The Aerospace Enterprise is an undergraduate program where students from all academic programs across campus work to design and build a satellite that will be launched into space. The spacecraft is developed with funding from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Having recently placed first in the University Nanosat-6 Competition (UN-6), the team is currently working to prepare the Oculus-ASR Nanosatellite to go into orbit sometime in 2013.
The Oculus-ASR program is divided into sub-teams:
Telecom
The Telecom Team is responsible for designing the equipment to communicate with the satellite while it is in space. This involves radios on the spacecraft and also radios on the ground. Telecom works in tandem with the Husky Amateur Radio Club (HARC) developing test plans and integrating flight and ground systems. The Telecom Team conducts hardware testing and is responsible for computer integration with the OBDC Team.
Guidance Navigation & Control
The Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC) Team is responsible for developing the systems that control which way the satellite is pointing while it is in space and controlling its rate of rotation for detumbling when the spacecraft is first launched, for optimal solar charging, and for performing the various maneuvers while in view of ground telescopes at government facilities. Control of the satellite is accomplished through the use of angular rate gyros, magnetometers, magnetorquers, and reaction wheels integrated with logic system in the Satellite's flight computer.
On-Board Data & Command
The On-Board Data and Command (OBDC) Team is responsible for the Computer Hardware and Software on board the Satellite. The Oculus-ASR has two on-board computers: the Command & Control Computer and the Imaging Computer. The Command & Control Computer relays information from magnetometer, gyroscopes, temperature, and other various sensors to the ground station for processing. The Command & Control Computer is also responsible for receiving and executing commands from the ground station. The Imaging Computer controls the two cameras onboard the Satellite; specifically capturing frames, storing them, and then relaying them down to the ground station.
Power
The Power Team is responsible for the Power Distribution Subsystem, the Charge Controller and the Solar Panels. The Power Distribution Board delivers power from the batteries to the various components on the Satellite. working in tandem with the Onboard Computer, The Power Distribution Board is also responsible for monitoring the current draw and temperature of the various components on the Satellite. The Charge Controller regulates the voltage from the Solar Cells when charging the battery.
Imaging
Sensitive space cameras were donated to MTU by Raytheon Missile Systems and SAIC. The Imaging Team is responsible for these two space-to-space imagers on board the spacecraft. Specifically the Team is responsible for space ruggedization of the cameras, lens mount design, thermal mitigation, and testing.
Structures
The Structures Team is responsible for, as the name suggests, designing the structures of the Satellite; including the skeleton and the boxes that house all of the components in the Satellite. The Structures Team not only designs and mills each piece of the Satellite, but also performs finite element analysis, modal analysis, and thermal analysis on all of the components in order to ensure that the spacecraft can survive the harsh launch vibrations and the in-space thermal environment.
Systems Engineering
The Systems Team is responsible for anything which does not fall directly within the responsibilities of the other teams; including a variety of preflight testing, such as systems and component integration tests, ground station hardware, and the internal wiring of the Satellite. The Systems Team has also taken on the task of setting up and maintaining the Aerospace Enterprise Clean Room.