Space Systems EngineeringProjects and Capabilities

Christopher D. Hall (cdhall@vt.edu)

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia

Presented December 16, 2002

Christopher D. Hall (cdhall@vt.edu)

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia

Presented December 16, 2002

Overview

• Senior Design Projects• Funded Research Projects• Laboratories & Other

Facilities

• Senior Design Projects• Funded Research Projects• Laboratories & Other

Facilities

Senior Design• All AE seniors complete one year of

“capstone” design– two semesters with 3 credit hours each semester

• Choose between Aircraft and Spacecraft(Ocean Engineering students choose Ship Design)

• Students work in groups of 6 to 12 students– typically include freshmen in second semester– adding ME and EE seniors this year

• Access to “Senior Design Lab”– PCs, Workstations, Printers, Plotters, Software

• Sometimes compete in national and international design competitions

• In space design, more often tie projects to funded research programs

• All AE seniors complete one year of “capstone” design– two semesters with 3 credit hours each semester

• Choose between Aircraft and Spacecraft(Ocean Engineering students choose Ship Design)

• Students work in groups of 6 to 12 students– typically include freshmen in second semester– adding ME and EE seniors this year

• Access to “Senior Design Lab”– PCs, Workstations, Printers, Plotters, Software

• Sometimes compete in national and international design competitions

• In space design, more often tie projects to funded research programs

Space Design Projects ‘99• Single-Stage-to-Orbit Reusable Launch Vehicle

Using Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Technology– 8 AE seniors + 2 Georgia Tech students– took 1st Prize in AIAA Design Competition

• Virginia Tech Ionospheric Scintillation Measurement Mission– 9 AE seniors, 2 AE freshmen, 2 AE juniors, 20+ EE

juniors/seniors– also called “HokieSat” - 1st VT-built spacecraft– 15 kg “nanosatellite” will launch on shuttle in 2003– funded by Air Force and NASA

• Leonardo — a small group of Earth-sensing satellites flying in formation– 8 AE seniors, 1 AE freshman– supporting research sponsored by NASA Goddard

• Single-Stage-to-Orbit Reusable Launch Vehicle Using Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Technology– 8 AE seniors + 2 Georgia Tech students– took 1st Prize in AIAA Design Competition

• Virginia Tech Ionospheric Scintillation Measurement Mission– 9 AE seniors, 2 AE freshmen, 2 AE juniors, 20+ EE

juniors/seniors– also called “HokieSat” - 1st VT-built spacecraft– 15 kg “nanosatellite” will launch on shuttle in 2003– funded by Air Force and NASA

• Leonardo — a small group of Earth-sensing satellites flying in formation– 8 AE seniors, 1 AE freshman– supporting research sponsored by NASA Goddard

Space Design Projects ‘00• Three tethered space systems projects

– two involved collaboration with Technical University of Vienna

• tether system based on Space Station• free-flying tether system

– one involved cooperation with Next Generation Space Telescope program office at NASA Goddard

• Rotating tethered interferometer at L2– eventually became research project funded

by NASA Goddard

• Continued work on HokieSat

• Three tethered space systems projects – two involved collaboration with Technical

University of Vienna• tether system based on Space Station• free-flying tether system

– one involved cooperation with Next Generation Space Telescope program office at NASA Goddard

• Rotating tethered interferometer at L2– eventually became research project funded

by NASA Goddard

• Continued work on HokieSat

Space Design Projects ‘01 & ‘02• PowerSail

– Large deployable flexible solar array connected to the host spacecraft by a flexible umbilical

– Sponsored by USAF, team traveled to Edwards AFB, CA to present design

• SOTV – Solar Orbit Transfer Vehicle– Solar thermal engine powers a reusable space tug– Sponsored by USAF, collaboration with BWX

Technologies

• Venus Sample Return Mission– AIAA Undergraduate Team Space Design Competition– Travel to Venus and return a 1 kg sample

• Mars Tethered Launch System– AIAA Undergraduate Team Space Design Competition– Deploy large tether system to launch satellites to Mars

• PowerSail– Large deployable flexible solar array connected to the

host spacecraft by a flexible umbilical– Sponsored by USAF, team traveled to Edwards AFB, CA

to present design

• SOTV – Solar Orbit Transfer Vehicle– Solar thermal engine powers a reusable space tug– Sponsored by USAF, collaboration with BWX

Technologies

• Venus Sample Return Mission– AIAA Undergraduate Team Space Design Competition– Travel to Venus and return a 1 kg sample

• Mars Tethered Launch System– AIAA Undergraduate Team Space Design Competition– Deploy large tether system to launch satellites to Mars

Space Design Projects ‘03• Sounding Rocket Payload

– 3 AE seniors + 1 EE senior + 1 ME senior– Sounding rocket provided by NASA Wallops– Science mission defined by collaborator at Hampton

University

• CubeSat Kit– 3 AE senior + 2 EE seniors + 1 ME senior + 1 CS senior– Sponsored by TransOrbital, Inc.– 10 cm cube satellite to perform user-defined

experiments

• MicroMAPS– 12 AE seniors– 3 platforms for a Carbon Monoxide sensor– Sponsored by NASA Langley

• Red Mars Green Mars– 8 AE seniors, 1 Crop & Soil Science senior– AIAA Undergraduate Space Design Competition

• Sounding Rocket Payload– 3 AE seniors + 1 EE senior + 1 ME senior– Sounding rocket provided by NASA Wallops– Science mission defined by collaborator at Hampton

University

• CubeSat Kit– 3 AE senior + 2 EE seniors + 1 ME senior + 1 CS senior– Sponsored by TransOrbital, Inc.– 10 cm cube satellite to perform user-defined

experiments

• MicroMAPS– 12 AE seniors– 3 platforms for a Carbon Monoxide sensor– Sponsored by NASA Langley

• Red Mars Green Mars– 8 AE seniors, 1 Crop & Soil Science senior– AIAA Undergraduate Space Design Competition

VT-Zero G Reduced Gravity Experiment

• Four VT Juniors designed, built experiment to fly on “Vomit Comet”

• Effects of Microgravity on a Human’s Ability to Control Remote Vehicle

• Eliminate visual and vestibular cues

• Goggles allow “pilot” to see 3D environment with crosshairs and illuminated targets

• Microgravity impedes inner ear equilibrium processes

• Pilot uses joystick to navigate between targets

• Four VT Juniors designed, built experiment to fly on “Vomit Comet”

• Effects of Microgravity on a Human’s Ability to Control Remote Vehicle

• Eliminate visual and vestibular cues

• Goggles allow “pilot” to see 3D environment with crosshairs and illuminated targets

• Microgravity impedes inner ear equilibrium processes

• Pilot uses joystick to navigate between targets

Space Systems Research• Formation Flying

– attitude and orbit dynamics and control

• Spacecraft Dynamics and Control– with gimbaled momentum wheels (GMWs)

• Integrated Energy Storage and Attitude Control– using high-speed flywheels on magnetic bearings as

“batteries” and as attitude control actuators

• Optimal Continuous Thrust Orbit Transfer– approximations for indirect methods

• Supported by Air Force, NASA, NSF, Industry, approximately $1.6M

• Graduated 32 M.S. students and 4 Ph.D. students

• Currently advising 8 M.S. and 2 Ph.D. students, several undergraduates

• Formation Flying – attitude and orbit dynamics and control

• Spacecraft Dynamics and Control– with gimbaled momentum wheels (GMWs)

• Integrated Energy Storage and Attitude Control– using high-speed flywheels on magnetic bearings as

“batteries” and as attitude control actuators

• Optimal Continuous Thrust Orbit Transfer– approximations for indirect methods

• Supported by Air Force, NASA, NSF, Industry, approximately $1.6M

• Graduated 32 M.S. students and 4 Ph.D. students

• Currently advising 8 M.S. and 2 Ph.D. students, several undergraduates

Laboratories• Space Systems Simulation Lab. 800 ft2

facility in Hancock 214.– two spherical air bearings for spacecraft

motion simulation– linear air track for instrument calibration– magnetic bearing for base motion effects

• Satellite Tracking Lab. 200 ft2 facility in Randolph 311A.– Radio transceivers for communicating with

amateur satellites, Shuttle, ISS, and HokieSat– Antennas on roof of Randolph

• Clean Room. Portable facility borrowed from EE. Currently in Randolph 11.

• Space Systems Simulation Lab. 800 ft2 facility in Hancock 214.– two spherical air bearings for spacecraft

motion simulation– linear air track for instrument calibration– magnetic bearing for base motion effects

• Satellite Tracking Lab. 200 ft2 facility in Randolph 311A.– Radio transceivers for communicating with

amateur satellites, Shuttle, ISS, and HokieSat– Antennas on roof of Randolph

• Clean Room. Portable facility borrowed from EE. Currently in Randolph 11.

NASA Shuttle Hitchhiker Experiment

Launch System (SHELS)

AFRL Multi-Satellite

Deployment System (MSDS)

University Nanosatellites

HokieSat• Virginia Tech Ionospheric Scintillation

Measurement Mission (VTISMM) aka HokieSat

• Ionospheric Observation Nanosatellite Formation (ION-F)– Utah State University– Cornell University

– Virginia Tech• University Nanosatellite Program

– 10 universities funded to design-build-fly small satellites

• Sponsors: AFRL, AFOSR, DARPA, NASA GSFC, SDL

• Participants: Orbital, Swales, Planetary Systems, VPT, Techsburg, APL, …

Space segment

Payload

Bus

Ground Segment

MissionOperations

LaunchSegment

Orbit andConstellation

Subject

Command, Control andCommunications

Architecture

What’s in a Space Mission?

Other Local Capabilities

• Aerospace and Ocean Engineering:Control, Design, Propulsion, Structure, …

• Electrical and Computer Engineering: Antenna, Computer, GPS, Power, Wireless, …

• Mechanical Engineering:Instrumentation, Structure, Thermal, …

• VPT, Inc.: Power electronics• Techsburg, Inc.: Structural design and

machining• Luna Innovations, Inc.: Electronics

• Aerospace and Ocean Engineering:Control, Design, Propulsion, Structure, …

• Electrical and Computer Engineering: Antenna, Computer, GPS, Power, Wireless, …

• Mechanical Engineering:Instrumentation, Structure, Thermal, …

• VPT, Inc.: Power electronics• Techsburg, Inc.: Structural design and

machining• Luna Innovations, Inc.: Electronics

Other Interested Agencies• NASA Goddard, Langley, Marshall,

Wallops• National Institute for Aerospace• Air Force Research Laboratory• Naval Research Laboratory• Orbital Sciences Corporation• AeroAstro• Swales, Inc.• TransOrbital, Inc.• Planetary Systems Corporation

• NASA Goddard, Langley, Marshall, Wallops

• National Institute for Aerospace• Air Force Research Laboratory• Naval Research Laboratory• Orbital Sciences Corporation• AeroAstro• Swales, Inc.• TransOrbital, Inc.• Planetary Systems Corporation

Requirements

• Science Principal Investigator to direct• Critical mass of science team to develop

funding to support science and engineering team

• Science Principal Investigator to direct• Critical mass of science team to develop

funding to support science and engineering team

Opportunities?

• Small Explorer (SMEX) Announce of Opportunity expected in early 2003– Astronomical Search for Origins– Structure and Evolution of the Universe– Sun-Earth Connection

• Research Opportunities in Space Science, currently open– “the physics of magnetospheres, including their

formation and fundamental interactions with plasmas, fields, and particles …; and the physics of the mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and aurorae of the Earth, including the coupling of these phenomena to the lower atmosphere and magnetosphere.

• Small Explorer (SMEX) Announce of Opportunity expected in early 2003– Astronomical Search for Origins– Structure and Evolution of the Universe– Sun-Earth Connection

• Research Opportunities in Space Science, currently open– “the physics of magnetospheres, including their

formation and fundamental interactions with plasmas, fields, and particles …; and the physics of the mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and aurorae of the Earth, including the coupling of these phenomena to the lower atmosphere and magnetosphere.