Session
Technical Session VIII: University Student Scholarship Competition
Abstract
Photon is a small satellite for researching atmospheric effects on Earth-to-space laser propagation and the mitigation of those effects. Florida Space Institute engineers and scientists are designing the science mission and payload, while FSI students are responsible for the satellite bus. An agreement with NASA for a free launch aboard the Space Shuttle's Hitchhiker Ejection System has led to a unique, bottomup design approach. Science goals and stringent safety requirements have created interesting challenges for the structure, thermal, attitude control, and power subsystems. This paper emphasizes these challenges in presenting the design of the Photon satellite bus.
The Florida Space Institute's Photon Satellite Bus
Photon is a small satellite for researching atmospheric effects on Earth-to-space laser propagation and the mitigation of those effects. Florida Space Institute engineers and scientists are designing the science mission and payload, while FSI students are responsible for the satellite bus. An agreement with NASA for a free launch aboard the Space Shuttle's Hitchhiker Ejection System has led to a unique, bottomup design approach. Science goals and stringent safety requirements have created interesting challenges for the structure, thermal, attitude control, and power subsystems. This paper emphasizes these challenges in presenting the design of the Photon satellite bus.
