How can students build space-worthy satellites?
As part of a competition with universities across the nation, University of Minnesota students are designing and constructing a nano-satellite (just 110 pounds). The team, led by student Ellie Field, will create a nano-satellite over a two-year period for the Nanosat-5 competition, which is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The U’s entry – Goldeneye – will utilize GPS signals to implement a novel space-based radar.
In Earth orbit, Goldeneye will collect GPS signals that have been reflected off the Earth’s surface. Characteristics of the reflected GPS signals can then be evaluated to determine conditions on the Earth’s surface, such as wind speed and tidal height on the ocean. Nano-satellites bring an interesting twist to a field mostly populated by significantly larger spacecraft. Smaller weight and volume reduces the cost to launch a satellite. Also, technological advances in electronics and computing means nanosats can pack more utility into a compact size. Because of their compact size, nanosats typically require less time to build, so missions can be launched quicker and more frequently, providing faster access to space for both universities and the military.
“The Nanosat competition is a significant opportunity for students to have the hands-on experience that is highly sought after in industry,” Field says of Goldeneye. “Because the expectations are so high for our satellite given NASA requirements, I've been able to experience the tough reality of systems engineering that most students will not encounter until they've graduated and found jobs in the space industry - just taking classes alone is not practical enough to know how to get a satellite into space.”
The program is supported by the University, industry, and the Air Force.
Because of their training on nanosatellite programs at the University of Minnesota, graduates are now employed at institutions such as NASA and Lockheed Martin.
Last Modified: 2008-02-21 at 16:31:34 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation