Primary structurefor a CubeSat 1U for QKD applications: design and analysis

Abstract

An optimized primary structure for CubeSat 1U for QKD application is presented. Several proposals are shown where each one was analyzed regarding the mass quantity, natural frequency, thermal distribution and static forces based on the finite element computational method. The simulation results show that the optimized structure presents a mass of 155.43 gr using Al 7075 T6 (meaning a reduction of 50% compared to the initial model), natural frequency of 1204.9Hz, amplitude variations of 16.5 mm and that the general thermal distribution remain constant ≈79 ⁰C under extreme thermal range, -13 ⁰C – 136 ⁰C. These results allow an adequate internal environment for a particular performance of an optical payload for QKD applications based on a reduced thermal noise.