Grand Finale: National Space Imaging Payload Competition

16 Januari 2025 - Cybernet Systems Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), organized the first National Space Imaging Payload Competition in October 2024 during World Space Week - Malaysia Chapter. The competition aimed to develop a high-resolution camera lens for a 6U CubeSat and attracted 15 engineering teams from USM, UPM, UIAM, UiTM, UTAR, and commercial organizations in Malaysia. Participants faced two screening stages where judges from the organizing team assessed submissions based on creativity, contributions to mankind, mission relevance, and compliance with 6U CubeSat specificationsThe submission was a Mission Design Review (MDR) report which covers the design’s theory, architecture, feasibility studies, as well as prototype simulations, and its optical test data.
The USM Keplertronics team from the School of Physics advanced through both stages and was shortlisted as one of the finalists. The team consisted of students namely Logesh Kumar Selvakumar (team leader), Airil Azman Bin Kamarul Zaman, and Yap Joo Ann who were supervised by Dr. Idahwati Sarudin (School of Physics), Dr. Siti Harwani (School of Aerospace Engineering). On 16th January 2025, the team presented their optical engineering project at MYSA to a distinguished panel of judges such as Dr. Syahrim Azhan bin Ibrahim (Research Officer, Malaysian Space Agency), Prof Ir Ts Dr. Mardeni Roslee (Chairman, IEEE Malaysia ComSoc/VTS Joint Chapter), Sr Ts Masnizan Che Mat (Executive Director, Orbital Space (M) Sdn Bhd) and Loh Kah How (Optical Application Engineer, CYBERNET Malaysia).Our design is described as integrated design of hyperspectral camera with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for water turbidity monitoring and algal bloom prediction. The judges praised the design's advanced idea and its practicality. This competition provided valuable experience of using Ansys Zemax OpticStudio which is an industry-standard CAE software for space technology engineering to the students. Overall, USM Keplertronics’ achievement demonstrated the capabilities of School of Physics students and the excellence of educators from the Schools of Physics and Aerospace Engineering at USM in creating quality work and future engineers.