Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Scheduling For A Small Satellite For Remote Sensed Data Collection, Donovan Torgerson, Christoffer Korvalnd, Jeremy Straub, Ronald Marsh

Jeremy Straub

Small satellites, such as CubeSats, serve as excellent platforms for the collection of data that can be supplied to a geographic information system. To serve this need, they require a robust and lightweight task scheduler due to their limited onboard power production capabilities as well as internal space restrictions. Because of these constraints, schedules must be optimized; however, the scheduling optimization process must be performed using limited processing (CPU) power.

Several considerations must be taken into account in order to make a scheduler for these systems. This poster highlights requirements such as inter-dependency of onboard systems, and limited windows of …

Roofsat: Teaching Students Skills For Software Development For Gis Data Collection And Other Activities, Jeremy Straub, Ronald Marsh, Donovan Torgerson, Christoffer Korvald

Jeremy Straub

Small Spacecraft provide an excellent platform for the collection of geospatial data. In order to enable the low-cost creation of small remote sensing space-craft in a university environment, a training pathway for students is required. The Realistic Operational Ob-ject for Facilitating Software Assessment and Testing (RoofSat) serves to provide students with experience developing software for a small satellite platform typi-cal of those used for remote sensing missions. It al-lows software to be tested with hardware that re-sponds in a similar manner to that found on the satel-lite for a fraction of the cost of development. This poster details the goals …

Educational Outcomes From The Openorbiter Small Spacecraft Development Program, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

The OpenOrbiter program [1] is developing a low-cost framework for the creation of space-craft by researchers and educators worldwide [8]. In addition to the technical objectives, ed-ucational assessment [2, 3] has also been a key focus. Students working on development of the spacecraft [4] were asked what types of benefits they sought from their participation [5]. The assessment of the attainment of these benefits is ongoing, in conjunction with continued development in pursuit of the crea-tion of a set of designs that can be used to build a spacecraft with a cost of under $5,000 [13] .

Openorbiter Ground Station Software, Alexander Lewis, Jacob Huhn, Jeremy Straub, Travis Desell, Scott Kerlin

Jeremy Straub

OpenOrbiter is a student project at the University of North Dakota to design and build a low cost1 and open-hardware / open-source software CubeSat2. The Ground Station is the user interface for operators of the satellite. The ground station software must manage spacecraft communications, track its orbital location , manage task assignment, provide security and retrieve the data from the spacecraft. This will be presented via a graphical user interface that allows a user to easily perform these tasks.

Testing And Integration Team Project Management, Tyler Leben, Jeremy Straub, Scott Kerlin

Jeremy Straub

The Testing and Integration Team plays an integral role in the development of the open source CubeSat known as Open Orbiter. Like any project, the Testing Team’s project can benefit from structure and management to effectively utilize it’s time and resources. CSCI 297 teaches the skills needed to turn a good idea into successful endeavor. By applying skills such as effective planning, setting milestones, dealing with changes and supervising to an actual project, Open Orbiter has transformed from a pipe dream to a real, obtainable goal. Doing this has turned learning about project management into more that just power points …

Openorbiter Payload Software, Tim Whitney, Kyle Goehner, Jeremy Straub, Scott Kerlin

Jeremy Straub

The Payload Software team is responsible for developing the image processing and task decomposition systems on the Open Orbiter satellite1. The image processing software performs operations to enhance the quality of the images collected by the onboard camera, specifically, mosaicking, which takes multiple images and stitches them together to make a larger image and super resolution, which takes multiple low resolution images of the same area to produce a higher resolution image2,3,4. The task decomposition part of the system decomposes tasks defined by the user into jobs that then get sent to the operating system to be performed. This system …

Openorbiter Combined Software Work Breakdown Structure, Jeremy Straub, Timothy Whitney, Tyler Leben, Kelton Karboviak, Zach Maguire, Christoffer Korvald, Scott Kerlin

Jeremy Straub

As part of CSCI 297, students created work breakdown structures for different areas of the OpenOrbiter project’s software groups. In CSCI 207, they learned about all aspects of project management via experiential learning. They acted as project management ‘consultants’ to the OpenOrbiter software teams. To facilitate the creation of the work breakdown structures, they interviewed team leads, attended team meetings and discussed current progress and needs with members of the teams. In some cases, they collected additional information from reference sources and/or spoke with other teams which would be the ‘customer’ of a particular area of the software system. These …

Work On A Software Defined Radio (Sdr) For A Cubesat-Class Spacecraft, Michael Wegerson, Jeremy Straub, Sima Noghanian

Jeremy Straub

A Software Defined Radio (SDR) will be used for OpenOrbit-er satellite to ground communications. The use of SDR al-lows for a smaller, more versatile radio then what a stand-ard hardware radio can provide; perfect for the unpredicta-ble environment Open Orbiter will be exposed to. Current implementation uses a simple $20 USB TV decoder for the receiver and the open-source program GNU Radio for soft-ware decoding. Broadband FM transmissions have been re-ceived and decoded successfully and on-going experimen-tation for receiving satellite communications are yielding promising results.

Project Management For The Openorbiter Operating Software Team, Kelton Karboviak, Dayln Limesand, Michael Hlas, Eric Berg, Christoffer Korvald, Jeremy Straub, Ronald Marsh, Scott Kerlin

Jeremy Straub

OpenOrbiter is producing a 1-U CubeSat spacecraft1 to facilitate the construction of low-cost2 spacecraft by others in the future. The Operating Software team is in charge of designing and creating the software that controls most of the CubeSat’s operations such as image capturing, storage management, and temperature sensing. The project management deliverables that we have worked on as a team are the Project Definition, Work Breakdown Structure, and the Project Schedule. The Project Definition defines exactly what our project team will be developing including, but not limited to, what the team is in charge of developing, what its not in …

Ground Station Software Team Project Management, Zach Maguire, Marshall Mattingly, Christoffer Korvald, Jeremy Straub, Scott Kerlin

Jeremy Straub

In CSCI 297 class we partake in learning the roles of software team leads and developers. With hands on activities that get us involved in what a real manager of a software team may do such as: defining a project, planning a project, developing a work breakdown structure, estimating the work, developing a project schedule, etc. This work is performed in the context of the OpenOrbiter project which seeks to build a low-cost spacecraft1 that can be produced with a parts budget of approxi-mately $5,0002 by schools worldwide. The ground station software team’s purpose within Open Orbiter project is to …

Software For Openorbiter, Christoffer Korvald, Jeremy Straub, Scott Kerlin, Ronald Marsh

Jeremy Straub

The software development effort for the OpenOrbiter project consists of four teams: operating software development, payload software development, ground station software development and testing. These teams are designing and developing the software required to create a turn-key spacecraft design1 which can be produced at a price point of under USD $5,000 by faculty, students and researchers world-wide2. Through this process, students are gaining valuable real-world experience3,4 in areas of indicated interest5. Each team is headed by a team lead who is responsible for conducting weekly meetings and organizing the activities of the team. During the Fall, 2013 semester, team leads …

Increasing National Space Engineering Productivity And Educational Opportunities Via Intrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship And Innovation, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

Research and educational efforts related to space engineering or requiring access to space face significant startup costs. The cost of developing a 1-U (10 cm × 10 cm × 11 cm) CubeSat from scratch can be approximately $250,000. Those buying a kit must pay amortized vendor development costs on a per-mission basis, creating a lower per-mission barrier. Kit users are also constrained by being unable to make changes to vendor subsystems without incurring substantial redevelopment costs or vendor charges. The Open Prototype for Educational NanoSats (OPEN) is changing this by providing freely available design documents for a 1-U CubeSat class …

Payload Software Design And Development For A Remote Sensing Small Spacecraft, Kyle Goehner, Christoffer Korvald, Jeremy Straub, Ronald Marsh

Jeremy Straub

Scheduling for a Small Satellite for Remote Sensed Data Collection

A Control System For Space Solar Power, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

This poster presents an algorithm for the implementation of a control system that accepts power requests and makes distribution assignments to maximize the performance of the overall space solar power (SSP) system and meet service level agreements (SLAs). This complex process involves projecting service-customer demand into the future, projecting power availability on each servicing spacecraft and implementing corrective measures should actual craft performance not meet with planning expectations. The control system is implemented as a planning problem with some deterministic elements (craft position and generation) and some probabilistically predicted elements (interference, drag and malfunctions). A heuristic solver is proposed that …

A Curriculum-Integrated Small Spacecraft Program For Interdisciplinary Education, Jeremy Straub, Anders Nervold, Josh Berk

Jeremy Straub

Space generates inspiration, aspiration, and passion in many students, traits that are often lacking in the traditional college classroom. By utilizing a meaningful space project with a tangible product, which serves a valuable purpose in the curriculum, instructors can generate passion in their students with regards to the topics being explored. Additionally, it can fuel interest in aerospace science and commerce, guiding more students towards valuable STEM degrees and job opportunities, which can lead to future growth and fresh blood in the aging aerospace employee pool.

OpenOrbiter is a student-run research project at the University of North Dakota that can …

Space Solar Power As An Enabler For A Human Mission To Mars, Corey Bergsrud, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

Space Solar Power (SSP), a technology based on the collection and aggregated transmission of light from the sun, offers an opportunity to create a deep space electrical infrastructure in order to provide the required level of power to a prospective Mars settlement. Several approaches to this challenge are presented and compared. Under the first approach, several Solar Powered Satellites (SPSs) are positioned in space between the Earth and Mars. These SPSs will capture large amounts of solar energy and transmit this energy in a focused beam via laser or microwave to relay SPSs until the energy finally reaches its Mars …

Space Solar Power Satellite Systems As A Service Provider Of Electrical Power To Lunar Industries, Corey Bergsrud, Jeremy Straub, James Casler, Sima Noghanian

Jeremy Straub

Space Solar Power (SSP) systems are poised to deliver significant benefits on Earth and elsewhere. SSP systems are based on the concept of collecting large amounts of solar energy in space and relaying the energy, in the form of microwave or laser radiation, to a receiving array that converts the transmitted energy into usable energy at the destination. An increase in space enterprise dictates the requirement for a continuous supply of energy in order to maintain human-supporting and robotic operation. SSP systems can form a part of the solution to this need. They can be utilized as a service provider …

Interplanetary Hitchhiking To Support Small Spacecraft Missions Beyond Earth Orbit, Donovan Torgerson, Anders Nervold, Jeremy Straub, Josh Berk, Ronald Marsh, Scott Kerlin

Jeremy Straub

The development of small spacecraft in educational institutions has traditionally been hampered by the high costs and integration complexities of launches. NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program (ELaNa), kick started the concept of hitchhiking for free on a rocket launch to low-Earth or geostationary orbit. An ELaNa launch is typically provided by grouping multiple educational nanosatellites together in a rocket that is already carrying a larger and more expensive primary payload. In essence, providing the nanosats with a free hitchhike to space. The program promotes research and education by giving participants first-hand experience in spacecraft design and development.

Although the …

Application Of Collaborative Autonomous Control And The Open Prototype For Educational Nanosats Framework To Enable Orbital Capabilities For Developing Nations, Jeremy Straub, Josh Berk, Anders Nervold, Christoffer Korvald, Donovan Torgerson

Jeremy Straub

Prosperous nations enjoy the benefits of orbital remote sensing data products. The spacecraft that provide this imagery are, predominately, large and expensive, placing them out of reach of most small or developing nations. Small spacecraft, however, represent a new paradigm for remote sensing applications. A cluster of small spacecraft can be used to capture imagery which can be super-resolved to rival the performance of larger and significantly more expensive spacecraft (compared to the whole small spacecraft constellation). Alternately, the group can be spaced to provide higher temporal coverage. This paper presents work on three synergistic topics. First, it covers work …

Space Station 2.0: A Public-Private Model For International Space Exploration, Donovan Torgerson, Josh Berk, Jeremy Straub, Anders Nervold

Jeremy Straub

The international community’s USD$150 billion (€113.94 billion) investment in the International Space Station (ISS) has produced a fraction of the scientific value that was anticipated. This paper presents a concept for how to prevent this problem from occurring for humanity’s next space station project referred to herein as Space Station 2.0. For Space Station 2.0, a research style acquisition program for acquiring modular Space Station components could be used or it could be administered as a commercial facility with international space agencies leasing space for research and other purposes, such as furnished habitat space. Customers may pay a mooring fee …

Orbital Position, Transmission Path And Spacecraft Attitude Determination For A Solar Power Spacecraft, Jeremy Straub, Corey Bergsrud

Jeremy Straub

A constellation of solar power spacecraft (SPS) to provide power to orbital assets or ground locations (on Earth or another planet) requires software to determine what the most efficient configuration of the spacecraft is (to service all required clients with the required service level) and how to achieve this configuration.

This paper presents an algorithm for attitude control and constellation design and implementation for these spacecraft. This algorithm makes trade-offs between servicing multiple (possibly conflicting) orbital consumer needs, attitude change costs and constellation sustainability. The paper concludes by considering the processing requirements imposed on the spacecraft by this software, across …

Business Case For A Constellation Of 6u Solar Powered Cubesats In Leo, Corey Bergsrud, Jeremy Straub, Matthew Clausing, Johnathan Mcclure, James Casler, Sima Noghanian

Jeremy Straub

This paper presents a business case for launching a constellation of 6U Solar Power CubeSats (SPCS) to low-Earth orbit (LEO) to provide power to other spacecraft. This approach may prove economically feasible as a business endeavor, as it allows power to be transmitted in a high-density manner via microwave frequencies reducing the collection surface area required on the consumer spacecraft significantly and reducing the requirement for energy storage.

Several 6U SPCS units can target their energy streams to form a swath of energy to provide an increased aggregate level of power transfer to a particular craft as it flies though …

The Road To A Space Solar Power Cubesat In North Dakota, Corey Bergsrud, Jeremy Straub, Sima Noghanian

Jeremy Straub

Presents current work at the University of North Dakota related to the long-term development of a Solar Power Satellite (SPS).

Constructing A Constellation Of 6u Solar Power Cube Satellites, Corey Bergsrud, Jeremy Straub, Matthew Clausing, Johnathan Mcclure, Sima Noghanian

Jeremy Straub

The development of a constellation of 6U CubeSats is proposed to collect solar power in space and utilize it to power other spacecraft through space-to-space microwave wireless power transmission (MWPT). This allows power generation capabilities to be moved from being on-board each consumer craft to a centralized collection of nodes that can be replaced, as needed, as their solar cells efficiency diminishes overtime (or craft fail, etc.). This paper presents an overview of a 6U Solar Power CubeSat (SPCS) with deployable solar panels for use in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The capabilities of the spacecraft are detailed as are several prospective …

Openorbiter: Analysis Of A Student-Run Space Program, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

Students at the University of North Dakota, as part of faculty-mentored teams in a student-lead program, are working to broaden participation in humanity's exploration of space. The OpenOrbiter Small Spacecraft Development Initiative (OSSDI) is demonstrating two complementary paradigm-changers. First, the initiative facilitates student involvement in all aspects of a space program, without the preconceptions present in established space activities. Second, it is demonstrating a low-cost framework for small spacecraft development. These combined activities are poised to demonstrate a new way forward for space exploration: combined, they allow risk-taking exuberance and a cost of entry that makes risk-taking exuberance acceptable, even …

The Multi-Tier Mission Architecture And A Different Approach To Entry, Descent And Landing, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

Planetary missions are generally very well planned out. Where the spacecraft will be deployed, what it will do there and in what order are generally determined before launch. While some allowance is made for greater depth exploration of scientifically interesting items identified during the investigation, a successful mission is (generally) one that doesn’t deviate significantly from its planning. When sending an initial mission to an unsurveyed planet or moon, however, this approach is not suitable. Current space technology provides the capability to send a combined survey and lander mission (instead of conducting an initial survey mission and following it up …

Enabling Interplanetary Small Spacecraft Science Missions With Model Based Data Analysis, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

Small spacecraft operating outside of Earth orbit are significantly constrained by the communica- tions link available to them. This is particularly true for stand-alone craft that must rely on their own antenna and transmission systems (for which gain and available power generation are limited by form factor); it is also applicable to ‘hitchhiker’-style missions which may be able to utilize (quite likely very limited amounts of) time on the primary spacecraft’s communications equip- ment for long-haul transmission.

This poster presents the adaptation of the Model-Based Transmission Reduction (MBTR) frame- work’s Model-Based Data Analysis (MBDA) component for use on an interplanetary …

Open Beyond Orbit: Using The Designs From The Open Prototype For Educational Nanosats Outside Of Earth Orbit, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

This paper presents an overview of the Open Prototype for Educational NanoSats (OPEN) and its prospective use in interplanetary missions. OPEN is framework to facilitate the low-cost creation of CubeSat-class spacecraft via using publically available (provided by the OPEN project) de- signs, software, fabrication instructions and test plans. The base open configuration is designed to be able to be produced with a parts budget of under $5,000. Despite this low cost, it is a very ro- bust spacecraft (with capabilities meeting or exceeding many of the vendor-kit solutions which cost eight-or-more times this amount).

Two approaches for using the OPEN …

Operating Standards For The High Altitude Ballooning Community, Jeremy Straub, John Nordlie, Ernest Anderson

Jeremy Straub

This paper provides an overview of work to define a set of standards for adoption by the academic high altitude balloon community. These standards go above-and-beyond the requirements imposed by §101 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, incorporating best practices and suggesting how §101 requirements should be interpreted and applied in several situations.

One area where FAR§101 is extremely vague is with regards to the operations of balloons with small payloads. These payloads are exempt from most requirements; however, they are required to not create a “hazard”. Problematically, what exactly qualifies as a “hazard” is not defined in FAR§101 or elsewhere …

Creating Low-Cost ‘Balloonsats’ For Stem Education With 3d Printing, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

A new technology, known as 3D printing, allows the rapid fabrication of plastic structures of virtually any configuration. These structures are light-weight, durable and inexpensive. This paper considers the utility of utilizing 3D printing to create enclosures for ‘BalloonSats’ – small, low-cost spacecraft analog which can be utilized by students to understand space engineering, conduct near-space science (e.g., physics, biological and other experiments) and touch the edge of space.

The utility of 3D printed structures for use in the near-space low-temperature and low-pressure environment is considered. This analysis falls into four key areas. First, the ability of the structures to …