Cubesat Camera Space Ruggedization

Pre-made space-qualified cameras are typically very expensive, and not viable for nanosatellite missions. Limited deep space communication is also a problem for such missions. CatSat will be used in a proof of concept for a high-bandwidth deep space communication system able to achieve high-definition video transmission from low-Earth orbit through a novel inflatable antenna. CatSat will also pave the way for the use of affordable commercial off the-shelf cameras on future missions.The CatCam camera system will image the deployment of the inflatable antenna and capture video of Earth. The data that CatCam captures will be sent through the inflatable antenna as a demonstration of high-bandwidth communication. CatCam has been designed, built and tested to withstand the harsh environment of space, and has been programmed with camera control software for easy integration into the rest of the CubeSat.