UniversidaddeCádiz

The UCAnFly team from the University of Cadiz, which is currently participating in the third edition of the Fly Your Satellite program of the European Space Agency (ESA), has successfully completed the environmental test campaign, with the objective of mechanically and thermally qualifying the payload called MELISA-II which is part of the CubeSat UCAnFly. It is a magnetic measurement system that uses tiny sensors designed to detect the slow oscillations of the interplanetary magnetic field.

To ensure the accuracy of the measurements and increase the technological maturity of this nanosatellite, the UCA team must shield the sensors from any unwanted magnetic interference. “What makes this experiment special is that the sensors are placed inside a small cylinder made of mu-metal (a nickel-iron alloy), which acts as a shield, minimizing magnetic disturbances,” as explained by its promoters. The launch, expected in 2025, will shed light on the system’s behavior in the harsh conditions of the orbit in the long term, allowing more reliable and precise measurements with more compact sensors and lower power consumption.