Mission Design for the CubeSat OUFTI-1

CHAPTER2THE LEODIUM PROJECTThe LEODIUM Project is a project involving the University of Liège and LiègeEspace, a consortium of space industries and research centers in the Liège regionwith the goal of increase the cooperation between the members and to promotethe space activity.LEODIUM is the Latin name of Liège and stands for Lancement En Orbitede Démonstations Innovantes d’une Université Multidisciplinaire (Launch intoOrbit of Innovative Demonstrations of a Multidisciplinary University). Theproject started in 2005 when Mr. Pierre Rochus, president of Liège Espace andDeputy General Manager for Space Instrumentation of the Liège Space Center,was charged with the training of students to the design of miniaturized satellites.Some possible scenarios to involve students in the design of a space mission wereforeseen and each one had its advantages and drawbacks:• Design of a CubeSat or of a Nanosatellite: quick and relatively simple butwith a scientific payload not really efficient due to the low mass and poweravailable.• Design of a Microsatellite: very interesting on the scientific point of viewbut requiring much more time and economical resources.• Participation to the design of a space instrument among a professionalteam: interesting mission but less possibility to actively participate.The project started with the participation in the Student Space Exploration andTechnology Initiative (SSETI) of the European Space Agency: the Universityof Liège took part in the European Student Earth Orbiter (ESEO) designing15