The University of Virginia (UVA) reports that some of its engineering students are among those at the other Commonwealth schools working on the Amateur Radio satellites and also at matching ground stations to track them and collect data. UVA said that its student-built satellite is set to go into the space late next year aboard an International Space Station resupply vehicle for later deployment from the ISS. The UVA project will be part of a joint mission with the other Virginia universities to conduct atmospheric density studies, to gain a better understanding about the rates at which low-orbiting spacecraft slow down and ultimately leave orbit when encountering the drag of the atmosphere’s outer edges.
“We’re building our own version of NASA’s Mission Control, to communicate with our own spacecraft,” said Christopher Goyne, the mechanical and aerospace engineering professor who serves as faculty adviser for the project. “Our students have a lot of work to accomplish prior to launch, and during the 6- to 12-month flight mission.”
The CubeSat, that will operate in the 70-centimeter amateur band, will be first developed and flown by the UVA. Assembly and testing will be completed by this summer. UVA’s CubeSat is one in a constellation of the three spacecrafts being designed and built by the students at UVA, Virginia Tech, and also Old Dominion University through the Virginia Space Grant Consortium. Hampton University is also collaborating. Each university will operate in its own ground station, and the students will communicate with each other throughout the mission. They are also collaborating on many other aspects of the project.
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“One of the most worthwhile aspects of this project has been working with the student teams at Virginia Tech, ODU, and Hampton,” said fourth-year student Colin Mitchell, KN4BBF, who is set to graduate in this spring with degrees in mechanical engineering and physics. Mitchell is the member of data and communications team, which is writing software for the UVA CubeSat and also handles the radio communication aspects. He and his fellow student Tyler Gabriele, KN4BBE, studied for and also obtained Technician tickets so they can test the radio gear, and the other students associated with the project also will earn their licenses as the project develops.
Recently, Goyne’s group began work to construct the ground station, with the assistance from UVA Amateur Radio Club (W4UVA). The Amateur Radio club will provide technical expertise and also assist in the operation of the ground station.
UVA’s CubeSat is the multi-year project, passed down to each succeeding group of fourth-year engineering students as a part of their final projects.
Mrudula Duddempudi.
