Satellite Design Engineering with Dan Esparon

The Amp Hour · 11 Oct 2024 · Episode 679

What this episode covers

Dan Esparon, Electrical Engineering Manager at Inovor Technologies, explains the end-to-end design and manufacturing of CubeSat satellites in South Australia. He details the company's in-house development of critical subsystems, including custom solar panels with triple-junction cells, lithium-ion battery modules with integrated BMS, and reaction wheels for attitude control. The conversation covers the engineering trade-offs between commercial off-the-shelf components and space-qualified parts, as well as the rigorous environmental testing required for launch. Esparon also discusses the operational aspects of recent missions like Canini and Spirit, including launch logistics, radiation hardening, and the use of hyperspectral and IoT payloads.

Mentioned

Companies
Inovor Technologies, Lintec, Neumann Space, GOMSpace, Tyvac, Miriota, SmartSat, Southern Launch, Gilmore, SpaceX
Products
Canini, Spirit, Starlink, Starship

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 04m

    195: A Bunch of Sputniks

    Jordi Puig-Suari, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Cal Poly SLO and co-founder of Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, explains the origin and evolution of the CubeSat standard. He details how student projects at Cal Poly and Stanford bypassed traditional aerospace constraints by using commercial off-the-shelf components, leading to a $100,000 question about risk and cost. The conversation covers the transition from academic toy to industry standard, the role of launch providers, and Tyvak's current work on 50-kilogram microsats using similar philosophies.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 02m

    153: Space Nerf Gun

    Patrick Yeon, an electrical engineer at Planet Labs, explains the company's strategy of building a constellation of shoebox-sized 'Dove' satellites to image the Earth daily at 3-meter resolution. He details how they use drag from the upper atmosphere, controlled by satellite orientation, to adjust orbital spacing without propellant, and why they rely on industrial-grade off-the-shelf components rather than expensive space-hardened hardware. Yeon also discusses the company's 'agile aerospace' philosophy, the regulatory challenges of ITAR, and their open data initiatives like Open California.

  • TRADEOFFS · 40m

    T-26-012 : Founders From The Show Floor - CES 2026

    Chris and Nate interview founders from Eureka Park at CES 2026, including Rajeev Ramanath of Blueberry Technology, Cole Ashman of Pila Energy, and Scott Hickle of Throne. They discuss specific products like the autonomous Blueberry Go airport robot, Pila Energy's modular home batteries, and Throne's toilet health tracker. The episode highlights trade-offs in hardware design, such as Pebble's Eric Migicovsky choosing ODMs for speed over control, and Roam's Aaron Pollack accepting thickness for battery life. Other founders like Niclas Bertelsen of Naya and Michael Churchill of Kombu discuss modular ecosystems and material choices for fermentation.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 34m

    82. 3D Printing Space Sensors & Solar Cell Windows

    Hosts Farbod and Daniel discuss MIT's use of 3D printing with Vitrolite ceramic to manufacture low-cost Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA) sensors for CubeSats, and the University of Michigan's development of semi-transparent organic solar cells for windows. They detail how digital light processing enables precise electrode housing fabrication, reducing costs from thousands to under $100, while a masking tape-like process allows scalable production of organic solar modules with 7.3% efficiency. The episode highlights the democratization of space sensor technology and the near-future commercialization of solar windows and OLED lighting.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 1h 07m

    Ep 255: Balloon on the Moon, Nanotech Goblets, and USB All the Way

    Hosts Elliot Williams and Dan Maloney review a diverse range of hardware hacks, including the Mars Ingenuity helicopter's use of commercial Snapdragon processors, a Commodore 1702 monitor restoration using an Alibaba mainboard, and a deep dive into USB-C cable testing with KMOO3C analyzers. They also discuss 3D-printed LED signage using silicone diffusers, ancient Roman nanotech in the Lycurgus Cup, and the rapid evolution of high-speed 3D printing firmware like input shaping. The episode covers inflatable space habitats from Sierra Space and various community projects like flux making and portable antennas.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Amp Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.