​
PROVES, or the Pleiades Rapid Orbital Verification Experimental System, is building Bronco Space’s next CubeSat. Yearling is a 1U scheduled to rideshare on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-6, reaching orbit in November 2022. PROVES-Yearling is built on the PyCubed architecture and is intended to serve as a lab bench in space. Yearling is carrying a spresense camera payload for attitude determination in addition to 3 IMUs. We have prioritized modularity and low-cost hardware to create a CubeSat kit that can be made available to other university CubeSat programs to provide a leg up in the development process. The PROVES kit will contain an unassembled structure, the novel Lovelace flight computer architecture, and a software handbook. Universities will also be able to access the open source files for the entire kit as well. The kit aims to bridge the knowledge gap between what undergraduates are taught and the knowledge required to engineer a spacecraft. PROVES-Yearling and our following CubeSat, PROVES-X, are the first steps to accomplishing these goals.
PROVES
MEET THE LEADS
Chloe Lau
Mechanical and Structures Lead​
The Goal
​
PROVES is dedicated to creating an accessible and affordable 1U CubeSat platform with a focus on ease of use, open-source principles, and modularity. Targeting educators and university CubeSat programs, PROVES addresses the challenges of expensive and resource-limited existing platforms. By adopting an open-source approach, the initiative aims to democratize CubeSat technology, fostering collaboration and shared knowledge.
The modular design of the PROVES CubeSat platform allows users to customize functionalities, encouraging experimentation and innovation. As part of the Pleiades CubeSat Cluster program, PROVES contributes to a collaborative network, enhancing individual satellite capabilities through shared resources and coordinated missions. In essence, PROVES represents a significant leap in making space exploration and satellite technology more accessible for educational institutions.
**PROVES YEARLING 2
PROVES-Yearling
This 1U CubeSat design runs on the PyCubed hardware and carries along with it a Sony Spresense camera as well as 3 IMU's.
**Yearling assembly
**Yearling structure​
PROOVES EVOLUTION
​
This all first started with the Pleiades CubeSat cluster. It began as a collaboration between CubeSat student organizations from Cal Poly Pomona, Stanford, Portland State, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The plan involved designing and building a fleet of 6 1U and 2 3U CubeSats that would communicate over a mesh network. This would also have the capability of establishing a visual in-space situational awareness through the use of cameras, primarily in the 3Us. In development of this mission, the need for Bronco Space to develop its ability to rapidly produce 1Us and test the technologies that are planned to be integrated into Pleiades had arose. Hence, PROVES was born.
Since then, the mission for PROVES has now expanded. We now plan to create an open-source 1U CubeSat kit that is versatile enough to meet most 1U missions. This kit will include the Lovelace architecture (Backplane, EPS, ADCS, & C&DH boards), sheet metal structure, and a complete software handbook. Overall, in addition to producing a satellite that will meet the Pleiades CubeSat Cluster mission's needs, Bronco Space will be creating a modular product as well
