CANVAS CubeSat
CANVAS (Climatology of Anthropogenic and Natural VLF Wave Activity in Space) is a PI-led CubeSat mission currently in development with a goal to investigate and map very low frequency emissions from global lightning strikes. The mission is anticipated to launch through NASA’s CSLI program in December 2022.
My role as Flight Software Systems Lead involves defining and managing interfaces between the CU-affiliated Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) flight software group and CANVAS subsystem teams, developing spacecraft operations procedures, coordinating data downlink packet definition, and engaging directly with testing and hardware/software integration.
My involvement on CANVAS was through ASEN 5018 & 6028: Graduate Projects at CU Boulder during the 2021-22 school year, advised by Dr. Robert Marshall.
CANVAS with deployables stowed for launch and the CubeSat deployer
CANVAS spacecraft with solar arrays, instruments, and UHF antenna deployed.
Spacecraft and Mission Overview
CANVAS will have a one-year science mission with nearly continuous measurements. The satellite carries a two-dipole electric field instrument and 3-axis magnetic field instrument to detect and map very-low frequency wave emissions from both lightning strikes and transmitters.
The spacecraft will have a design orbit of 500 km and 51.6° inclination to ensure global observations and frequent downlink opportunities with the LASP ground station.
ConOps
Exploded axonometric