Appendix C Epsilon User’s Manual

Appendix C
E-SSOD Interface

This document defines the technical interface requirements for a CubeSat to be released from the
Epsilon LV using the Epsilon Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (E-SSOD).

CubeSat
1U
OR

2U
OR
Cover for satellite
access window
Satellite lock door 3U
OR

1U 1U
OR

Pin Puller 2U 1U
CubeSat Deployer
CubeSat放出装置 OR
(E-SSOD)
(E-SSOD)
1U 2U
OR

1U 1U 1U

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C1. Details of Mounting Position

The definitions of the coordinate systems are shown in Figure C1-1.

Rocket Body Axis Xsc

XB Zsc

XES
ZES

Ysc

CubeSat
Coordinate System (Typical)
YES
(Origin is Geometric Center)
E-SSOD
Coordinate System

180°
ZB

The Door of the Zsc

CubeSat Deployer Direction of the
（E-SSOD) Deployment

90° XB
270°
YB
Ysc
Xsc
（ 38

ZES E-SSOD#2
0）
0）

E-SSOD#1
（ 60
YES
XES YES
ZES XES
Small-Satellite 64° Ysc
304°
(90°)
Multi-satellites
）

Xsc
3.5

Ysc
1
（1

Mount Structure Zsc

0°Direction of the
）

Xsc
27

Deployment
（2

Micro-satellite×3 (BOTTOM VIEW)

CubeSat Deployer * Sizes and positions of CubeSats are examples.

(E-SSOD)×2
Damper

Figure C1-1 Coordinate System Definition

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C2. CubeSat Envelope

PL usable volume is defined in Section 4.1.1.

The usable volume of a CubeSat shall meet the requirements in Figure C2-1.

When stored in an E-SSOD, a CubeSat shall hold its deployable components inside its usable
volume all by itself and shall not use any structure of the E-SSOD, such as the rail guides and walls,
for any purpose.

If there is any possibility that deployable components might be released and then contact the inside
walls of the E-SSOD, the possible contact surfaces of such deployable components shall have the
thickness of 1 mm or more.

Common
The for four positions
same dimensions for all the four corners
6.5
8.5 A 0.5

Rail
0.5
6.5
8.5

SC structure
CubeSat main
structure
+Zsc
Allowable
Maximum
Dynamic
usable See Note2)
Envelope
volume
(See Note3))

0.5
A
Cross Section
A-A
【Note】
1) Unit：mm
2)
2) componentsshall
Any component shallbe
bestored
recessed from
within thethe
railedge
end of the –Zsc
surface rail ends.
line.
3) All external
Any components
protrusion shallwithin
shall be held be within the dynamic
the maximum envelope.
usable volume.

Figure C2-1 Allowable Usable Volume

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C3. Mechanical Interface

C3.1 Exterior Dimension Requirements

Allowable sizes of and dimensional requirements for CubeSats are shown in Table C3-1 and Figure
C3-1.

Table C3-1 Allowable Sizes of CubeSats

Exterior Dimensions of PL main structure (including rails)
Rail Dimensions
Xsc Ysc Zsc
1U 113.5 ± 0.1 mm
at least 8.5 mm
CubeSat 2U 100 ± 0.1 mm 100 ± 0.1 mm 227.0 ± 0.1 mm
square
3U 340.5 ± 0.3 mm

⊥ 0.2 B 【Note】
⊥ 0.2 B A
0.2 A 1) Unit：mm
(Common tolerance zone (Common tolerance zone 2) All value shall be met after the surface coating
In 2 places) 8.5min In 2 places) 3) Main structures of a SC in±Xsc、±Ysc shall
4 – at least R1 not exceed the edge of the rails
4) Bold portion （ ）shall be rounded offin at
least R1.(Also applicable for -Zsc plane)
5) Arrangement type of the separation switches
8.5min

and separation springs is shown in FigureC3-3.

100±0.1
(2 places)

+Xsc C
Ha*1 Hb*2
+Ysc See Note 3)
A 1U 113.5±0.1 111.5±0.1
2U 227±0.1 225±0.1
⊥ 0.2 B
(Common tolerance zone
100±0.1 3U 340.5±0.3 N/A
In 2 places) (2 places)
⊥ 0.2 B A (*1)Rails
RailsNOT for separation
WITHOUT Springsprings
separation
(Common tolerance zone (*2)Rails
RailsforWITH
Separation Springsprings
separation
In 2 places)

Hb （Diagonal 2 places） Ha （Diagonal 2 places）

(Surface of the rail) (Surface of the rail) (Surface of the rail)

7min 7min 6.5min 7min
1.6μm 1.6μm 1.6μm

Separation Spring

CubeSat
衛星主構体main structure CubeSat
衛星主構体main structure CubeSat main structure
衛星主構体

+Zsc +Zsc +Zsc

Rails Rails Rails

+Ysc +Ysc +Ysc

Separation Spring
6.5min
Ha （4 places） Ha （Diagonal 2 places） Hb （Diagonal 2 places）

B B B

0.2 0.2 0.2

(Common tolerance zone In 4 places) (Common tolerance zone In 4 places) (Common tolerance zone In 4 places)

Arrow View C Arrow View C Arrow View C

(Arrangement of separation switches (Arrangement of separation switches (Arrangement of separation switches
and separation springs: and separation springs: and separation springs:
Type1 & 4) Type2) Type3)

Figure C3-1 Dimentional Requierments for CubeSats

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C3.2 Requirements for CubeSat Rails

(1) A CubeSat shall have four rails on the edges parallel to the Zsc-axis so that it can slide out along
the rail guides of an E-SSOD.

(2) The dimensional requirements are defined in Figure C3-1.

(3) Each rail shall have a square cross-section of 8.5 mm or more.

(4) Each rail shall have a surface roughness of Ra 1.6 µm or less.

(5) Outside edges of a rail shall be rounded off to a radius of at least 1 mm.

(6) Both rail ends shall have a minimum surface area of 6.5 mm x 6.5 mm.

(7) Outside surfaces along a rail shall have 75% or more contact area with a rail guide. The remaining
25% or less may have recessed areas from the rail guide. (This means that at least 85.1 mm of a
rail shall have the contact area for a 1U CubeSat, at least 170.3 mm for a 2U CubeSat and at least
255.4 mm for a 3U CubeSat.)

Any rail, if devided, shall have its end edges rounded off to a radius of at least 1 mm. The common
tolerance zones of such rail surfaces shall satisfy the requirements in both perpendicularity and
parallelism specified in Figure C3-1.

Any CubeSat need to be designed to have sufficient structural strength in consideration of

compressive load to its body generated at the rail ends.

(8) All surfaces of rails contacting E-SSOD’s rail guides and those of rail ends, or standoffs,
contacting adjacent CubeSat standoffs, shall be hard-anodized after machining process. The
coating thickness shall be 10 μm or more in accordance with MIL-A-8625, Type 3.

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C3.3 Stracture Strength

For CubeSats to be stabilized during launch, the gap between the backplate and the back panel of the
E-SSOD needs to be adjusted by 4 bolts (see Figure C3-2).

Therefore, each rail shall have a sufficient structural strength in consideration of the maximum preload
of 27.9 N applied to four rails in total by the main spring of E-SSOD, and the acceleration to the total
mass* of other ridesharing CubeSats in the same E-SSOD and the back plate weighing 0.25 kg (see
Figure C3-2).

* For a 1U CubeSat: 1.5 kg (other CubeSat mass) x 2

For a 2U CubeSat: 1.5 kg (other CubeSat mass) x 1
For a 3U CubeSat: 1.5 kg (other CubeSat mass) x 0

The load from the main spring, much smaller than the random vibration load, does not need to be
simulated in the vibration test and impact test of PL.

Clearance Adjustment
Back Plate
Double Nut

Back Panel

Adjust Bolt
Adjusting Bolt
Main Spring

Figure C3-2 Back Plate and Adjusting Bolts of E-SSOD

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C3.4 Separation Spring

When a CubeSat is stored with others in a single E-SSOD, such CubeSat is required to have spring
plungers (P/N：251D939002-1) as shown in Figure C3-3 as separation springs to keep enough distance
during release from the E-SSOD for collision avoidance; however, a 1U CubeSat of Type 4 as shown in
Figure C3-4 and a 3U CubeSat, which is stored alone, does not need any spring plunger. A pair of spring
plungers shall be diagonally installed on standoffs, rail ends of a CubeSat, as shown in Figure C3-4.

Figure C3-3 shows the appearance and dimensions of the spring plunger.

Figure C3-4 shows the mounting positions for the spring plunges, whose installation is compulsory, and
the allowable positions for the deployment switches (separation switches), whose installation is optional.

Figure C3-5 shows the detailed mounting position of a separation spring (spring plunger)/separation
switch (deployment switch) on a standoff.

The flange of a spring plunger shall be firmly attached to the standoff surface as shown in Figure C3-6.

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(2±0.05) (M5×0.8)
(φ7)

(18MAX)
Unit：mm
About 2g par piece

Figure C3-3 Spring Plunger

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(1)Single SC
(1) A single
PL installsstored
CubeSat in E-SSOD
in an E-SSOD

Type１ Zsc Xsc

３U

Ysc
Type１

２U
Allowable positions for
Allowable rail edges that
deployment switches
Type１ have a deployment switch
(optional)
Positions
Rail edgesforthat
spring
must have
plungers (compulsory)
a separation spring
1U

(2) Two CubeSats

(２)Two SCs installstored in an E-SSOD
in E-SSOD
Type２
Type３

２U
1U

Type２
Type３

1U
２U

Type２ Type３

1U 1U

(3) Three 1U
(３)Three SCsCubeSats
install instored
E-SSODin an E-SSOD

Type２
Type４
Type３

1U
1U
1U

Figure C3-4 Positions of Spring Plungers and Deployment Switches

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M5×0.8, Thread depth 19 Min

φ0.3

PL
Body
8.5 Min

4.25

4.25
Unit: mm
8.5 Min

Figure C3-5 Detailed Mounting Position of Spring Plunger/Deployment Switch on Standoff

(113.5 mm(1U))
(227.0 mm(2U))

Hb (2 mm)

Separation Spring

0
CubeSat Rail
Flange of Spring Plunger
Standoff
※Refer to Figure C3-1 for Hb
Figure C3-6 Flange of Spring Plunger Firmly Attached to Standoff Surface

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C3.5. Separation switch

(1) A CubeSat shall have deployment switches (separation switches) on its standoffs as shown in
Figure C3-4 to prevent activation in an E-SSOD. For the number of deployment switches to be
installed, refer to Section C4.1. The allowable mounting positions are shown in Figure C3-4 and
the Detailed mounting position is shown in Figure C3-5.

(2) CubeSats need to remain inactive while any one of the deployment switches is kept depressed to
a maximum distance of 0.75 mm from the standoff surface as shown in Figure C3-7.

(3) Battery charging, if needed, shall be conducted with all deployment switches being depressed.

(4) The stroke of a deployment switch shall be 2.0 mm or less from the standoff surface as shown in
Figure C3-7.

(5) The force generated by each deployment switch shall be no greater than 3 N.

Depressed

0.75 mm max
Deployment Switch

2.0 mm max
Standoff Surface

Stroke

Figure C3-7 Maximum Distance and Stroke of Deployment Switch

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C3.6. Access Window

(1) A CubeSat installed in an E-SSOD can be only accessible through the +XES (=+Xsc) axis side as
shown in Figure C3-8.
(2) Any device needs to be accessed after the installation shall be located in the area near access
windows.
(3) Access through a PLF is not available.
MLI

XES
ZES

YES

Access Windows

（340.5）
（27） （27） （27）

（12）
（86.5） （86.5） （86.5）

（76）
Access Access Access
Window Window Window

3U CubeSat
（227）
（27） （27）
（12）

（86.5） （86.5）
（76）

Access Access
Window Window

2U CubeSat

（113.5）
（27） Xsc
（12）

（86.5）
Zsc

Ysc
（76）

Access 【Note】
Window 1) Unit：mm
2) All dimensions are nominal value
(without tolerance).
1U CubeSat

Figure C3-8 Normal Positions of Access Windows

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C4. Electrical Interface

C4.1. Deployment Switch and Software

A CubeSat shall have at least three inhibits, deployment switches and RBF pins (Remove before
Flight Pins), to prevent unintentional activation in an E-SSOD by on-board batteries or solar cells.
Typical circuits are shown in Figure C4-1.

Refer to Chapter C3 for the mechanical interface of the deployment switch.

CubeSats need to remain inactive while any one of the deployment switches is depressed.

In addition, if all development switches are released but one of them is pressed again within 200 s, its
timer shall be reset so that the CubeSat can remain inactive. This is to prevent inadvertent activation
while CubeSats are being installed in an E-SSOD.

PBFpin
Deployment SW1 Deployment SW1 Deployment SW2

Solar Cell Battery Solar Cell Battery

Load Load

Deployment SW2 Deployment SW3

RBF：Remove before flight

ex. 1 ex. 2

Figure C4-1 Typical circuits with Deployment switches and PBF pins

C4.2. Bonding

A CubeSat shall have a bonding interface on the side of access windows (Figure C3-8) in case access
is required after the installation in an E-SSOD.

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C5. Tools for CubeSat Verification Test

C5.1. Vibration Test Case

A vibration test case simulating an E-SSOD as shown in Figure C5-1 is used for the vibration test of a
CubeSat. When multiple CubeSats are mounted in a single E-SSOD, such CubeSats are
recommended to carry out the test using the mass dummy attached to the vibration test case.

Part Number Name Note

113C122012-1 VIB TEST CASE 3U For 3U
113C122012-2 VIB TEST CASE 2U For 2U
113C122012-3 VIB TEST CASE 1U For 1U

Figure C5-1 Vibration Test Case

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C5.2. Fit-check Case

A fit-check case shown in Figure C5-2 is used for fit-check between a CubeSat and an E-SSOD. Its
internal dimensions are 100.2 ± 0.1 mm in height and width while those of the E-SSOD are 100.5 ±
0.2 mm.

Part Number Name Note

113C122011-1 FITCHECK CASE For All Sizes (common)

With Spring
Without back plate

Shapes of the access windows are the same as Flight model

Without doors

Figure C5-2 Fit Check Case

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