STPSat-1 Satellite - Astronomy News

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Feb 20 04:10 2008

MidSTAR-1 Satellite	Permalink

Two new technologies launched onboard a U.S. Naval Academy satellite called MidSTAR-1 have proven successful in their tests in space. One technology is a sensor that can check for harmful chemicals and the other is a special "film" that can control heat. These technologies were collaboratively developed between NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre, Greenbelt, Md.; NASAs Ames Research Centre, Moffett Field, California; and Eclipse Energy Systems Inc. of various U.S. locations, respectively. The nano chemsensor unit (NCSU), can sense chemicals and contaminants that may be harmful to astronauts, as well as a wide range of scientifically interesting compounds. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Jul 11 12:21 2007

Orbital Express	Permalink

DARPA has decided to postpone the shutting down of the Orbital Express mission to perhaps perform additional experiments by the spacecraft. Orbital Express which consists of ASTRO, a robotic servicing satellite built by Boeing Phantom Works, and NextSat, which fills the role of a client satellite, was scheduled to be mothballed earlier this month. The ASTRO satellite still contains more than 300 pounds of propellant. U.S. Air Force officials now have a chance to propose additional tests before a final decision is taken. __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Jul 6 19:06 2007

ASTRO and NextSat	Permalink

Picture this: Two robots hang suspended in space, nose to nose. One reaches out a crooked silver arm and begins to minister to the needs of the other. Fuel is exchanged, a battery is replaced; servicing complete, the two silently drift apart. These robots, named ASTRO and NextSat, are real and they are in Earth orbit now. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Jun 18 22:31 2007

MidSTAR-1 satellite nanosensor	Permalink

NASA recently tested the first nanotechnology-based electronic device to fly in space. The test showed that the "nanosensor" could monitor trace gases inside a spaceship. This technology could lead to smaller, more capable environmental monitors and smoke detectors in future crew habitats. NASA's Nano ChemSensor Unit hitched a ride to Earth orbit on March 9, 2007, as a secondary payload experiment on the U.S. Naval Academy's MidSTAR-1 satellite. The sensor test was powered on May 24. "The nanosensor worked successfully in space. We demonstrated that nanosensors can survive in space conditions and the extreme vibrations and gravity change that occur during launch" - Jing Li, a scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. Li is the principal investigator for the test. On long missions in space, harmful chemical contaminants may build up gradually in the crew's air supply. Nanosensors will be able to detect minute amounts of these contaminants and alert the crew that there may be a problem. The goal of the experiment was to prove that nanosensors, made of tiny carbon nanotubes coated with sensing materials, could withstand the rigors of space flight. Li's experiment also helped scientists learn how well a nanosensor could endure microgravity, heat and cosmic radiation in space. Scientists use a specific sensing material for each chemical they wish to detect. When a trace chemical touches the sensing material, it can trigger a chemical reaction that causes electric current flowing through the sensor to increase or decrease. To conduct the sensor test in space, nitrogen gas containing 20 parts per million of nitrogen dioxide was injected into a small chamber. The chamber also held a computer test chip with 32 nanosensors. The test measured the change in electricity passing through the nanosensors after the nitrogen dioxide and the sensing materials made contact. The change was similar to the effect fluctuating electrical current has on a light bulb. Changes in the bulb's brightness correspond to the number of chemical molecules detected. Less than a half-inch across, the test chip with its 32 nanosensors is smaller and less costly than other analytical instruments that could be used for the same measurements. Other advantages of nanosensors include low power use and durability. Scientists have developed chemical sensors using carbon nanotubes and other nanostructures to detect ammonia, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen peroxide, hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and other gases. Source NASA __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: May 17 18:30 2007

RE: STPSat-1 Satellite	Permalink

This video (3.1 MB, .wmv) shows the planned automated docking process, as well as the robotic arm taking an element off ASTRO and attaching it to NextSat Courtesy of DARPA __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Apr 7 18:01 2007

ASTRO satellite	Permalink

The ASTRO satellite has successfully carried out phase one of an in-orbit experimental refuelling mission to pump toxic hydrazine fuel into the NextSat test satellite. "The first Orbital Express demonstration, Scenario 0-1, was very successful...ASTRO transferred just under 32 pounds (14 kilograms) of hydrazine to the NextSat client, meeting the scenario objective" - Spokesperson Jan Walker, U.S. Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The two spacecraft are part of the Orbital Express refuelling mission and are set to perform other test manoeuvres in space as part of a U.S. Defence test mission. The robotic arm-equipped Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations (ASTRO) satellite supplied the hydrazine on April 1, and a day later, again supplied 19 pounds (8.6 kilograms) of propellant to NextSat. NextSat returned the propellant to ASTRO in another test manoeuvre. __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Mar 16 00:37 2007

STPSat-1 Satellite	Permalink

The US military's new "mechanic" test satellite, designed to dock with and test repairs on another satellite in space, experienced problems with its guidance system shortly after launch on 8 March. Mission managers say they have since fixed the problem. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Mar 9 23:59 2007

	Permalink
An Air Force in-space refuelling demonstration mission was successfully launched Thursday with a known "spacecraft transponder abnormality," according to internal NASA documents obtained by Launchspace. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Mar 9 16:45 2007

United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launch	Permalink

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket successfully launched six satellites at 10:10 p.m., EST, for the U.S. Air Force, marking the first use of the Atlas for an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program mission. Known as Space Test Program-1, the mission deployed the six satellites into two different low-Earth orbits. "This was our ninth successful Atlas V launch and first ULA Atlas launch, but more importantly, it was the first EELV Atlas launch for the Air Force. This is a proud moment in our company's history and a significant step forward in providing our nation assured access to space using the most cost-effective means possible" - Michael Gass, ULA President and Chief Executive Officer. The mission used the new EELV Secondary Payload Adapter – or ESPA – which is designed to integrate multiple smaller satellites on the two EELV-class rockets. The six satellites on this mission were delivered into two distinctly different orbits. "STP-1 required an extraordinary level of coordination and innovation to achieve the mission requirements. One of those innovations was the mission design to achieve the two mission orbits, which was enabled by the development of a very flexible new guidance design. The fact that the Atlas system performed so well tonight in delivering the six satellites to their prescribed orbits is a tribute to the teamwork between our Air Force customer, the Space Development & Test Wing, and men and women of the ULA team, including our suppliers from around the world" - Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president of Atlas programs. The multiple-payload mission included Orbital Express with its two-satellite configuration and the four ESPA-class satellites. Orbital Express was provided by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and is designed to validate the technical feasibility of robotic, autonomous on-orbit refuelling and reconfiguration of satellites for future national security and commercial space programs. The other four satellites: * MidSTAR-1-1, built by the U.S. Naval Academy. * STPSat-1, built by Aero Astro for the Space Test Program. * Cibola Flight Experience, built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) for Los Alamos National Laboratory. * FalconSAT-3, built by the U.S. Air Force Academy. Overall integration of the mission was provided by The Boeing Company. The mission was launched aboard an Atlas V 401 configuration, which uses a single common core booster powered by the RD-180 engine. This Atlas V flight marked the 201st RD-180 firing. Including test firings, the Atlas RD-180 engine has operated for more than 37,000 seconds, or the equivalent of 151 launches. The Atlas V system has eight previous successful launches, including two missions for NASA and six for commercial customers. Formed in 2006, ULA combines the successful Delta and Atlas expendable launch vehicle programs to offer cost-effective and reliable launch services to U.S. government customers, including the Department of Defence, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and other organizations. ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Ala. and Harlingen, Tex. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Source -- Edited by Blobrana at 16:48, 2007-03-09 __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Mar 9 12:14 2007

RE: STPSat-1 Satellite

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