Development of an Actuator for an Airdropped Platform Landing System

This work presents an actuation system that aims at improving the maneuvering capability during the landing phase of the LAICAnSat platform. The LAICAnSat is a low-cost, modular platform for high altitude applications, such as remote sensing, telecommunications, research, development and innovation within the aerospace field. The landing system uses a ram-air parachute that is actuated by servo motors located on a pseudo 2U CubeSat platform. This platform differs from the actual CubeSat standard due to the actuation mechanisms on the outside of a 2U standard module. A brake lines actuator is responsible for the directional, speed and glide ratio control. The paper provides details of the design, realization and testing of the actuation system, which represent a first attempt in the development of an autonomous landing system for the LAICAnSat.