ORBITAL
DRFTING
Notes from the drawing board of a spacecraft mechanical engineer — tolerances, flat patterns, feature control frames, and the occasional exploded view. Every post is issued as a sheet.
OPEN DRAWING REGISTER ↓
FIG 0.0 — SCHEMATIC, CUBESAT BUS
SCALE 1:2
CURSOR
X 000.0 · Y 000.0
§01 DRAWING REGISTER — ALL SHEETS
DWG NOTITLEDESCRIPTIONREVDATE
OD-2026-003
GD&T in Zero Gravity →
Why position callouts matter more when nothing sits on a bench.
REV C
2026-08-02
OD-2026-002
Sheet-Metal Thinking for Satellite Buses →
Flat patterns, bend relief, and K-factors at 400 km altitude.
REV B
2026-06-19
OD-2026-001
From Sketch to Fairing: Modeling a Nose Cone →
Haack-series profiles, lofts, and the spline discipline they demand.
REV A
2026-04-30
§02 PURPOSE — TITLE BLOCK PHILOSOPHY
EVERY PART
DESERVES A
CLEAN SHEET.
Orbital Drafting is a working notebook where spacecraft engineering meets computer-aided design. Each entry is treated like a released drawing: numbered, revised, and dimensioned. No post goes out without a figure, and no figure goes out without a centerline.
Topics orbit around mechanical CAD practice for space hardware — modeling strategy, tolerance stacks, flat patterns, drawing standards — written for people who read title blocks for fun.
PROJECTIONTHIRD ANGLE
UNITSMILLIMETERS (SI)
STANDARDASME Y14.5-2018
CAD STACKSOLIDWORKS · FUSION · FREECAD
ORBITSSO · 550 KM