Taylor Sets New Satellite Launch Schedule
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowTaylor University expects a student-built satellite to launch into space Sunday. A previous attempt was scrubbed by NASA after an issue emerged with the spacecraft that will carry it into orbit. March 26, 2014
Professor of Engineering and Physics Hank Voss has provided notes for the anticipated launch:
-Live NASA EDGE Streaming Data: http://www.ustream.tv/nasaedge
-Live NASA Education TV: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv (for live viewing only)
-Updates: http://www.floridatoday.com/ or http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html
-TSAT is Indiana's “First” Satellite! To the best of our knowledge TSAT is the first satellite developed in Indiana and launched into earth's orbit. In the past year we have checked with Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC), ITT Aerospace (Exelis), Purdue University, NASA and AF satellite launch searches, ASEE conference, Small Sat Conference, and with many other universities.
-TSAT is scheduled to launch on a Space-X rocket to the International Space Station (CRS#3). Current launch time is Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 22:50 EDT. Alternate: Thursday, April 3 at 21:40 ET.
-TSAT development: The Taylor Satellite (TSAT) is a student-developed dual Cube-Sat Unit (4 by 4 by 8 inches) nanosatellite participating in NASA’s ELANA-5 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites). TSAT was selected by NASA in a competitive program and was the only undergraduate program selection.
-Taylor University in Upland, IN is a Christian Liberal Arts University and the Taylor Engineering program is ABET accredited and offers four BS engineering degrees with two programs now accredited.
-TSAT is short for Taylor, Technology, and TEST – Satellite. It represents satellite and High Altitude Research Platform (HARP) efforts from 2001 until present with contracts from NASA, Air Force Research Labs, Indiana Space Grant Consortium, and National Science Foundation. The early TU-SAT1 and Thunderstorm Effects in Space Technology (TEST) satellite efforts by TU students developed many of the TSAT technologies.
-TSAT primary mission is to map out coverage of a new communication link using the existing Globalstar network of 32 plus satellites. http://www.globalsatellitecommunications.com/ TSAT will be a new satellite to satellite link that will permit satellites to communicate in near real time continuously over most of the globe. Small satellites now require expensive ground stations with tracking and with only a few passes over the ground stations per day.
-The second objective is education: TSAT resulted from an educational based program at Taylor University that enables undergraduate students to work on meaningful projects with real world application. Many of the students that have worked on TSAT have since graduated from Taylor. Primary contributing students include Dan McClure, David Lew, Matt Orvis, Adam Kilmer, Jacob Baranowski, Paul Kuehl, Seth Foote, Kevin Seifert, and Natalie Ramm. TSAT developed under the guidance of Dr. Hank Voss and Professor Jeff Dailey. Each student, under faculty advising, takes full responsibility of his or her subsystem. Throughout the design and development process, students learn valuable skills, team work, and experience the end-to-end engineering process.
-Third objective is collecting new science data in the Ionosphere: A plasma probe will measure electron density, electron temperature, and vehicle potential. A sensitive 3-axis magnetometer will measure the earth’s magnetic field and ultra-low frequency waves. TSAT uses high efficiency (25 percent Gallium arsenide, GaAs) solar cells and includes an array of temperature sensors to understand heat radiation in orbit. Other sensors have been designed by students for TSAT.
-TSAT will map the underexplored space region called the Extremely Low Earth Orbit (ELEO) region from 75 to 200 miles (120 – 320 km) altitude. This relatively uncharted region is difficult to measure because satellite lifetimes are short in this region and data transfer is delayed using conventional ground stations. These difficulties have prevented many in-situ ionosphere measurements from being made. Though rockets passing through this region have taken some measurements, the region remains relatively unexplored. Thus, TSAT will fly an instrument suite that will collect data to study the effects of ionospheric phenomena most likely caused by the plasma environment within the region.
-Other ELaNa satellites to be launched with us:
All-Star from University of CO at Bolder, PhoneSat 2.5 from NASA Ames Research Center, KickSat from Cornell University-Ithaca N.Y., and SporeSat from NASA Ames
Source: Taylor University