Nanosatellite Demonstration of Multi-Functional Space Systems

摘要

The effort under this grant was designed to further the goals of both NASA and the Air Force in the area of small satellites in two ways: hardware development for nanosatellites, and the education of future aerospace professionals. The hardware component of the effort involved the design, construction and testing of a flight-ready nanosatellite to demonstrate several novel technologies for small satellites. The five on-board experiments, the details of which are given below, had as their emphasis the use of hardware that is capable of performing several distinct satellite functions, or is based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies, or both. Multi-functionality and COTS systems are key to the development of low-mass, low-volume, low-cost nanosatellites. The educational component of the grant involved teams of aerospace engineering, electrical engineering and computer science undergraduates designing, developing and testing BEARSat, as well as individual graduate students, two of whom serve in succession as Project Manager. As a result of this effort, NASA and the Air Force have additional young aerospace engineers available with practical experience in nanosatellite technology.