Abdulmohsen Mohammed Albelushi
Dahrahan Ahliyaa School, Dahrahan, central, SAUDI ARABIA
Solar panels are the main power source in MIT’s satellite CASTOR. A latch mechanism must be designed so it can support these panels and release them. The solar panels launch support mechanism (latch) is used to hold the solar panels firmly to the satellite, especially during launch where the vehicle experiences a 3-10 g force. The satellite is exposed to high frequency vibrations that might damage these panels. It must also be ensured that the latch will release the panels gently once the satellite reaches Low Earth Orbit (LEO). MIT’s satellite team’s main goal is to build a satellite that is capable of reaching LEO and demonstrate the performance of the Diverging Cusped-Field Thrusters (DCFT). In order to achieve these requirements, the latch mechanism must be able to fully deploy the solar panels, so they can provide the thrusters with the required power. This project includes the steps of designing and machining a solar latch through three stages: the use of Solidworks software, Cosmosworks simulator, and mechanical machining of the latch mechanism. Results from this project demonstrate and prove that the solar latch has the structural ability to hold the panels and resist a 20 g force.