Bentayga-I: Development of a Low-Cost and Open-Source Multispectral CubeSat for Marine Environment Monitoring and...

Area of Science:

• Earth and Space Science
• Remote Sensing Technology
• Optical Instrumentation

Background:

• CubeSats offer a cost-effective solution for remote sensing in data-scarce regions like coastal and marine environments.
• Integrating advanced optical instruments onto CubeSats is challenging due to size and weight constraints.
• The PANDORA multispectral camera was developed as a lightweight, adaptable solution for CubeSat applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Bentayga-I CubeSat system for testing the PANDORA multispectral camera in near-space conditions.
• To assess the performance of PANDORA's four ocean-relevant spectral bands.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of low-cost CubeSat missions for environmental monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Bentayga-I CubeSat, including power, thermal, environmental sensing, and communication subsystems.
• Integration and testing of the PANDORA multispectral camera with interchangeable filters.
• Deployment via a helium balloon launch (B2Space) for near-space environmental validation.
• Validation of spectral capabilities using a hyperspectral camera and testing scientific applicability with coastal imagery.

Main Results:

• Bentayga-I electronics functioned correctly during the near-space helium balloon launch.
• The spectral capabilities of the PANDORA camera were validated against a hyperspectral reference.
• Initial coastal imagery captured by PANDORA demonstrated its scientific applicability for environmental studies.

Conclusions:

• The Bentayga-I CubeSat successfully validated the PANDORA multispectral camera in a near-space environment.
• The integrated system shows significant potential for future low-cost CubeSat missions focused on ocean and coastal studies.
• Further validation in a real-world scenario is planned for the multispectral camera.