Session
Session VII: Communications
Abstract
In 2014, Ames Research Center launched the Technical Educational Satellite 4 (TechEdSat 4) from an external launcher aboard the International Space Station. This experimental CubeSat deployed an exobrake, an exo-atmospheric drag chute that can be used for controlled de-orbit of a small payload canister from earth orbit. This capability is useful for returning biological samples from ISS and even planetary samples from beyond the earth. Such capability can support better biological and medical science experiments and is a long-term goal of NASA and industry.
The results of the TechEdSat 4 (TES4) mission will be presented along with the design of the follow-on spacecraft, TechEdSat5/PhoneSat5 (TES5/PS5), which will launch from ISS this summer. The TES4 exobrake deployed, changed the drag on the CubeSat, resulting in early orbital reentry. The time frame for de-orbit and the quantitative drag assessment from this experiment is very useful for designing future Small Payload Quick Return (SPQR) methods and spacecraft. The TES5/PS5 features improved GPS tracking and a modulated exo-brake allowing more precise control of the exo-atmospheric drag and therefore the re-entry time and location.
The TES5/PS5 is a significant upgrade from TES4, featuring an improved C&DH built around the Intel Edison mobile computing platform, the core of new PhoneSat. This CubeSat has an ISM-band WiFi downlink for data, significantly reducing the cost of such communication services. It features multiple cameras to help verify exo-brake deployment and modulation. The GPS tracking should give precise orbital trajectories leading to much better drag assessment, re-entry targetting and other benefits.
The TechEdSat/PhoneSat Missions for Small Payload Quick Return
In 2014, Ames Research Center launched the Technical Educational Satellite 4 (TechEdSat 4) from an external launcher aboard the International Space Station. This experimental CubeSat deployed an exobrake, an exo-atmospheric drag chute that can be used for controlled de-orbit of a small payload canister from earth orbit. This capability is useful for returning biological samples from ISS and even planetary samples from beyond the earth. Such capability can support better biological and medical science experiments and is a long-term goal of NASA and industry.
The results of the TechEdSat 4 (TES4) mission will be presented along with the design of the follow-on spacecraft, TechEdSat5/PhoneSat5 (TES5/PS5), which will launch from ISS this summer. The TES4 exobrake deployed, changed the drag on the CubeSat, resulting in early orbital reentry. The time frame for de-orbit and the quantitative drag assessment from this experiment is very useful for designing future Small Payload Quick Return (SPQR) methods and spacecraft. The TES5/PS5 features improved GPS tracking and a modulated exo-brake allowing more precise control of the exo-atmospheric drag and therefore the re-entry time and location.
The TES5/PS5 is a significant upgrade from TES4, featuring an improved C&DH built around the Intel Edison mobile computing platform, the core of new PhoneSat. This CubeSat has an ISM-band WiFi downlink for data, significantly reducing the cost of such communication services. It features multiple cameras to help verify exo-brake deployment and modulation. The GPS tracking should give precise orbital trajectories leading to much better drag assessment, re-entry targetting and other benefits.
