1. PW-SAT – What is it and how we made it
Maciej Urbanowicz
Students' Space Association, Warsaw University of Technology
TS2 Satellite Technologies

2. PW-Sat – the beginning
At the Warsaw University of Technology
➔The beginning: 2004, 2005 (mission statement)
➔Students' Space Association
(Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering)
➔Student Space Engineering Scientific Group
(Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology)

3. PW-Sat – the beginning
At the Warsaw University of Technology
Why should we build a satellite?
➔
➔ Increase prestige and reputation (the 1 st satellite!)
➔ Enhance education and technical knowledge
➔ Build space capabilities and sustainability
➔ Space promotion and advocacy (Poland is joining ESA as a full state
member!)

4. PW-Sat – mission statement
Objectives
PW-Sat as...
➔… educational project
➔… technology demonstrator
Mission statement:
To educate students at spacecraft development and Credits: Maciej Urbanowicz
space project management to demonstrate the new
type of a de-orbitation system in the CubeSat project
as a technology demonstrator for the small satellite
mission.
Objectives:
➔To test a technology developed by POLES!
➔De-orbit the satellite
Credits: Maciej Urbanowicz

5. PW-Sat – mission statement
Mission(s) definition(s)
The motivation:
➔PW-Sat selected by the Education
Office of the ESA as a payload to the
Vega Maiden Flight!
Credits: ESA Credits: ESA

6. PW-Sat – mission statement
Mission(s) definition(s)
Concept
➔Increase a cross section:
balloon → sail → tail
Strategy: 3B's
Credits: PW-Sat
➔B (Build)
➔B&B (Build & Buy)
Credits: P. Sańczyk
➔B (Buy)
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

7. PW-Sat – design
Mission schedule and level of success (1):
➔ 1. The satellite successfully passed all of the tests. It has been approved to
flight by the ESA.
➔2. The satellite was integrated with other CubeSats in the P-POD and prepared
to the flight. The satellite was integrated with the launch vehicle.
➔3. The satellite was launched to space.
➔4. The antennas were released and the transceiver started working in the basic
mode. All subsystems are in a good condition.
➔5. The satellite is fully operational, downlink and uplink* transmission work
properly. It is possible to operate the satellite.
➔6. The tail was deployed. The deorbitation phase has been started.
➔7. The satellite has been deorbited.
➔* - Currently (26th September 2012) the PW-Sat has reached 4 th level and
particularly 5th.

8. PW-Sat – design
Mission schedule and level of success (2):
Phase name Time Purpose
Commissioning T+0 – T+ 30 min. Satellite separation. Separation switches turn on satellite. The OBC starts
counting down T30 min.
Antenna deployment T+30 min Deployment of antenna system. The satellite starts send telemetry and
receive signals from ground station.
Operational phase 1 T+30 min Satellite sends telemetry, receives data. Normal operational phase is
performed.
Operational phase 2 T+1 month The tail is deployed from the payload container. Deorbiting phase is
started. AP&P gathers tail's parameters. Telemetry is sent to ground
station.
Deorbiting T – (~1 year) Satellite is being deorbited.

9. PW-Sat – design
Satellite configuration
➔Exploded view
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

10. PW-Sat – design
Satellite configuration
➔Configurations:
➔ before launch
➔ after launch (1)
➔ after launch (2)
➔ main mission
Configuration after launch (2); (C): M. Urbanowicz
Configuration before launch
and after launch (1);
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Configuration main mission; (C): M. Urbanowicz

11. PW-Sat – design
Payload description
➔Payload container
➔Tail (length: 1.2 meter;
material: stainless steel)
➔Thin foils with solar cells
(efficieny ~4-5%)
➔Cover plate
➔Lock/release mechanism
➔Payload control module
(on the AP&P board)
Payload; Credits: A. Kotarba
Payload; Credits: M. Urbanowicz

12. PW-Sat – the FM
The FM assembling
Credits: M. Urbanowicz Credits: M. Urbanowicz

13. PW-Sat – the FM
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

14. PW-Sat – last day in Poland
Delivery to ESA (ESTEC)
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

15. PW-Sat – delivery to ESTEC
Delivery to ESA (ESTEC)
Credits: M. Urbanowicz Credits: M. Urbanowicz

16. PW-Sat – pre-flight
Before integration with the P-POD
Credits: M. Urbanowicz, approved by: Robusta, Masat-1

17. PW-Sat – pre-flight
Integration with the P-POD
Credits: M. Urbanowicz Credits: M. Urbanowicz

18. PW-Sat – pre-flight
Credits: L. Varga

19. PW-Sat – pre-flight
Credits: L. Varga Credits: M. Urbanowicz

20. PW-Sat – prepared to flight
PW-Sat!
Pre-flight operations in Kourou
Credits: ESA, CSG, Arianespace, Optique Video du CSG, J.M. Guillon

21. PW-Sat – prepared to flight
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

22. PW-Sat – prepared to flight
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

23. PW-Sat – launch!
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

24. PW-Sat – after launch
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

25. This is a history!
Launch
Launch
➔13.02.2012
➔Launch vehicle: VEGA
➔Orbit: 308x1427 km (inclination: ~69.5º)
Credits: ESA
Credits: M. Urbanowicz Credits: Google

26. PW-Sat – first signal!
Communication
➔The first signal heard during
the first pass
➔downlink is 145.900 MHz
(BPSK 1200 bps AX25, SSB)
➔uplink is 345.020 MHz (FM,
AX.25)
First received signal by Polish radioamateur; Credits: Grzegorz
Woźniak, CAMK
Cooperation with radioamateurs: www.pw-sat.pl/pw-sat_radio_amateur

27. PW-Sat
Video
Credits: P. Sańczyk

28. PW-Sat – after launch
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Credits: V. Gupta

29. PW-Sat – after launch
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

30. PW-Sat – French Guiana
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

31. PW-Sat – French Guiana
Credits: M. Urbanowicz
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

32. PW-Sat
PW-Sat Team (2011)
➔Support:
ESA's Education Office
ISIS, Clyde-Space, GomSpace
Companies in Poland
Space Research Centre of PAS
Polish government
Credits: M. Urbanowicz

33. Thank you for you attention!
More information at:
www.pw-sat.pl
www.maciejurbanowicz.org.pl
Listen to our Beacon!
(technical information at
www.pw-sat.pl)
Credits: T. Szewczyk