Scout
1U CubeSat · Earth Observation Entry Platform
Technical Overview
The Scout is a 1U CubeSat (10×10×10 cm) built on the international PC/104 standard, designed for earth observation, AIS vessel tracking, and IoT relay. Every subsystem uses COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) components available in the United States. The outer chassis is coated with Cladosporium sphaerospermum melanin-polymer composite (Patent Pending #1) — replacing traditional aluminium oxide coatings with a biological radiation shield that is lighter and self-repairing in LEO. The on-board computer runs Pit Boss+ neuromorphic inference (Patent Pending #2) enabling image classification and anomaly detection without ground contact.
Subsystem Blueprints
Structure
- ·10×10×10 cm PC/104 frame
- ·Aluminium 6061-T6 rails
- ·4 side panels + top/bottom endcaps
- ·Mass budget: 0.28 kg
- ·Melanin-polymer outer coating (Patent #1)
Machine the main chassis rails from 6061-T6 aluminium bar stock (available at McMaster-Carr). Side panels are 1.5 mm aluminium sheet. After machining, dip-coat all exterior surfaces in melanin-polymer solution (Cladosporium sphaerospermum melanin dissolved in PVDF-HFP, 8% w/v in acetone, spray-applied at 40 µm dry thickness). Cure at 80°C for 2 hours. This replaces anodising and provides both radiation shielding and EMI attenuation. PC/104 standoffs at 4 corners accept standard PC/104 boards.
Electrical Power System (EPS)
- ·2× GaInP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells
- ·28.3% BOL efficiency
- ·+X and –X face mounting
- ·18650 Li-ion 2S2P battery pack (14.8V, 5.2 Ah)
- ·Custom BMS on STM32F4
- ·Peak orbit power: 2.1 W
Solar cells: Spectrolab XTJ Prime or Azur Space 3G30C (both US-sourced). Mount to side panels using RTV-566 silicone adhesive (space-rated). Battery pack: 4× Samsung 30Q 18650 cells in 2S2P configuration with EaglePicher BMS circuitry, or use GomSpace NanoPower P31u EPS board (available through ISIS Space USA). Charge controller: LT3652 IC (Linear Technology). Target: 77 Wh total capacity, 50% max depth of discharge = 38.5 Wh usable.
On-Board Computer (OBC)
- ·STM32H743ZIT6 — 480 MHz Cortex-M7
- ·1 MB SRAM, 2 MB Flash
- ·FreeRTOS real-time OS
- ·EDAC on critical memory
- ·BrainChip AKD1500 co-processor (Patent #2)
- ·Operating temp: –40°C to +85°C
Primary OBC built on STM32H743 microcontroller (US distributor: Mouser Electronics, DigiKey). Add BrainChip AKD1500 neuromorphic inference chip (Patent Pending #2 — Pit Boss+ architecture) as SPI co-processor for on-board image classification with 30× lower power than ARM CNN inference. Flash FreeRTOS with custom HAL layer. Implement EDAC (Error Detection and Correction) via software Hamming code on critical data structures. Watchdog timer (IWDG) for autonomous reboot on lockup. PCB: 4-layer, 95×90 mm, PC/104 footprint.
Communications (COMMS)
- ·UHF 437.525 MHz half-duplex
- ·AX.25 / GMSK modulation
- ·9,600 bps uplink/downlink
- ·0.5 W TX power
- ·Turnstile antenna (2× dipoles)
- ·SatNOGS global ground network compatible
Transceiver: Build around Silicon Labs Si4463 radio IC (FHSS-capable, –121 dBm sensitivity). Alternatively use EnduroSat UHF Type II transceiver module. Antenna: dual-dipole turnstile (4 spring-loaded whips, stainless steel, 17.3 cm each at 437 MHz). Antenna deploy on a nichrome burn-wire mechanism (1 A, 3 sec burn). SatNOGS (satnogs.org) provides a free global network of 500+ ground stations — no proprietary ground station required for early operations. Protocol: AX.25 packet layer over GMSK.
ADCS (Attitude Determination & Control)
- ·3-axis magnetorquer coils
- ·6× photodiode sun sensors (face-mounted)
- ·MPU-6050 MEMS IMU (3-axis gyro + accel)
- ·Pointing accuracy: ±5°
- ·Detumble mode + nadir pointing mode
- ·No reaction wheels (mass/power budget)
Magnetorquers: wind 3 orthogonal coils on ferrite cores (50×50×5 mm, 400 turns each, 28 AWG copper magnet wire). Mount on side panels. Drive with H-bridge (DRV8833 IC). Sun sensors: photodiodes (BPW34) flush-mounted on all 6 faces, analog readout via ADC. IMU: MPU-6050 on I2C bus. Control law: B-dot detumble algorithm for initial stabilisation, then nadir-pointing using magnetorquer dipole + Earth magnetic field model (IGRF). Attitude error ±5° sufficient for wide-FOV imager.
Payload — Earth Imager
- ·OV5640 5MP CMOS sensor
- ·25 mm EFL lens (f/2.8)
- ·FOV: 23° × 17°
- ·GSD: ~5 m at 400 km altitude
- ·JPEG compression on OBC
- ·Storage: 32 GB microSD (SanDisk Industrial)
Camera module: OV5640 (5MP, 2592×1944 pixels) connected to OBC via MIPI CSI-2 or parallel DVP interface. Lens: 25 mm EFL C-mount lens (Edmund Optics, $45). At 400 km altitude with 5MP sensor and 25 mm focal length: GSD ≈ 5 m/pixel, swath width ≈ 12 km. Capture 1 frame per second during day pass (~10 min/orbit). Compress to JPEG at quality 80 (≈500 KB/frame). Downlink over 3 passes/day at 9,600 bps ≈ 2.1 MB/day. Store excess on 32 GB microSD. On-board classification via BrainChip AKD1500: detect ships, buildings, change events.
Bill of Materials — US Domestic Suppliers
| PART | SPEC | SUPPLIER | LOCATION | EST. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium 6061-T6 bar stock (1 kg) | CNC-machined chassis rails and panels | McMaster-Carr | Elmhurst, IL | $45 |
| Solar cells — Spectrolab XTJ Prime (×2) | 28.3% efficiency GaInP/GaAs/Ge | Spectrolab (Boeing) | Sylmar, CA | $800 |
| Li-ion 18650 cells — Samsung 30Q (×4) | 3,000 mAh, –40°C rated | Mouser Electronics | Mansfield, TX | $30 |
| STM32H743ZIT6 microcontroller | 480 MHz Cortex-M7, 1 MB SRAM | DigiKey / Mouser | US distribution | $25 |
| BrainChip AKD1500 neuromorphic chip | Akida patent-pending inference (Patent #2) | BrainChip Inc | Aliso Viejo, CA | $150 |
| Si4463 UHF radio IC | 437.525 MHz, –121 dBm, 0.5W TX | Silicon Labs (DigiKey) | Austin, TX | $8 |
| OV5640 camera module | 5MP CMOS, MIPI CSI-2 | Arducam / DigiKey | US distribution | $35 |
| 25 mm EFL C-mount lens | f/2.8, broadband AR coating | Edmund Optics | Barrington, NJ | $65 |
| MPU-6050 IMU | 3-axis gyro + accelerometer, I2C | DigiKey | US distribution | $8 |
| Nichrome burn wire (5 cm, 30 AWG) | Antenna deployment trigger | Pelican Wire | Naples, FL | $5 |
| RTV-566 space adhesive (50 mL) | Solar cell bonding, –65°C to +260°C | Momentive / Grainger | US distribution | $40 |
| Spring-loaded dipole antennas (×4) | 17.3 cm stainless steel, self-deploying | Custom wound or Whip Antennas Inc | US | $30 |
| PC/104 standoffs & hardware | M2.5 nylon/aluminium | Pumpkin Inc | San Francisco, CA | $25 |
| 32 GB microSD Industrial | SanDisk Industrial, –40°C to +85°C | DigiKey | US distribution | $20 |
| PCB fabrication (4-layer, ×3 boards) | OBC + EPS + COMMS, PC/104 form factor | Advanced Circuits | Aurora, CO | $350 |
| CubeSat deployer (P-POD compatible) | For integration test; launch vehicle provides | Pumpkin Inc / ISL | US | $500 |
Patent Heritage & Global IP Landscape
Assembly & Build Sequence
Order from US suppliers listed in BOM. Lead time items: solar cells (4–6 weeks from Spectrolab), PCBs (2 weeks from Advanced Circuits), BrainChip AKD1500 (4 weeks). Start these orders first.
Upload DXF drawings to Xometry.com for instant quote and domestic machining. Specify 6061-T6 aluminium, all holes M2.5 threaded, surface roughness Ra 1.6 µm. Typical lead time: 5 business days.
Prepare 8% w/v Cladosporium melanin in PVDF-HFP/acetone solution. Spray-coat all exterior aluminium surfaces at 40 µm wet thickness using airbrush (Badger 150). Cure 80°C for 2 hours in a benchtop oven. Measure thickness with digital coating gauge (DeFelsko PosiTector).
Receive boards from Advanced Circuits. Solder all ICs using hot-air rework station (Quick 857D+). Flash STM32H743 bootloader via ST-Link V3 programmer. Verify all power rails with bench power supply (Rigol DP832). Functional test each board individually before integration.
Spot-weld 4× Samsung 30Q cells in 2S2P configuration using nickel strip (0.2 mm × 8 mm). Connect BMS board. Charge to 50% (storage charge) before integration. Verify BMS over-current, over-temp, and over-voltage protection with bench test.
Stack boards in order: EPS (bottom) → OBC (middle) → COMMS (top). Connect via PC/104 bus connector (86-pin). Route RF coax (RG-178) from COMMS board to antenna header on side panel. Torque all M2.5 screws to 0.15 N·m (use calibrated torque screwdriver).
Mount magnetorquer coils on +X, –Y, +Z panels using epoxy (Loctite EA 9394 AERO). Mount BPW34 photodiodes (flush with panel surface) on all 6 faces. Connect all sensor wires through strain-relief grommets. Test detumble control law in open loop on benchtop Helmholtz coil.
Align OV5640 camera module with 3 mm circular aperture in top (+Z) endcap. Bond 25 mm lens to endcap using RTV-566. Focus lens at infinity (stars): set lens at ≈25 mm from sensor; verify focus using Siemens star test chart at 10 m.
Mount 4× spring-loaded stainless dipoles in compression into slots cut in –Z endcap. Route nichrome burn wire through restraint. Secure with a single wrap of Dyneema line. On power-up, OBC fires burn wire for 3 seconds to release all 4 antennas simultaneously.
Power the integrated unit from bench supply. Verify: (1) all subsystems boot, (2) radio transmits (verify with RTL-SDR dongle + SDR# on laptop), (3) camera captures and compresses images, (4) BrainChip inference runs on test images, (5) magnetorquers activate on command.
Vibration: random vibration per NASA GEVS spec (14.1 Grms, 20–2000 Hz, 1 min per axis × 3 axes) using vibration table (or send to NTS Laboratories, MA). Thermal cycling: –10°C to +60°C, 8 cycles, in standard benchtop thermal chamber. Verify no functional changes after each test.
Document all as-built measurements. Photograph each assembly step. Prepare Interface Control Document (ICD) for launch provider. Submit to launch vehicle provider (SpaceX Transporter or Rocket Lab) 12 months before launch window.
Investment Narrative
The Scout is the entry point to the Sovereign Orbital constellation — a $75,000 fully-owned satellite built entirely from US-domestic components that any operator, researcher, or institution can put in orbit under their own call sign.
The market for 1U CubeSats is growing at 18% CAGR (NSR Small Satellite Report 2025). Competitors charge $150,000–$250,000 for comparable 1U missions through integrated service providers, with no IP ownership for the buyer. Scout transfers full ownership: the satellite, its data, and its ground station access belong to the operator.
The melanin radiation shield (Patent #1) reduces structural mass by an estimated 18–32% vs aluminium equivalent — a cost and mass reduction that cascades into lower launch cost per unit. The neuromorphic OBC (Patent #2) enables on-board classification at 30× lower power than ARM/GPU, extending mission life and reducing ground station contact requirements.
Three Scout units sold cover one year of engineering salary. Ten Scout units sold cover the full engineering team through first launch. The revenue model is simple: build, sell, launch, support.