CENSSAT-1_Rad_6: ASTRA-LEO Flatsat Integration and System-Level Verification

ASTRA-LEO (Advanced Spaceborne Telescope for Radiation Analysis in Low Earth Orbit) is a compact neutron, gamma-ray and charged-particle instrument being developed at CENSSS, University of Oslo, for the CENSSAT-1 CubeSat mission. It combines inorganic and plastic scintillators with custom readout electronics in two complementary detector units. ASTRA-LEO offers MSc opportunities in detector development, electronics, integration, shielding, environmental testing and experimental characterisation. The topic below is a potential direction, the scope can be adapted or combined according to students’ skills and interests, the available hardware and the evolving needs of the project.
Our immediate priority is the completion, verification and handover of the Flight Models (FMs) for spacecraft integration by May 2027. Until then, activities will primarily support flight-hardware delivery. After handover, the focus will shift to extended testing, calibration and scientific characterisation of the Engineering Qualification Model (EQM), which will remain at UiO as a ground reference. MSc work can span both phases, and students will not be solely responsible for flight-delivery milestones.

Project description: Possible activities include integrating ASTRA-LEO with the CENSSAT-1 Flatsat and verify that the detector operates correctly with spacecraft avionics. Work may include power-up and shutdown sequences, commanding, telemetry, data transfer, operational modes and handling of communication interruptions. The work may include developing or adapting simple automated test scripts, troubleshoot hardware/software interfaces and document test evidence before FM handover. The resulting tools may be reused in later spacecraft integration and operations preparation.

Possible outcome: A reproducible Flatsat verification procedure, interface test results and supporting software/scripts for the ASTRA-LEO data and command chain.

Skills and background: Embedded C/C++; Python; digital electronics; communication protocols; practical debugging and system testing.

Suitable student background: Embedded systems • Electronics • Spacecraft engineering