ENG 450:ENG 450:Potential ProjectsPotential Projects

Nilton O. Renno, Professor

Manish Mehta, Graduate Student

University of Michigan

Today’s GoalsToday’s Goals

• To give a brief overview of potential ENG 450 projects.

• To give a tour Renno’s laboratory and the SPRL machine shop.

• To expose you to some previous ENG 450 projects.

• To answer questions regarding the organization of the course.

Students’ TasksStudents’ Tasks

• To pick your favorite project(s).

• To form project teams.

• To come to next class prepared to choose a project and join a team.

• To ask a team member to get in touch with Prof. Renno for more information about your project.

Phoenix Mars LanderPhoenix Mars Lander

NASA’s 2007 Mission to Mars

Project #1:Project #1:Phoenix Thruster SimulatorPhoenix Thruster Simulator

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERLockheed Martin Space Systems, Littlefield, CO

• OBJECTIVESTo design, fabricate and test a laboratory simulator to study the effects of the Phoenix Lander thruster system on the surface of Mars.

The simulator will be used to study the effects of supersonic jets from multiple thrusters on the Martian soil, and to quantify the amount of soil lifted during landing.

The experiments will be conducted at UM and the Mars Wind Tunnel at NASA’s Ames Research Center.

Entry (E)Entry (E)

Descent (D)Descent (D)

Landing (L)Landing (L)

The EDL ChallengesThe EDL Challenges

Phoenix at MarsPhoenix at Mars

Phoenix TouchdownPhoenix Touchdown

Project # 2:Project # 2:Phoenix Sample Delivery Phoenix Sample Delivery

ExperimentExperiment

Phoenix Sample Delivery Phoenix Sample Delivery ExperimentExperiment

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

• OBJECTIVESTo design, fabricate and test a laboratory apparatus to calibrate the Phoenix wind sensor and study the effects of wind on sample delivery.

To determine the feasibility of using a wind sensor during operations to decide when to deliver soil samples to the instruments.

The experiments will be conducted at the University of Michigan Mars chamber.

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

NASA’s 2009 Mission to Mars

Project # 3:Project # 3:MSL Thruster SimulatorMSL Thruster Simulator

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

• OBJECTIVESTo design and fabricate a laboratory simulator to study the effects of thruster of NASA’s 2009 mission to Mars (MSL) on the surface of Mars.

The simulator will be used to study the effects of the thrusters’ supersonic jets on the Martian soil and of lifted dust on the lander and its instruments.

MSL’s Sky Crane Landing MSL’s Sky Crane Landing SystemSystem

Project # 4: Project # 4: MSL’s Atmospheric Structure MSL’s Atmospheric Structure

ExperimentExperiment

MSL’s Atmospheric Structure MSL’s Atmospheric Structure ExperimentExperiment

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Astrobiology Institute (Madrid, Spain)

• OBJECTIVESTo study the accelerations that a spacecraft with active controls is subject during entry and descent in the martian atmosphere.

To design, fabricate and test a laboratory apparatus to study the torques exerted by the atmosphere and thrusters on the spacecraft.

To determine the requirements for the determination of the atmospheric density profile during entry and descent.

Project # 5:Project # 5:Mars Balloon MissionMars Balloon Mission

Mars Balloon MissionMars Balloon Mission

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/The Aerospace Corporation/Cameron Balloons

• OBJECTIVESTo study the effects of the Martian environment on balloons of various materials.

The determined the best strategy for a mission whose objective is to collect aerosol particles between altitudes ranging from 5 to 15 km.

Project # 6:Project # 6:Lunar BaseLunar Base

Lunar BaseLunar Base

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/The Aerospace Corporation

• OBJECTIVESTo design, fabricate, and test a subsystem from a lunar base that could provide life support to four crewmembers for six months without re-supply.

Project # 7:Project # 7:TSATT Imaging SystemTSATT Imaging System

TSATT Imaging SystemTSATT Imaging System

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Student Space Systems Fabrication Laboratory (S3FL)

• OBJECTIVEUM and Penn State are developing a pair of tethered nanosatellites to test an innovative method to evaluate rendezvous and formation flying sensor technologies, tether system technologies for distributed spacecraft control and propulsion, and several other technologies.

The goal of ENG 450 team is to design and test the imaging systems for this satellite in collaboration with NASA/JPL and S3FL.

Project # 8:Project # 8:Responsive Space TestbedResponsive Space Testbed

• INDUSTRIAL PARTNERAdvanced Technology Center (ATC), Lockheed Martin Corporation

• The ENG 450 team will work with ATC engineers on the simulation of processes for rapid design, fabrication, integration, and testing of satellite systems based on the use of emerging technologies.

THANKS!THANKS!