Few weeks ago we received our Cube Mounting Device, sponsored and manufactured by ASM – Axel Selbach Metallbearbeitung. For the handover Mr. Selbach, head of the company, personally came to Aachen and visited us at the Institute of High Frequency Technology. Thank you for this great support and interest!
The Cube Mounting Device is located between the Cube and the Base Unit and represents the mechanical triggering and jettison mechanism of our experiment as well as the interface to the Cube.
Therefore two holding strings connect the spool and the structure of the cube to a stretching system, which holds both parts against the force of springs. For triggering of our experiment a pyrotechnical cutter, separates the string connected to the spool, which now is pushed up and free to deploy the drag sail. After the deployment we have to eject the cube from the rocket to reduce the risk of damaging the recovery parachute. To do so the second string is cut and four springs push the cube out of the Cube Mounting Device.