Aeneas -- Colony I Meets Three-Axis Pointing

A dedicated satellite mission is currently under development at the USC Space Engineering Research Center. Named “Aeneas,” (after the Trojan warrior who personifies duty and courage) the cubesat will be used to track cargo containers worldwide. To accomplish this feat, the satellite must maintain a 2-degree-accuracy surface track – the first of its kind in cubesat technology. This paper describes the requirements, design, implementation and tests to date in the areas of: flight dynamics, flight software, deployable spacecraft antenna, store-and-forward software, custom flight processor including MEMS gyroscopes, Doppler-based orbit determination enhancement and mobile ground station dish with helical feedhorn. Details are provided about the attitude control system and communications.