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Session 2202

Meeting the Challenge of the Undergraduate Space Lab Experience

Dr. Rachel Shinn, Dr. Ronald Madler

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ

Abstract

Giving undergraduate students hands-on experience for space-related subjects is challenging. The instructor must create a lab experience that familiarizes students with the concepts used in testing space vehicles and hardware, allows for comparison of test results with analysis and illustrates important principles used in spacecraft design by using a ground-based experiment.

In industry, the tests done for thermal vacuum, vibration, mass properties, communications, sensor testing and propulsion (among others), generally require elaborate and expensive equipment. Such equipment is generally outside of the budgetary range of an undergraduate university. Using modest resources, the instructor must develop experiments that streamline these tests for illustration purposes, and simplify the tests to illustrate key principles.

This paper covers the experiments we have found helpful in meeting these goals and compares what we have done in our space lab to what has been done in other undergraduate aerospace programs.

I. Introduction

The US Naval Academy1, Virginia Tech2 and the US Air Force Academy3 have all implemented some form of space laboratory experience for their undergraduate students. In addition, CU Boulder has also created several lab experiences related to spacecraft for their undergraduate students. The Naval Academy1 has focused on Communications and Telemetry labs but has also done a few things with other aspects of spacecraft such as power, thermal control and a vibrations lab very similar to the one we present in this paper. Virginia Tech2 has created several lab experiences involving satellite tracking and telemetry, in addition to a spacecraft attitude dynamics lab using an attitude dynamics and control simulator. Virginia Tech’s undergraduate students have also designed and built a “nanosat” which gives the students direct involvement with the design of spacecraft. Several other universities have also been involved with the design and build process of a small satellite. Of particular note in this paper is the experience at the US Air Force

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Shinn, R. (2002, June), Meeting The Challenge Of The Undergraduate Space Lab Experience Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10318