standard input conditions. The embedded magnetorquer exhibited a magnetic dipole moment of 0.415 A·m² while maintaining thermal limits in the hybrid configuration. These results validate the technical feasibility and robustness of the HPMAST tile for future in-orbit deployment. In addition to power and attitude determination systems, ongoing work will focus on the thermal and magnetic characterization of the embedded coil to support future in-orbit deployment. Journal Article Results in Engineering 27 106534 Elsevier BV 2590-1230 2590-1230 Small satellites; Power subsystem; Nano satellite; Hexagonal satellite; Power distribution bus; Power management 1 9 2025 2025-09-01 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.106534 COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University SU College/Department paid the OA fee 2025-08-13T15:23:16.8293985 2025-07-31T11:21:38.8914283 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Electronic and Electrical Engineering Zainab Mousawi 1 Anwar Ali 0000-0001-7366-9002 2 Muhammad Rizwan Mughal 3 Shoaib Ahmed Khan 0000-0001-8352-8852 4 Augustine Egwebe 0000-0001-6478-1203 5 70070__34948__766e449832bd4c61a6c0207cc4ab2e0b.pdf 70070.VoR.pdf 2025-08-13T15:07:34.1297180 Output 7420381 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title	Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft
spellingShingle	Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft Zainab Mousawi Anwar Ali Augustine Egwebe
title_short	Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft
title_full	Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft
title_fullStr	Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft
title_full_unstemmed	Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft
title_sort	Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft
author_id_str_mv	5781680e927fae359ae521c9a678a9cb f206105e1de57bebba0fd04fe9870779 d5ffa623b56e225005868c183357e133
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author	Zainab Mousawi Anwar Ali Augustine Egwebe
author2	Zainab Mousawi Anwar Ali Muhammad Rizwan Mughal Shoaib Ahmed Khan Augustine Egwebe
format	Journal article
container_title	Results in Engineering
container_volume	27
container_start_page	106534
publishDate	2025
institution	Swansea University
issn	2590-1230 2590-1230
doi_str_mv	10.1016/j.rineng.2025.106534
publisher	Elsevier BV
college_str	Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_title	Faculty of Science and Engineering
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department_str	School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Electronic and Electrical Engineering{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering - Electronic and Electrical Engineering
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description	In pursuit of compact, redundant and miniaturized subsystems for nanosatellites, this paper introduces the design of a Hexagonal Power Management and Attitude Sensor Tile (HPMAST), a multifunctional unit integrated into an hexagon-shaped spacecraft. Six HPMAST tiles are mounted on the external periphery of the spacecraft. Each HPMAST tile combines high-efficiency solar energy harvesting, power conversion with localized maximum power point tracking (MPPT), and attitude determination capabilities within a tightly packed eight-layer PCB structure. The power subsystem features a hysteresis-controlled boost converter that raises the 19.8V input, generated from 36 photovoltaic cells arranged as four parallel strings of nine series-connected 2.2V cells, to a regulated 28 V Power Distribution Bus (PDB). Each HPMAST tile with dimensions 16.5cm x 99cm produces 36W, with conversion and control circuitry located on the panel's backside. Embedded within four internal PCB layers is a reconfigurable planar magnetorquer coil, designed for torque generation through its interaction with the Earth’s magnetic field. The tile also houses miniature attitude sensors, including a gyroscope, magnetometer, and sun sensor, enabling localized three-axis attitude sensing. While the HPMAST tile primarily manages the power harvesting, conversion, and distribution subsystems of the hexagonal-shaped spacecraft, the integration of attitude sensing and actuation ensures scalability, compactness and provides more space for the payload. Findings from this work show that the proposed system achieved stable and efficient power regulation in simulation, with the hysteresis-based MPPT boost converter delivering a regulated 28 V output and maintaining voltage ripple within 0.2 V. The system achieved a peak efficiency of 93% under standard input conditions. The embedded magnetorquer exhibited a magnetic dipole moment of 0.415 A·m² while maintaining thermal limits in the hybrid configuration. These results validate the technical feasibility and robustness of the HPMAST tile for future in-orbit deployment. In addition to power and attitude determination systems, ongoing work will focus on the thermal and magnetic characterization of the embedded coil to support future in-orbit deployment.
published_date	2025-09-01T05:30:23Z
_version_	1856805613314506752
score	11.09611

Integrated power and attitude sensors tile for a small spacecraft

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