Assembly Integration and Verification Activities for a 2U CubeSat EIRSAT-1

The Educational Irish Research Satellite, EIRSAT-1, is a project developed by students at University College Dublin that aims to design, build, and launch Ireland’s first satellite. EIRSAT-1 is a 2U CubeSat incorporating three novel payloads; GMOD, a gamma-ray detector, EMOD, a thermal coating management experiment, and WBC, a novel attitude control algorithm. The EIRSAT-1 project is carried out with the support of the Education Office of the European Space Agency, under the educational Fly your Satellite! programme.The Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) plan for EIRSAT-1 is central to the philosophy andthedevelopment of the spacecraft. The model philosophy employed for the project is known as the ‘prototype’ approach in which two models of the spacecraft are assembled; an Engineering Qualification Model (EQM) and a Flight Model (FM). The payloads, GMOD and EMOD, and the Antenna Deployment Module(ADM) platform element warranta Development Model (DM)in addition to an EQM and a FM, as they have been designed and developed in-house. The engineering qualification model serves asbotha FlatSat for electrical integration testing and as a representative model for testing of software code, patching and operational decisions during the active mission. The EQM is tested to qualification levels and durations during the environmental test campaign. The flight model contains the flight versions of the payloads, ADM platform element and the procured hardware elements. It undergoes acceptance level testing and it is the final spacecraft to be delivered to ESA for flight.After successful completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) and Ambient Test Readiness Review (ATRR) phases of theproject, the EQM of EIRSAT-1 will beassembled and integrated in University College Dublin. After assembly and integration of the EQM, the project will beginthe ambient test campaign, in which the EQM undergoesambient functional and mission testing. This work details the preparation and execution of the assembly, integration, and verification activities of EIRSAT-1 EQM.