Session
Technical Session VII: Student Scholarship Competition
Abstract
In recent years, an increased effort to design, build, and operate small satellites has taken place in universities and laboratories all over the world. These microsatellites provide numerous flight opportunities for science experiments at a fraction of the cost of larger traditional missions. In addition, there has been an increasing trend towards international cooperation on space projects. From the International Space Station to joint commercial ventures, the future of space progress will be shared by countries around the world. Tomorrow’s engineers must prepare for this challenge. This paper provides an overview of the Kyushu/US Experimental Satellite Tether (QUEST) mission, a joint project between Kyushu University (KU), Arizona State University (ASU), and Santa Clara University (SCU). This mission will develop and test new technologies related to space tether deployment and operation. In particular, it will attempt to show very small space platforms can be used for significant tether deployments. If successful, it will provide valuable data for tether designers as well as cost and weight savings on future missions. In addition, progress on system design, ground station development, orbital simulations and related testing are reviewed.
The Kyushu/US Experimental Satellite Tether (QUEST) Mission, a Small Satellite to Test and Validate Spacecraft Tether Deployment and Operations
In recent years, an increased effort to design, build, and operate small satellites has taken place in universities and laboratories all over the world. These microsatellites provide numerous flight opportunities for science experiments at a fraction of the cost of larger traditional missions. In addition, there has been an increasing trend towards international cooperation on space projects. From the International Space Station to joint commercial ventures, the future of space progress will be shared by countries around the world. Tomorrow’s engineers must prepare for this challenge. This paper provides an overview of the Kyushu/US Experimental Satellite Tether (QUEST) mission, a joint project between Kyushu University (KU), Arizona State University (ASU), and Santa Clara University (SCU). This mission will develop and test new technologies related to space tether deployment and operation. In particular, it will attempt to show very small space platforms can be used for significant tether deployments. If successful, it will provide valuable data for tether designers as well as cost and weight savings on future missions. In addition, progress on system design, ground station development, orbital simulations and related testing are reviewed.
