Documentation

Completed in Spring 2025, CubeSTEP’s Critical Design Review validated the final design and readiness of the Cerberus CubeSat. The team showcased completed subsystems, test results, and mission analyses, confirming the spacecraft’s capability for low-Earth orbit operation.

CubeSTEP showcased its ongoing CubeSat development at Cal Poly Pomona’s 2025 Project Symposium, featuring advancements in flight hardware, payload testing, and collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

CubeSTEP presented its 3U CubeSat design and mission plan at AIAA SciTech 2025, showcasing innovative thermal control using oscillating heat pipes and collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The Preliminary Design Review documents CubeSTEP’s system-level design maturity and technical approach for the Cerberus CubeSat. It details mission requirements, subsystem architectures, analyses, and planned verification activities, demonstrating readiness to proceed from preliminary design into detailed design and fabrication 

This document provides an overview of CubeSTEP’s mission objectives, system architecture, and concept of operations for the Cerberus 3U CubeSat. It outlines the project’s focus on advancing CubeSat technologies through on-orbit testing, including additive manufacturing and oscillating heat pipe thermal experiments, while highlighting the full mission lifecycle from launch to deorbit

CubeSTEP published a paper at AIAA SciTech 2025 showcasing its 3U CubeSat design with 3D-printed oscillating heat pipes developed in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

Presented at the AIAA SciTech Forum, this paper details the design and development of CubeSTEP-T1, a 3U CubeSat featuring 3D-printed oscillating heat pipes for advanced thermal management. The work highlights Cal Poly Pomona’s collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the use of model-based systems engineering to create a reusable CubeSat bus for future technology demonstrations.