NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Session 2302 United States Naval Academy Space Systems Laboratory Course LCDR Dave D. Myre, USN, CDR Robert E. Bruninga, USN (Ret.) Department of Aerospace Engineering United States Naval Academy I. Introduction The Astronautics track at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) is one of two tracks offered in the Aerospace Engineering Department leading to the award of a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. In a recent curriculum revision, a new laboratory course was added to the Astronautics program. This was motivated by the need for practical laboratories and advanced computer simulations and by the unique USNA capability to receive and display engineering telemetry from a Navy UHF communications satellite as well as several amateur radio satellites via the Naval Academy Satellite Ground Station. This paper highlights practical laboratories developed and showcases the classroom application of the Satellite Ground Station. The Space Systems Laboratory provides student interaction with each major spacecraft subsystem with the focus on the space segment. It uses of practical laboratory exercises, computer simulation and live spacecraft data to focus on subsystem dynamics and system level interactions. The course also provides advanced instruction in computer simulations culminating in short design projects in support of the spacecraft design course. The course is organized such that each spacecraft subsystem has its own lab module that consists of the following: (1) pre-laboratory preparation and exercises, (2) practical "hands-on" laboratories and (3) continued demonstration of concepts via the electronic classroom. II. Practical Laboratories The practical laboratories were developed and conducted in the fall of 1997 and 1998. There are three primary areas explored in the laboratories: (1) Communications, (2) Electronic Power Systems and (3) Thermal Control. Emphasis is placed on communications systems, as this is one of the Navy's primary space mission areas. The other laboratories discussed are the spacecraft electronic power system laboratory with emphasis on solar panels, energy storage and regulation, two thermal control laboratories conducted with emphasis on radiation heat transfer and surface coatings, and a simple structural dynamics (vibration) laboratory.

CubeSats have most commonly been used by students and researchers as a cost effective means of accessing space. As demand grows for more complex space systems, however, the complexity and capability of CubeSat systems must also increase. One drawback of increased complexity is the increase in obscurity of how a change in one area of the design propagates through the rest of the system. Dealing with this added complexity takes away from student education experiences while also increasing the design cycle time, taking CubeSats further away from the key characteristic advantages that define them. One solution to this is to apply Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodology to CubeSats, providing a standardized template that the developers can use to make the design cycle more efficient. Lately, the practice of MBSE has become increasingly nuanced and advances have focused on the application of tools and practices to aid in the development of space systems. This includes efforts concerned with the development and description of CubeSats. Most recently, the development of the CubeSat System Reference Model (CSRM) by the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Space Systems Working Group (SSWG) has better enabled the description of CubeSat systems using common modelling language. At the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), the Small Satellite Program has been developing and launching student-built project satellites since 2001 and CubeSats since 2012. Given the time constraints and minimal funding of an undergraduate education program, the need for a simple build template for CubeSats was recognized and the PSAT1U system was conceived. PSAT1U is a 1U CubeSat designed to be utilized as a modular architecture with easily accessible parts allowing students to focus on designing and implementing their on-board payload and mission systems without spending more time carrying out trade studies on well understood subsystems and components. The USNA has used the CSRM along with documentation from the development of PSAT1U to create a Model-Based representation of the PSAT1U system. The aim of this model is to aid in the education of undergraduate engineering students in their capstone design course as well as to reduce design and development times for future CubeSat systems. This paper will present an overview and description of the PSAT1U model, outline the design of the physical system as well as the development of the MBSE model and discuss its implementation in a classroom setting as well its potential role in the development of future systems. Finally, the propagation of system changes through the model will be demonstrated to illustrate the utility of describing a CubeSat system this way.

Due to a century of gas-tank / gas-station legacy, most of the current focus on Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging has been with respect to public charging, range anxiety, charging speed, and grid impact. Unfortunately, this focus overlooks the existing grid structure that is readily available at little to no additional cost (the ubiquitous 120V outlet) and overlooks the convenience of charging-while-parked The true promise of the EV is its ability to charge anywhere/everywhere from the national grid instead of only at “stations”. And the most prevalent, accessible, and visible manifestation of the grid is this standard 120v outlet (L1 charging). The often touted issues of availability, time-to-charge, and impact on the grid virtually vanish when EV's are simply plugged into a standard outlet while parked at home and at work. Simple 120v charging is practical, low cost, efficient, and is a minimal impact approach to achieve smart grid functionality now while waiting for the future Smart Grid. Convenient technology exists to facilitate this simple “85% solution” but it also requires education and public outreach to be effective.

The Parkinson Satellite is a CubeSat being built by students of the United States Naval Academy. The purpose of the mission is to serve as a dedicated satellite transponder for the relay of remote environmental sensor and other low duty-cycle data to the internet via a global network of volunteer ground stations. The transponder operates in the Amateur Satellite Service to encourage cooperation from students, educators and experimenters around the world. The attitude control system consists of a three axis magnetometer, a suite of coarse sun sensors, and three orthogonal coils to provide a magnetic dipole. There are three modes of operation, one will be to control excess rotation rates and establish a spin. The other two modes will maneuver to and maintain a sun pointing orientation to within 40 degrees. If successful, the Parkinson Satellite will be the first actively controlled spacecraft built by the Naval Academy.

The Materials on the International Space Station Experiments (MISSE) present a unique opportunity in space science by offering a low-cost platform to expose materials directly to the space environment on the International Space Station (ISS). MISSE experiments consist of a “suitcase” like package known as the “Passive Experiment Carrier” (PEC) that can be carried by astronauts and mounted externally to the ISS. The 5 th MISSE payload (MISSE-5) contained both passive and active experiments. The Forward Technology Solar Cell Experiment (FTSCE) on MISSE-5 measured current-voltage (I–V) characteristics on 36 solar cells of various types. Over 1500 I–V curves were recorded on each cell during a 13-month period. This paper analyses the results for all the III–V multi-junction cells flown, including state-of-the-art space qualified cells and next generation metamorphic cells.

The Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE) is a series of four microsatellites that will study the atmosphere of the Earth from low earth orbit. Each microsatellite is based on a common design; however, each differs in the instrument payloads and the associated science and mission requirements. The primary mission objective is to provide total neutral density along the orbit for improved orbit determination of resident space objects. Each ANDE microsatellite has several secondary goals. It is the unique design of the microsatellites that allows this task to be accomplished.Each microsatellite is a compact, near perfect sphere; this reduces shape and drag errors so that the local density of the atmosphere can be determined by instantaneous tracking variations detected by very high accuracy laser and radar ranging whereby the spacecrafts themselves are the primary sensing instrument. The accuracy of the atmospheric density measurements inferred from the orbital tracking of ANDE rriicrosatellites will be much greater than that achieved by similar experiments in the past or from any currently proposed.Many unique design challenges had to be overcome to achieve the necessary science, mission, and operational requirements as well as severe cost constraints. New methods for parts and assembly fabrication were sought out and implemented. These new methods allowed similar parts to function in each of the microsatellites despite the differences between them. In addition, the command and telemetry links used inexpensive COTS Ham radio transceivers while meeting all the International requirements for operations in the Amateur Satellite Service.