University NanoSatellite ProgramNSF Small Satellites /Space Weather Workshop

17 May 2007

Dr. R. Scott Erwin

Academic Affairs Coordinator

Space Vehicles Directorate

Distribution Authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors. Refer other requests for this document to AFOSR/PI

2

Air Force Research Laboratory

AFOSR

Space Vehicles

Directed Energy

KIRTLAND

Sensors

Space Vehicles

HANSCOM

Munitions

EGLIN

HumanEffectiveness

MESA

Materials & Mfg

TYNDALLBROOKS

HumanEffectiveness

Sensors

Information

ROME

Propulsion

EDWARDS

Information

Air Vehicles

PropulsionMaterials & Mfg

Human EffectivenessSensors

WRIGHT-PATT

Headquarters

~6000 people, ~$1.5B annual budget, Commander @ WPAFB

University NanoSatellite Program (UNP)

MANDATE

Develop a “Space cadre” of highly-trained US university students

Teach “hands-on” systems engineering through design, AI&T, launch and on-orbit operation of

student-built nanosatellites

SECONDARY GOALS

Develop militarily-relevant small satellite technologies

Develop US university space research capabilities

Background: Nanosat-2 launch on Delta 4 Heavy (2004)

University NanoSatellite ProgramCycle Process Flow

AFOSR BAAProposals Due

Late CY Even Years

AFRL/AFOSR/AIAARank Proposals via BAA reqs

Universities selected and notified

January Odd Years

Kick off meeting

Competition begins

Early spring Odd Years

Grants awarded

(After Kick Off Meeting)

~110K / school over 2 years

Open to U.S. Universities only

Former Student PM’s now Professor PI’s

AFRL/VS

Program Management

Systems Eng

S/C Eng

Flight I&T

Winner!

Launch Opportunity

Via AFRL/SMC

(SERB)

Cycle Repeats every 2 Years – 2 Cycles running at any point in time

Flight Competition Review (FCR)Late March/Early April Odd Years

~2 years

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

University NanoSatellite History

NANOSAT-1/-2Arizona State

New Mexico State U Colorado-Boulder

StanfordBoston

Carnegie-MellonUtah State

Virginia TechWashington

NANOSAT-3 UT Austin

Washington U - St. LouisMichigan TechArizona State

Montana State - Bozeman Penn State

Taylor UU Colorado, BoulderU Hawaii at Manoa

U MichiganWorcester Polytechnic

New Mexico State Utah State

NANOSAT-4U CincinnatiU Minnesota

U Central FloridaSanta Clara U

Cornell U Missouri - Rolla

Texas A&MNew Mexico State

Washington U - St. LouisUtah State UT Austin

UNP 2 LaunchDelta IV HeavyDecember 2004

UNP 3 DownselectUT-Austin (FASTRAC)

January 2005

UNP 4 DownselectMarch 2007

UNP 2 Delivery3-Corner SatJanuary 2002

NANOSAT-5U Minnesota, Santa Clara U, Texas A&M, Michigan Tech, Washington U - St. Louis, Utah State U, Colorado U, Montana State, UT Austin,

Penn State, Boston U

UNP 2 LV IntegrationMay 2004

UNP 3 DeliverySummer

2006?

University & Student Involvement

25 universities and >2500 students since 1999

Project Objective• Provide flight demonstration capability to two

AFRL SBIR-developed low shock release devices

• Study ionospheric disturbances

• Measure upper atmosphere cloud formation

• Simulate formation flying capability

Technical Innovation / Approach• Three nearly identical independent satellites

built by three separate universities

• Each university plus AFRL launcher combined to form Nanosat-2

Impacts / Benefits• Education legacy of the Future Aerospace

Workforce

• Advertisement of AFRL for recruitment

• Dec 2004 – Nanosat-2 Three Corner Satellite (3CS) Launched on the first Delta IV Heavy Demo Mission

Nanosat-2 aloft Demosat on Delta IV Heavy

Delta-IV Heavy Liftoff

Three Corner Sat (University NanoSat 1/2)

FASTRAC (University NanoSat 3)

(Formation Autonomous Satellite with Thrust, Relnav & Crosslink)

OBJECTIVE: Primary: Low-cost, small, precise GPS rel-nav metrologySecondary: Demo motorized Lightband separation system & Micro-Discharge Plasma Thruster

DESCRIPTION•One satellite maintains orbit altitude, the other is a drifting “control”

•Verified by GPS telemetry, potentially by ground-based tracking

http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/

CUSat (University NanoSat-4)

OBJECTIVE

• Demonstrate and verify on orbit Carrier-phase Differential GPS for relative navigation

• Demonstrate an end-to-end autonomous on orbit visual inspection system.

DESCRIPTION

• Centimeter-level accurate Carrier-phase Differential GPS

• Cameras to gather target-satellite imagery

• Image-processing techniques to verify the CDGPS relative distance and orientation estimates Generation of a 3D model of the target satellite for the user.

http://cusat.cornell.edu/

NanoSat-5

• Competition in progress

• Eleven schools participating

• Missions varied from ionospheric observations, to autonomous separation and GPS navigation, to remote sensing using GPS signals.

• Preliminary Design Review (PDR) will occur in August 2007 at the USU SmallSat Conference.

AFRL Sponsored Activities

Hands-on Standard Sat-Fab Practices• Aerospace Engineering Facility (AEF) @ KAFB

• Includes clean room procedures, elec/mech fab

• All Universities participate (~50 Students on-site)

NS-4 PDR, Logan, UT, August 2005

Formal Review Process• SCR (System Concept) (t = 0)

• Internal AFRL/NASA review (telecon)

• PDR (6 months @ SmallSat, Logan, UT)

• ~20 Industry/Government reviewers

• CDR (~1 year @ each university campus)

• AFRL + selected others (industry) experts

• Proto-Qualification Review (1.5 years, @ SmallSat)

• Format as PDR w/ fully-built EDU

• FCR (Flight Competition) (2 years, Location varies)

• Formal Panel of Judges and Criteria w/ downselect

SHOT – Student Hands-On Training Workshop

High Altitude BalloonPayload Workshop

Colorado Space GrantUniversity of ColoradoBoulder, CO

First Year:Standard Kit Payloads

Second Year:NanosatelliteSubcomponentPayloads(e.g. sensor, comm box, etc)

Summary

• Program Success– Strong, persistent University participation– Strong support from AF and AIAA– NanoSat-1/2 launched– NanoSat-3 delivered and in-storage

• Upcoming Events– Working manifest for NanoSat-3 (UT-A) w/ SMC SDTW– NanoSat-4 (Cornell) slated for delivery Fall 2007– NanoSat-5 PDR August 2007, FCR ~Spring 2009

Questions?