The Michigan Tech Aerospace Enterprise would like to thank the following organizations for the contributions they have made to the efforts and accomplishments of the Aerospace Enterprise in the form of financial support, hardware, or technical advising. We thank you for your generosity!
The Aerospace Enterprise is a non-profit, student-run organization of Michigan Technological University. We rely largely on our company sponsors make our endeavors a success. We are constantly looking for sponsors to support us through additional funding, supplies, components, and advice. Sponsoring the Aerospace Enterprise provides a company exposure to academic, government, and professional aerospace communities. Sponsorship can also lead to opportunities to test new hardware or gain development at a low cost. The students involved in the Aerospace Enterprise are some of the brightest, most dedicated students at Michigan Technological University. Our goal is not to make money, it is to learn, and we need your help to do that. If you would like more information about sponsorship, or if you have any questions, please contact our adviser, Dr. Brad King at
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The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) together host the University Nanosatellite Program. The AFRL provides numerous opportunities to learn about satellite design as well as get feedback on the Oculus-ASR. Through the AFRL, our team has received extremely valuable tips and information that help make the Michigan Tech Nanosatellite Program a success. The AFOSR provides funding that makes the University Nanosatellite Program possible. The AIAA also supports the University Nanosatellite Program and the events that are a part of it. Without these organizations, the Oculus-ASR wouldn’t be possible.
Michigan Technological University was partnered with Raytheon prior to the submission of our UN-5 proposal in 2006. The basis of the UN-5 mission was to incorporate Raytheon's Space Sensor Suite (SSS) into a nanosatellite platform in order to prove its abilities. As the project matured, it became apparent that the SSS would not be built in a package that could be included on the Oculus. While Raytheon went other directions with the SSS, contacts at the company began researching another way to aid our team at Michigan Tech. After a selection process, Raytheon purchased a low-light sensitive imager that would support the Oculus mission CONOPS. For UN-6, Raytheon has allowed the Michigan Tech team to keep the imager for use on the Oculus-ASR and is currently aiding the team in space-rating the imager, designing its optics, and outfitting it with aperture to protect it from exposure to direct sunlight.
“We, as Science Applications International Corporation Employees, are dedicated to the delivery of quality scientific and technical products and services contributing to the security and well-being of our communities throughout the world. We believe high ethical standards are essential to the achievement of our individual and corporate goals.”
ABSL Power Solutions has donated a Lithium-Ion battery pack for the Oculus-ASR vehicle at no cost. These batteries are space-rated, flight proven, and are a much higher energy density cell than the NiCd batteries previously being used. This will extend the satellite's monitoring abilities and reduce the need for power mode cycling.
“ABSL Power Solutions Limited is a world leader in the research, design, development and delivery of power solutions for customers who cannot afford failure. Our reputation derives from the Lithium-ion materials technology, which we originally patented in the 1970s.”
Aerophysics has provided monetary support for the Oculus-ASR as well as donated the multi-layer insulation used for thermal control on the vehicle.
Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) has given Michigan Tech 5 licenses to use its Satellite Tool Kit (STK) in developing the Oculus-ASR. STK is a powerful orbital modeling software which the team has used in performing orbital analyses as well as determining talk-times for the telecommunication subsystem.
“AGI provides commercial off-the-shelf software to national security and space professionals for integrated analysis of land, sea, air, and space assets. The technology can be applied to a variety of solution areas."
Altia donated the Altia Design software which the Oculus-ASR used to create compelling user interfaces for Simulink control system tests and hardware-in-the-loop experiments combining flight hardware and Simulink attitude control code. Full Press Release
"Altia's mission is to provide a cohesive, easy to use set of HMI development tools that help creative, customer focused designers build and deliver great user interfaces. Altia's tools are used from concept to final code and thus maximize productivity and re-use."
“The AMP NETCONNECT business unit of Tyco Electronics, develops, manufactures, and supplies a comprehensive range of communications infrastructure systems and products for customer-owned networks in government, education, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education, residential, power, technology and other markets.”
Analog Devices has sponsored the Oculus-ASR project by donating a space-rated 3-axis gyroscope. The gyroscope serves an important function on the vehicle by allowing the vehicle to determine the its attitude. The Oculus-ASR must have accurate knowledge of its own attitude for both imaging resident space objects and performing telescope calibration operations.
“Analog Devices is committed to the establishment and continuous improvement of world class systems and processes aimed at satisfying our customers' evolving needs. We embrace a Total Quality philosophy with an emphasis on prevention rather than detection. We focus on technology, quality, reliability, service and costs in order to make innovative solutions available to our customers at minimized total costs.”
Bartington Instruments has supported Michigan Tech Aerospace Enterprises’ Oculus nanosatellite by donating a space rated fluxgate magnetometer. This magnetometer will be used on the Oculus to sense the Earth's magnetic field allowing the satellite to detect and control its orientation on orbit.
Bartington Instruments Ltd is a leader in the design and manufacture of high precision fluxgate magnetometers and magnetic susceptibility instruments. Our equipment is used worldwide in various applications including physics, archaeology, defence, medical physics and environmental science. Visit www.bartington.com for further details.
Connect Tech Inc. has helped the Michigan Tech Nanosatellite Team by providing a field programmable gate array (FPGA) module for the Oculus-ASR. The FPGA provides the computing power necessary to process images fast enough to make image tracking and visually-referenced 3-axis attitude control possible.
“Connect Tech is a designer and manufacturer of computer interface prducts for the global market. Our commitment is customer satisfaction through fair and ethical relationships with our customers, suppliers and employees.”
“C&R provides products and services in the areas of heat transfer and fluid system design and analysis. Our customer base of over 4000 from a broad spectrum of industries includes companies such as NASA, DoD, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Motors, Ford, and more."
“For more than 30 years, the DUNMORE brand has stood for quality in coated, laminated and metallized films. During that time, several diverse industries have come to know our name for outstanding standard and specialty products. Today, they often turn to us first with new challenges untried innovations and experimental applications.”
Integrity Applications Incorporated (IAI) has helped Michigan Tech develop the Oculus-ASR by providing the image tracking software that was adapted for use on the Oculus-ASR. This image tracking software allows sequential images to be analyzed to detect an objects movement. The Oculus-ASR then takes the information and uses it to follow the moving object and continue to take pictures of it. IAI has also provided Michigan Tech with risk analysis software used to track potential problems and guide the development of the vehicle.
“Integrity Applications Incorporated (IAI) is an engineering and software services company with a nationwide presence primarily supporting the intelligence community, and other civil, defense and intelligence customers with a focus on Government space and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance systems activities.”
“PCB Piezotronics was founded in 1967 as a manufacturer of piezoelectric quartz sensors, accelerometers, and associated electronics for the measurement of dynamic pressure, force, and vibration. The unique expertise of the company was the incorporation of microelectronic signal conditioning circuitry within these sensors to make them easier to use and more environmentally compatible. These ICP® sensors gained wide popularity and became the foundation for the company's success.”
Systems Integration Plus (SIP) has allowed the Michigan Tech Nanosatellite Team to borrow an MIP-405 computer board to use for testing and development of the on-board computer. In addition, SIP has offered valuable input and advice on the design of our computing system.
“Established in 1988, Systems Integration Plus, Inc., is a full service embedded computer systems integrator with specific expertise in real-time, Unix® and Windows™ software, hardware and system development.”
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