Innovation in Spacecraft Engineering Seminar Series
This monthly seminar series brings innovators to talk about new concepts in spacecraft engineering. It is accessible to a broad cross-section of those interested in spacecraft and space science, with a definite focus on the engineering side of space. The subject matter is visionary, appealing to the space explorer in all of us, whether our passion is science, technology, or entrepreneurship.
Talks in the Innovation in Spacecraft Engineering series typically take place on Mondays, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, with refreshments available at 5:00 PM.
The Innovation in Spacecraft Engineering Seminar Series is funded by the NASA/New York Space Grant Consortium and the Space Systems Design Studio.
Fall 2008 - Spring 2009
| Date | Speaker | Title | Refreshments/Talk Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep | 15 | Dr. Hanspeter Schaub University of Colorado at Boulder |
Electrostatic Spacecraft Relative Control Applications "Recently the concept of controlling the relative motion of spacecraft using electrostatic charging (Coulomb forces) has been proposed. ... Applications range from docking maneuvers, circumnavigation of probes about a mother craft, virtual Coulomb tethers, and virtual Coulomb structures, to spinning interferometric systems." |
Upson Lounge/Upson B17 |
| Oct | 20 | Dr. Robert Fiete ITT Corporation |
Image Chain Analysis for Space Imaging Systems "Space imaging systems are designed to gather information from vantage points not accessible on Earth but this places a strong requirement on mission assurance. By mathematically modeling the image formation process of the entire imaging chain, various space imaging system designs can be studied and analyzed to optimize the image quality." |
Upson Lounge/Upson B17 |
| Nov | 10 | Dr. Glenn Lightsey University of Texas at Austin |
A Review of Options for Autonomous Cislunar Navigation "During the early days of spaceflight, and especially during the Apollo program, significant advances were made in developing methods for cislunar navigation. However, some of these techniques were astronaut labor intensive and/or not suitable for autonomous operations. Since then, new technologies and data processing methods have been created that enable navigation options that were not available during the Apollo era." |
Upson Lounge/Upson B17 |
| Jan | 26 | Mr. Robert Vogt ATK Corporation |
Operationally Responsive Space "The U.S. Government has begun to realize the benefits of small satellites and the utility they bring to the military. As small satellites have proven their worth as demonstration platforms, operational utility is now being exploited. Operational relevance of small satellites is further valuated when used in fleets. This talk will review these trends and provide examples of how small satellites are being considered in current and future architectures." |
Upson Lounge/Upson B17 |
| Mar | 30 | Dr. Benjamin Harris University of Texas at Austin Space and Geophysics Laboratory |
Peeling the Onion: Increasing GPS Accuracy using New Signals and Open Source Software "Multiple initiatives have improved the accuracy associated with the Global Positioning System (GPS), including Modernization and Legacy Accuracy Improvement. This talk will review these initiatives and their potential impacts. Further, this talk will introduce GPS Toolkit (GPSTk), an open source library and suite of applications intended to free researchers to focus on research rather than lower level coding." |
Upson B17 |
| Apr | 20 | Dr. Rick Fleeter Aero Astro |
The Search for Extraterrestrial Reliability "Reliability is at the core of aerospace systems design, yet does not share the analytical foundation of other disciplines like structure or guidance and control system design. The viability of small, lower cost and rapidly developed space missions rests on their ability to achieve reliability comparable to or better than conventional systems without resorting to the classical methods they employ: space qualified parts; heritage components; redundancy; and oversight by an external quality organization. Can alternative perspectives teach us what are alternative approaches to reliability and when they might be applicable to space systems? Are there existing models for reliability that could be adapted to space engineering? The Search for Extraterrestrial Reliability is only a starting point - to ask these questions, review some ways current methods may fail us, and review a few potential alternatives." |
Upson B17 |