Arkansas Space Grant Consortium
2013-4 NASA Research Infrastructure Development Team
Development of Critical Technologies for Formation
and Proximity Flight with Nano-Satellites
Adam Huang, Principal Investigator
University of Arkansas
Mechanical Engineering Department
863 W. Dickson St., MEEG 105
Fayetteville, AR 72703
479-575-7485, phuang@uark.edu
Ed Wilson, Co-Investigator
Harding University
Department of Chemistry
Box 10849/915 East Market Street
Searcy, AR 72149-0849
501-279-4513, wilson@harding.edu
Yupo Chan, Co-Investigator
University of Arkansas
Department of Systems Engineering (EIT 544)
2801 South University Ave
Little Rock, AR 72204-1099
501-569-8926, yxchan@ualr.edu
22nd ASGC Symposium
Hot Springs, April 7, 2014
What is a Nano-satellite?
Aerospace PICOSAT1
~300 grams
AFRL XSS-10 ~29 kg
1kg
10kg
0.1kg
Femto?
SSTL SNAP-1 6.5 kg
Pico
Nano
100kg
Micro
SSTL GSTB-V2A 600 kg
MILSTAR ~4,500 kg
Satellite, Space Station
ISS ~180,000 kg (Nov 2005)
Project Objectives
Micro-Propulsion System (MPS):
UAF is tasked to develop a micro-propulsion system for nano-satellites that is nontoxic, non-flammable, and low- or non-pressurized at launch conditions.
SAtellite Detection And Ranging Systems (SADARS):
Harding U. is tasked to design and implement a satellite detection system, using light
emitting diodes (LEDs), that will be used to locate and uniquely identify each agent of a fleet of
cooperative nano-satellites.
UALR is tasked to design a vision-based system for the nano-satellite fleet for ranging
and formation keeping.
University Grade Nanosats-CubeSats
Pumpkin™ Kits
Stanford
6U (ARAPAIMA)
Project Description
LED Beacon
LED Beacon
thrusters
LED Beacon
Vision Scanning
LED Beacon
thrusters
• Two cooperating nano-satellites in formation flight from 50m-1km range.
• Reference CubeSat design based on NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s
6U Bus.
SPRITE Lab Proximity Ops
CubeSat Demonstrator (TIP)
8 Nozzles
6U
3-axis DOF
(Yaw, Side, Axial)
NASA MSFC/UA 6U CubeSat testbed with 3-axis propulsion system
SPRITE Lab Proximity Ops
CubeSat Demonstrator (TIP)
Atmospheric Pressure Cold-Gas Thruster
P
Temperature Sensor
T
Schrader Valve
MEMS 2-Phase Separator
Coarse Filter
P
Pressure Sensor
Solenoid Valve
Aqueous
Propellant
Vapor/Gas
Propellant Tank
Pressure Sensor
Solenoid
Valve
T
Temperature Sensor
Solenoid Valve
Vapor Membrane
with Nanopores
Fluid Mixer
MEMS Heater/Temperature Sensor
MEMS
Nozzle
• The thruster pressure is driven by the surface tension at the nanopore membrane,
which can be controlled by the electrolyte pressure and the heating of the membrane.
• Propellant pressure at launch and storage is atmospheric (vapor pressure).
ous Work
Propellant Selected
• Water/Propylene Glycol
Freezing Point Depression
(Mixed with Water)
0
-5 0
25
50
75
100
Freezing Point (°C)
-10
-15
-20
• Why not just PG?
-25
– High boiling point (188°C), affects
electronics
– In-situ resource utilization
-30
-35
-40
-45
-50
-55
sity of Arkansas
– non-toxic
– PG disrupts hydrogen bonding in
water
– Theoretical Isp 85-108s
Propylene Glycol
Ethylene Glycol
Weight Percent Solute
2
Specific Impulse (Water-PG Ratio)
Fraction PG
SADAR Processing Unit
Intel Next Unit of Computing (NUC, D54250WYB) as the SADAR
subsystem processor.
• Need to remove fan and add thermal management devices for space
applications.
• Currently being repackaged as a BallonSat payload for flight test
demonstration.
http://www.logicsupply.com
http://techreport.com
Acknowledgments
• Students:
John Lee, Mustafa Bayraktar, Maurisa Orona, and
Drew Couch.
• Arkansas Space Grant Consortium 2012-13
NASA RID