Although inclement weather kept Florida’s Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp from attending a Friday morning meeting in which he was the guest of honor, University of Florida faculty members presented the advantages of small satellites to a group of colleagues and sponsors.

 

The show must go on.

The team of faculty, which is part of ASTREC, the Advanced Space Technologies Research and Engineering Center at UF, discussed some of the main points of the project with Bill Graham, president of Lockheed Martin’s Enterprise Integration Group.

Norman Fitz-Coy, the team leader and an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, kicked off the presentation by discussing the goals of ASTREC and introducing the general advantages of the small satellites, such as cost-effectiveness and catching up with rapidly growing space technology. 

To prove his point, Fitz-Coy held up a track tape, once used to store memory; it is the size of a small hubcap. He then holds up a flash drive. 

“Going smaller doesn’t necessarily mean function will go away,” he said.

All the while, SwampSat was silently screaming for attention. The satellite, which measures 100 cubic centimeters, was gently perched on a clear, plastic cup. 

What makes SwampSat’s mission different from other small satellites is the focus on the attitude control system, which allows the satellite to target and precisely point to a location, Fitz-Coy explained. The team has constructed what he calls a “plug-and-play” ACS and when the satellite is launched, it will be tested.

He said launch is expected by November 2009.

Stephen Eikenberry, a professor of astronomy, then discussed how astronomers are contributing to the small-satellite project by creating single, compact-package cameras combining the regular, two-camera system normal satellites use.

Eikenberry also talked about how the satellites could be used to track military targets, natural phenomena, black holes and extra-solar planets all for a low cost.

But the satellites have other advantages that are closer to home.

Anna-Lisa Paul, a research associate professor at the department of horticulture, described how the satellites, which she said create a huge scientific return for a small investment, could be used for biomedical advancements.

“As we leave Earth’s surface, we take our biology with us,” Paul said.

She said the satellites could track the effects certain forces in space, such as gravity and radiation, have on organisms, since there is very little research on the effects.

And for some, a tough job may become a little easier with the help of small satellites.

Bo Gustafson, a professor of astronomy and the president of DataGrid, a space-based land surveying and management company, said the small satellites might help in the business of surveying.

Gustafson said small satellites will allow DataGrid to improve efficiency, since the use of the satellites along with handheld GPS and trained workers will eliminate the cost of hundreds of workers and increase data integrity.

The final presentation was from Gloria Wiens, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, whose main research is on deployable mechanisms that can become a part of small satellites.

Wiens played a video that showed a small satellite displaying its deployable mechanisms, making the satellite resemble a flower in bloom, with its petals being solar panels. 

The point of the mechanism research, she said, is to create deployables that will increase the surface area of the satellite, which in turn will increase the amount of power without increasing the amount of power used by the device.

At the end of her presentation, Graham presented Wiens with a check for $450,000 toward her and her team’s research.

After the briefings, Graham said he had a better understanding of the performance standpoint of the project, and how he cannot imagine a better academic experience for students, calling the project an “opportunity of a lifetime.”

He said the students and faculty represent a phenomenal resource of brainpower, and though most of America sees UF as Tim Tebow, it’s more than that.

“Gators aren’t just about football,” he said.