We're taking WPI to space!
The SDC is a group of talented young engineers with diverse backgrounds and interests. We are currently conducting research for and designing a CubeSat for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operations. When launched, this satellite will be the first to represent WPI in space. We intend to apply to NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, which will allow us to share a ride into space with a NASA primary payload.
Want to learn more about joining the team, sponsoring us, or anything else? Launch an email our way!
Join the Team!
We welcome WPI students of all majors and experience levels - stop by a meeting to meet the team! The SDC typically has a few team meetings per week: a one-hour General Body Meeting (GBM) focused on administrative tasks and planning, and multiple work meetings to focus on completing tasks in specific subgroups.
C Term 2018 Schedule:
Contact us for more information!
About Us
The Satellite Development Club (SDC) at WPI is a student-run organization that facilitates development of students’ technical and professional skills through the investigation of space technologies. The SDC began as a spin-off from a WPI Major Qualifying Project in 2013 and has evolved into the team it is today, with team members from many majors. From 2014 to 2016, the SDC competed in NASA's Cube Quest Challenge - a competition to send a CubeSat into deep space. In October 2016, the club transitioned to applying to NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) to conduct scientific experiments in Low Earth Orbit. Currently, we are designing the basic frame of a CubeSat.
In addition CubeSats, one of the main goals of the SDC it to give students the opportunity to network with companies and practice collaborative problem solving within an interdisciplinary team. Students gain experience communicating via technical writing, design reviews, public speaking, and a dynamic work environment. The SDC also provides students with the resources to gain knowledge in technical fields related to space and encourages them to expand their horizons.
CubeSats
CubeSats are a standard, inexpensive way to explore outer space in low Earth orbit and beyond. They consist of one or more 10cm cube sections that hold basic systems and a specialized payload. The most basic CubeSat, designated "1U", is a 10cm cube, and some of the largest are 10cm by 20cm by 30cm, or “6U” CubeSats. Their small size and standardized deployment system make CubeSats popular for universities and other organizations to educate students and try out new space technologies relatively inexpensively and quickly. California Polytechnic State University and Stanford University first proposed standardized design specifications for CubeSats in 1999 and launched the first CubeSats in June, 2003. Since 2003, over 500 CubeSats have been launched by universities, and many others have been launched by other organizations. CubeSats are continuing to grow in popularity in the space industry, and it is time for WPI with its rich history of spaceflight to join the program.
Projects
CubeSat Launch Initiative
NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative allows various organizations including university groups to propose CubeSats ranging from 1U to 6U for launch alongside a NASA primary mission. There are several requirement for applicants, including the completion of two external reviews. Additionally, the funding for the CubeSat itself must be secured prior to submission - NASA only provides the launch.
For our CSLI, the SDC is designing and building the Goddard Orbital Atmospheric and Testing Satellite (GOATS) which will carry a payload to measure radiation levels in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The core component of the payload is a scintillator, which is a specific material that emits photons when struck by radiation. The purpose of this payload is to better characterize radiation levels in LEO, specifically in orbits near the International Space Station and its inhabitants. The more that is known about radiation levels in a given orbit, the safer and more reliable it is for missions, manned and unmanned, to operate there.
Beyond the scientific goal we aim to achieve, our secondary goal is to supplement the education of engineers of the future. By working in an interdisciplinary team, students will gain invaluable experience prior to entering the workforce. Furthermore, opportunities to work with external partners such as NASA and other stakeholders will allow students to develop their professional skills while working on a large project. This benefits both our students and our future employers, as we will be better equipped to help tackle the problems of the future.
Reaction Wheels
For just about any satellite, it needs a means of orientation control. That is where this project comes in. The goal of the reaction control system is to design and build a working 3 axis control system using reaction wheels that is controlled by a raspberry pi. For cubesats, there are only three possibilities for attitude control: magnetorquers, reaction wheels, and no control. Magnetorquers are a simple, low force method of rotating small spacecraft. They are a simple coil that produces a magnetic field that pushes against earth’s magnetic field. Reaction wheels are different. The function on the principle of conservation of momentum and provide much higher amounts of rotation. They work by having multiple wheels spinning on different axis to provide torque in that axis. The big brother to reaction wheels is control moment gyros. These are used on the Hubble space telescope.
Burnwire
One of our side projects is a deployment mechanism we call burnwire. The goal of this project is to eventually develop a deployment system for solar panels. This would work by having a piece of nichrome wire burn through a string to release tension, allowing the solar panels to deploy. So far we’ve worked on testing how much current is required to burn the string and figuring out how to control this using a Raspberry Pi. Our goal this year will be to combine this project with the solar panel project to design a way for these two mechanisms to fit together.
Solar Panels
There are two main ways to power a satellite: you can power it with some form of onboard power (be it long-lasting battery or nuclear) or you can harness the power of the sun. As it is tough to fit a nuclear reactor on a cubesat, we decided to use the sun to power our CubeSat. To do this, we need to use solar panels - which convert light into electrical power. We've been using TriSolX solar cells, and are preparing to design a side panel that would swing out and be able to face the sun directly. Our goal this year is to design and implement this board, as well as create and test the deployment mechanism.
Past Projects
The SDC has worked on many projects in the past, large and small. The largest one was competing in NASA's Cube Quest Challenge to design a CubeSat for deep space operations. We worked on the Cube Quest Challenge until the fall of 2016 when we transitioned to CSLI, which we are currently working on. Participating in Cube Quest gave us a better understanding of what is required of a CubeSat design, helped us improve our public speaking skills and overall set us up to succeed in our current project.
Other past projects have included designing, building, and launching a model rocket and building a test stand for solid fuel rocket engines, all of which were side projects.