Session
Session XII: The Next Generation
Abstract
Kentucky Space is a consortium of universities located throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky who have developed a collaboration with the goal of developing technologies and expertise in small satellites. In three years, Kentucky Space has progressed from concept to the launch of three sub-orbital sounding rocket payloads, the launch of a near-space high-altitude balloon mission, and the completion of its first satellite, KySat-1, which is scheduled to launch in 2010. To support these missions, Kentucky Space has established a network of VHF/UHF ground stations, adapted the 21-meter radio telescope at Morehead State University to support S-band communications for Low Earth Orbit satellites, and established fabrication and testing facilities to build and flight qualify small satellites; these include a dedicated cleanroom, thermal-vacuum facility, vibration facility, and communication test facilities. With students participating throughout the state, the team faces many of the challenges encountered in the aerospace industry today in terms of systems engineering, documentation, communication, scheduling, and management of a distributed team. This paper describes the past, present, and future projects of Kentucky Space and discusses the approaches used by the student team to overcome the challenges of operating a multi-university program.
Presentation Slides
Kentucky Space: A Multi-University Small Satellite Enterprise
Kentucky Space is a consortium of universities located throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky who have developed a collaboration with the goal of developing technologies and expertise in small satellites. In three years, Kentucky Space has progressed from concept to the launch of three sub-orbital sounding rocket payloads, the launch of a near-space high-altitude balloon mission, and the completion of its first satellite, KySat-1, which is scheduled to launch in 2010. To support these missions, Kentucky Space has established a network of VHF/UHF ground stations, adapted the 21-meter radio telescope at Morehead State University to support S-band communications for Low Earth Orbit satellites, and established fabrication and testing facilities to build and flight qualify small satellites; these include a dedicated cleanroom, thermal-vacuum facility, vibration facility, and communication test facilities. With students participating throughout the state, the team faces many of the challenges encountered in the aerospace industry today in terms of systems engineering, documentation, communication, scheduling, and management of a distributed team. This paper describes the past, present, and future projects of Kentucky Space and discusses the approaches used by the student team to overcome the challenges of operating a multi-university program.
