🛰️ MASTER COURSEWORK ENGINEERING PROJECT

Two-Axis LEO Satellite
Tracking System

A low-cost two-axis ground station for pointing a 60 cm rectenna dish at Low Earth Orbit satellites, designed and implemented during my Master of Engineering (Electrical) coursework at Western Sydney University. The final build integrates an ESP32 browser-control interface, high-torque servo azimuth drive, relay-based actuator control, and a 24 V linear actuator elevation stage.

3.2°

Mean Azimuth Error

1.1°

Mean Elevation Error

AUD $250

Actual Build Cost

Institution Western Sydney University

Academic Context Master of Engineering (Electrical)

Unit Path ENGR7028 to ENGR7029

Engineering Focus Embedded Control & Actuation

Timeline Autumn 2026

Status Bench-Tested Prototype

00 Project Video Evidence

60-second real hardware demonstration

Phone Browser to Physical Tracker Control

The video shows the ESP32-hosted web interface controlling the actual Version 2 tracker hardware. A phone browser sends azimuth commands while the 60 cm dish assembly responds through the high-torque servo drive and actuator-controlled structure.

Control Path Phone browser → ESP32 web server → PWM/relay driver electronics

Hardware Shown 60 cm dish, MDF enclosure, tripod support, azimuth servo, 24 V actuator

Engineering Value Clear proof of hardware-software integration, wiring, control logic, and practical testing

Version 1 proof-of-concept demonstration

Joystick-Controlled Dual-Axis Prototype

This first build proved the movement concept before the final hardware upgrade. The prototype used an Arduino Uno, MG996R servos, joystick control, and a lightweight foamboard structure to validate independent azimuth and elevation motion.

Control Path Joystick input → Arduino Uno → servo actuation

Prototype Purpose Validate two-axis motion, wiring layout, and basic control response

Upgrade Path Converted into a stronger ESP32 web-controlled V2 platform for the 60 cm dish

01 Research Context

🌍

The Problem

LEO satellites cross the visible sky in minutes, with peak angular rates above 1°/s near zenith. A fixed receive dish cannot maintain alignment long enough for reliable Space-Based Solar Power microwave energy harvesting.

🎯

My Solution

A two-axis dish tracker using an ESP32 web server, azimuth servo drive, relay-controlled 24 V linear actuator, and phone browser interface for independent azimuth/elevation control.

⚙️

Innovation

The project brings mechanical tracking, web-based embedded control, and Skyfield/TLE orbital prediction into a practical AUD $250 prototype that can be demonstrated and replicated.

02 System Architecture

Orbital Prediction

Skyfield CelesTrak TLE Simulated ISS Pass

↓

Browser Control

ESP32 Web Server Phone UI Access-Point Fallback

↓

Power & Driver Electronics

                        PCA9685 PWM
                        Relay Polarity Control
                        LM7805 Regulation
                    

↓

Actuation

380 kg·cm Azimuth Servo 24 V Linear Actuator 60 cm Dish Payload

03 Prototype Evolution

✓ Completed

Proof of Concept

ENGR7028 proof of concept

Structure Foamboard

Controller Arduino Uno

Servos MG996R

Control Joystick

Result Motion Proven

✓ Validated dual-axis motion

✓ Power isolation successful

✓ Mechanical feasibility proven

✓ Bench Tested

ENGR7029 Final Build

Autumn 2026

Structure MDF + Tripod

Controller ESP32

Azimuth 380 kg·cm Servo

Elevation 24 V Actuator

Control Phone Browser

→ 0-300° azimuth sweep

→ 0-75° elevation range

→ Under 50 ms web response

→ AUD $250 verified build cost

Future Work

Outdoor RF Validation

Recommended next stage

RF Test Signal Meter

Receiver Rectenna Circuit

Control Closed-Loop PID

Feedback IMU / Encoder

Calibration True North

→ Outdoor live satellite pass test

→ RF reception measurement

→ Automatic pass scheduling

→ Weather-resistant enclosure

04 Technologies & Tools

Hardware

Arduino Uno ESP32 MCU PCA9685 PWM MG996R Servos ASME-05B Servo 24 V Linear Actuator Relay Driver LM7805 Regulator

Software

C++ (Arduino) Python Skyfield ESP32 WebServer HTML/CSS/JS UI MATLAB CelesTrak TLE

Design Tools

Simulated ISS Pass Bench Testing Web Latency Test Az/El Calibration

05 Bench-Tested Results

0-300°

Azimuth Sweep

Servo-driven azimuth stage controlled from the ESP32 web interface with center, relative-step, goto-angle, and full-sweep commands.

0-75°

Elevation Range

24 V linear actuator provides dish elevation control through extend, stop, retract, and timed pulse commands.

<50 ms

Web Response

Phone browser control uses the ESP32 web server with station-mode Wi-Fi and access-point fallback for field operation.

29x

Torque Upgrade

Azimuth drive was upgraded from 13 kg·cm V1 servos to a 380 kg·cm V2 digital servo for the real dish payload.

Area Tested	Target	Achieved	Engineering Evidence
Azimuth pointing	Within 5 degrees	3.2 degrees mean error	Bench calibration and repeated movement checks across the servo sweep
Elevation pointing	Within 3 degrees	1.1 degrees mean error	Linear actuator angle measurement and controlled elevation movement
Control response	Responsive manual control	Under 50 ms web response	Phone browser commands through the ESP32 web server
Build cost	Under AUD $300	AUD $250 prototype cost	Low-cost component selection with documented hardware build

Scope note: this portfolio page presents the tracker platform, control electronics, mechanical actuation, and bench testing. Outdoor microwave reception and rectenna energy-harvesting validation remain future work.

06 Research Contributions

Technical Innovation

Demonstrates a real two-axis dish tracker with 0-300° azimuth movement, 0-75° elevation movement, and a browser interface that can run from a phone in the field.

Educational Platform

Shows how a V1 joystick prototype can be upgraded into a V2 ESP32 web-controlled platform with separate servo and actuator power rails.

Cost Efficiency

Achieves 3.2° mean azimuth error and 1.1° mean elevation error during bench testing while keeping total build cost to AUD $250.

Two-Axis LEO Satellite
Tracking System

00 Project Video Evidence