This is a short-term (one-year) effort to coordinate the development, testing, and implementation of a new optical tracking and spectral characterization system for CubeSat missions. Utilizing existing, newly installed telescopes at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University together with a real-time tracking architecture and analysis algorithms to be developed under this award the goal is the development of a capability to support mission operations on orbit for CubeSats by determining their physical characteristics such as spin, deployment mechanisms, and optical changes over time. The Special Purpose Inexpensive Satellite, named SpinSat, is a nano satellite developed by the Naval Research Laboratory scheduled to be deployed from the International Space Station in August 2014 and provides an ideal test case for the new system. Other NSF-funded CubeSat missions are scheduled for launch later in 2014 and will be used as additional test cases.
The new diagnostic tool will enhance CubeSat mission operations and help assess and address mission critical situations. Any improvements in satellite survivability, and increases in operational lifetime, will enable larger return from geospace science missions that use CubeSats to target outstanding unanswered questions in the space sciences, space weather, and aeronomy. Any changes observed in spectral characteristics of the CubeSat fabrication material over long durations will also provide valuable input for understanding that material?s survivability in low Earth orbit space environment. Once completed and tested, the project will make the design and source code for the new system freely and publicly available and distributed for use by the CubeSat and small-satellite communities. The system design, once released at project completion, will be a unique technical resource for use by a large number of student teams and academic institutions aiming to be engaged in impactful science and engineering.
In addition, the project offers a unique outreach opportunity to tie the field of astronomy with engineering and geospace science by educating young minds about CubeSats and their capabilities. ERAU hosts an Astronomy Open House every month where the general public is invited to peruse the university?s myriad telescopes, including the flagship 1 meter telescope. These opportunities will be leveraged to present to the general public exciting information about CubeSat and related technologies, as well as geospace science accomplished by small satellites.
