LEOP & in-orbit commissioning

From separation to first beacon#

The Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) begins the instant the deployer door opens and the backplate deployment switches release[1]:

1. Inhibit countdown ($T+0$ to $T+30\text{min}$): The EPS powers the OBC, which increments a non-volatile timer in FRAM while keeping RF amplifiers and burn-wire drivers disabled.
2. Antenna release and detumbling ($T+30$ to $T+45\text{min}$): Primary and redundant thermal knives sever the UHMWPE hold-down cords; on spacecraft with active magnetic control, B-dot damping starts reducing tip-off rates from $5\text{-}20^{\circ }/\text{s}$ toward $<1^{\circ }/\text{s}$[2].
3. First beacon acquisition: Using the launch provider's separation state vector converted into a preliminary Two-Line Element (TLE) set, the primary station and global SatNOGS receivers record the first CW or FSK/LoRa housekeeping frames[3].