Ariane 6, Europe’s new heavy launcher, successfully lifted off on July 9, from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, opening a new chapter in Europe’s era of autonomous access to space. It is designed to accommodate a broad range of space missions for both institutional and commercial clients.
Ariane 6 carried numerous payloads, including commercial satellites, scientific instruments, and technology demonstrators, reflecting its capacity to support a wide range of missions.
Among these, we can find ESA’s innovative YPSat, a mission designed by Young Professionals to capture and film critical moments of the launch, particularly the fairing separation and CubeSat deployment.
The following sections introduce the jobs carried out by some of these enterprising young engineers, highlighting their fundamental contributions to the YPSat project. Each team member provided expertise in a different engineering field, later merging all efforts to optimize the functionality of the YPSAT. The engineering process encountered numerous challenges, all of which were successfully overcome, resulting in an extraordinary outcome, as evidenced by the images and footage captured by this payload.
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Jules Noirant: On-Board Data Handling
Jules assumed a crucial role within the On-Board Data Handling (OBDH). Originally tasked with interfacing between Project Management and the OBDH team, he quickly identified an opportunity to contribute by engaging in the handover process.
His efforts were focused on cleaning up the codebase and organizing documentation to facilitate the onboarding of new team members. Additionally, he provided support in the laboratory environment and was allowed to participate in the dismantling of the satellite within a clean room for troubleshooting purposes. Following this phase, his responsibilities primarily involved conducting code reviews and managing the Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) environment.
As a personal statement of his journey as a Young Professional in ESA for this historical mission, he explained to Space Voyaging:
“The biggest relief was after the successful launch of Ariane 6, given the high probabilities of failure during a maiden flight. When the ground stations were able to catch signals we knew that we at least did something right. Then we got to see the decoded pictures and videos and it was the cherry on top, nourishing the pride of having contributed to such a nice result!”
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Katrin Geigenberger: Wake-Up Subsystem (WUS)
Upon joining the YPSat team in October 2023, Katrin assumed the important role of Electrical Test Engineer within the Wake-Up Subsystem (WUS). The WUS is a custom-designed board crucial for detecting the launch, enabling the satellite to wake up during the ascent phase rather than upon reaching orbit. This feature was vital for filming the fairing separation and capturing the deployment of CubeSats.
From the outset, Katrin was deeply involved in all aspects related to the WUS hardware, since day first, where she found herself in the clean room to analyze signals on the oscilloscope due to a critical issue that had arisen: the WUS board was experiencing random early wake-ups when integrated into the full YPSat stack. Through collaborative efforts between the WUS and Power teams, they identified and resolved the problematic component on the WUS board.
Katrin states that during the launch of Ariane 6, there was a tense wait for over an hour before the WUS board acknowledged the payload initialization signal from the rocket. When this signal was received, it triggered a euphoric celebration within the team, as it confirmed that YPSat was powered on and that critical subsystems were functioning as intended.
Further confirmation came during the second overpass over Europe, when ground stations successfully received a signal, indicating that the satellite’s battery, On-Board Computer, and antenna were all operating correctly. The ultimate validation of their work came the following day, as the team witnessed the decoded videos and pictures, perfectly timed and stunningly captured.
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Emils Senkans: Thermal Vacuum Test & Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI)
Emils’s role in the engineering team has been vital within the thermal subsystem. He joined the project during a critical phase, describing his experience as challenging and rewarding. Initially, he was tasked with supporting an ongoing Thermal Vacuum Test, which set the stage for his primary responsibility: designing and implementing the Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) cover for the satellite.
This task required extensive research, prototyping, and iterative design, as the material needed to be physically handled to understand how it folds and tears. After multiple iterations, a final design was achieved, followed by further testing in the Thermal Vacuum Chamber. Although the test encountered some difficulties, it ultimately confirmed that the design choices were correct.
The success of the YPSat mission was not immediately apparent and came only after a period of considerable uncertainty. Emils indeed recalled the stress of waiting for confirmation, which culminated in the satisfaction of witnessing the satellite’s bright pass over Latvia, coinciding with the ground station’s receipt of data. This achievement was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team, proving that even with limited experience, highly motivated professionals could rapidly develop effective space systems.
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KISS Principle: shortcut to difficulties
The YPSat project has been conducted following the KISS principle (“Keep It Simple, Stupid”), an engineering philosophy that advocates for simplicity in design to avoid unnecessary complications. This principle was evident in multiple aspects of the mission.
For the On-Board Data Handling (OBDH) hardware, as described by Jules, the team opted for off-the-shelf components, positioning themselves primarily as integrators between the satellite and its independent payloads. The software was similarly simplified, with the mission broken down into manageable tasks such as triggering video recordings, compressing data, and transmitting information.
Emils highlighted the importance of this approach, noting that the passive thermal system and automated satellite operations were designed to minimize potential points of failure.
Katrin also emphasized the need to strip down the mission to its essentials, ensuring success with minimal complexity. Indeed, the most straightforward solution was to keep YPSat attached to the upper stage ballast, rather than detaching it like a typical CubeSat. This decision, while limiting the mission’s duration, significantly reduced the number of complex tasks required.
Future Generations & Young Professional
The YPSat project exemplifies the significant value of initiatives that unite motivated young professionals eager to engage in hands-on projects. It combined the dynamic “Let’s do it!” mentality, common in new space startups, with the rigorous testing and review processes.
The project not only facilitated collaboration between emerging professionals but also entrusted these young engineers with substantial responsibilities, fostering their professional growth. The success of YPSat has already inspired current and former Young Graduate Trainees and is likely to continue inspiring future generations across the global space sector.
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