Session
Technical Session V: University Student Scholarship Competition
Abstract
Student driven satellite projects are working under the constraints of extremely limited budgets, short development times due to student turnover, limited technical expertise, and other academic time commitment pressures. These are issues prevalent throughout the university system, but many programs do not directly address these realities. So how can educational programs promote a "smaller, cheaper, faster" philosophy and at the same time effectively realize its potential? This question was asked of the students in Stanford University's Satellite Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL). In response, the Satellite QUIck Research Testbed (SQUIRT) program was developed to give students the opportunity to participate in the entire lifecycle of a satellite development. This paper will summarize the technical solutions they have achieved, given the environmental constraints the program is under. In particular, the issues addressed are those relevant to the subsystems which the authors manage: Communications, Thermal Control, and Attitude Determination & Control. Each subsystem section will describe its goals, constraints, and technical approaches, as well as the integral role of industry. It is hoped that this research and approach is transportable to other universities that wish to build their own small satellites. The successful matriculation of such "smaller, cheaper, faster" programs are not only fantastic educational opportunities for young engineers and future program managers, but eventually will prove beneficial to industry as this paradigm becomes the competitive norm.
Building "Smaller, Cheaper, Faster" Satellites within the Constraints of an Academic Environment
Student driven satellite projects are working under the constraints of extremely limited budgets, short development times due to student turnover, limited technical expertise, and other academic time commitment pressures. These are issues prevalent throughout the university system, but many programs do not directly address these realities. So how can educational programs promote a "smaller, cheaper, faster" philosophy and at the same time effectively realize its potential? This question was asked of the students in Stanford University's Satellite Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL). In response, the Satellite QUIck Research Testbed (SQUIRT) program was developed to give students the opportunity to participate in the entire lifecycle of a satellite development. This paper will summarize the technical solutions they have achieved, given the environmental constraints the program is under. In particular, the issues addressed are those relevant to the subsystems which the authors manage: Communications, Thermal Control, and Attitude Determination & Control. Each subsystem section will describe its goals, constraints, and technical approaches, as well as the integral role of industry. It is hoped that this research and approach is transportable to other universities that wish to build their own small satellites. The successful matriculation of such "smaller, cheaper, faster" programs are not only fantastic educational opportunities for young engineers and future program managers, but eventually will prove beneficial to industry as this paradigm becomes the competitive norm.
