WITHDRAWN: Vibration Modal Anaylsis for Simplified Separatable 12U Cubesat Chassis

With cislunar space becoming a dedicated global focus for research and Space Situational Awareness (SSA), nanosatellite deployment in the region presents a unique opportunity to support emerging operational needs. In partnership with NASA’s Artemis program to extend presence beyond the International Space Station (ISS) to cislunar and interplanetary destinations, the United States Space Force (USSF) continues to expand its sphere of influence beyond cislunar with an increased importance on dynamic spacecraft operations well outside traditional Earth-centric orbits [1,2]. This research presents a design for a 12U CubeSat to be launched from a NASA Artemis Space Launch System (SLS), deployed from the SLS after the translunar injection burn, and separated into independent 6U CubeSats within a periodic or quasi-periodic southern second Earth-Moon Lagrange (L2) halo orbit. Once established, the independent 6Us will perform Linked, Autonomous, Interplanetary Satellite Orbit Navigation (LiAISON) to determine orbits using satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) in cislunar space. Building on Artemis launch loading requirements for Rocket Lab canisterized satellite dispensers (CSD), the mechanical separation mechanism must enable the coupled 12U CubeSat to withstand launch loads within its dispenser, minimize modifications to the standard 6U design, and provide controlled, low-relative-velocity separation at the appropriate time. Designed within the clearance provided for a 12U CSD, the separation mechanism’s design will be vibroacoustically examined to determine the best design for launch survival. Ultimately, this study looks at three design configuration to mechanically couple equivalent nanosatellites in a manner that will survive launch loading.