Johanna Fries , FOTEC Forschungs- und Technologietransfer GmbH
Spacecraft surface charging due to plasma interactions and high-energy particles can affect sensitive measurement systems and damage components. As CubeSats are increasingly used for scientific missions, Active Spacecraft Potential Control (ASPOC) becomes crucial for operating plasma diagnostics instruments. FOTEC has developed ASPOC solutions since the 1960s, with recent upgrades leading to ASPOC-NG. To meet stringent CubeSat mission requirements, the instrument ASPOCube was designed based on ASPOC-NG heritage. ASPOCube, weighing less than 1 kg and occupying less than 1U, features controllable ion and electron emission for science missions. The system requirements, design, and preliminary test results of ASPOCube are presented.