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CATSAT Update by Frank Hludik Several articles about the Cooperative Astrophysics and Technology SATellite (CATSAT) have appeared in past issues of Signals and Noise and will continue until the project is launched early in the year 2000. There are currently about twenty-two students from the Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Physics departments working on the project. Each year new students are hired to replace graduating seniors and graduate students. Students must pass on their design, integration, and testing responsibilities to new students joining the project. New students work with the more experienced students before they assume responsibility for a particular subsystem. Students leaving the project, as well as new students, learn the importance of proper documentation and training. The focus during the past year has been on the integration and testing of the payload subsystems. The analog and analog/digital interface subsystems have undergone rigorous testing. The final subsystems of the digital electronics unit have been developed and are undergoing testing. The payload power subsystems that control all payload electronics are being designed and tested. Attitude determination and spacecraft computer control systems will be delivered to UNH this summer from Weber State University. Last spring (1998) the spacecraft frame that was designed at UNH was qualified for space use. Facilities at Sanders, A Lockheed Martin Company, were used to do a complete vibration test of the spacecraft frame. This fall (1998) mechanical qualification tests for the electronic packaging, cabling, and connectors will be conducted. Next spring and summer (1999) will see the final integration of the whole spacecraft. Ryan Rousseau and Jeff Butler, now both ECE graduate students, have come up through the ranks of the CATSAT project, as did many students in the past. Ryan is integrating and qualifying digital electronics unit subsystems, including the ones he designed. Jeff Butler has responsibilities in both hardware and software development and qualification. Jeff knows first hand that it is no trivial task to concurrently design software and hardware and make the two systems work according to specifications. Joel Mellin graduated with a bachelorŐs degree in EE last spring and is staying involved in CATSAT until he goes to graduate school. Joel hopes to earn an EE graduate degree in a music-related field. Joel is designing the payload and flight power systems. John English, an ECE senior, is designing a sun sensor system for attitude determination. David Saarinen, an ECE junior, is helping with the sun sensor development. Mike Sandiford, an ECE senior, continues with the development and testing of the analog electronics. Brian King, an ECE junior, is working on the power converters, while ECE junior Mark Sinclair conducts tests on the analog to digital interfaces. Matt Funke, an ECE senior, is working on the integration of the microcontroller based flight sensor interfaces and control devices. If you would like to learn more about the CATSAT project, the web site address is www.catsat.sr.unh.edu. We all look forward to the completion and launch of CATSAT. We especially hope that 'CATSAT alumni' enjoyed this update and continue to remain as excited as we are as the launch date gets closer. |
