In orbit results of Delfi n3Xt: Lessons learned and move forward
Abstract This paper provides an update of the Delfi nanosatellite programme of the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) with a focus on the recent in orbit results of the second TU Delft satellite Delfi n3Xt. In addition to the educational objective that has been reached with more than 80 students involved in the project, most of the technological objectives of Delfi n3Xt have also been fulfilled with successful in orbit demonstrations of payloads and platform. Among these demonstrations, four are highlighted in this paper, including a solid cool gas micropropulsion system, a new type of solar cell, a more robust Command and Data Handling Subsystem (CDHS) and a highly integrated Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem (ADCS) that performs three axis active control using reaction wheels. Through the development of Delfi n3Xt, significant experiences and lessons have been learned, which motivated a further step towards DelFFi, the third Delfi CubeSat mission, to demonstrate autonomous formation flying using two CubeSats named Delta and Phi. A brief update of the DelFFi mission is also provided.