|
| Editors in charge |
 |
Anne Katharine Dahl, NTNU |
|
Gunnar Sand, SINTEF |
| Editor SINTEF: |
|
Åse Dragland |
| Editors NTNU: |
|
Nina E. Tveter, Jan Erik Kaarø |
|
Norwegian satellite on its maiden voyage
 |
| A CubeSat satellite measures 10 x
10 x 10 cm. The exterior is covered with solar panelling which collects
a sufficient amount solar energy to run the electronic components.
Inside the satellite we find a pile of electronic circuit boards containing
advanced computer chips, plus a battery for storing electricity. Other
external - components are sensors and antennas, which unfold once
the satellite is in place in space. Illustration: Aalborg University |
It won’t be very large – not even as big as a football.
But it will be Norway’s very first satellite, and students are going
to build it.
By Arne Asphjell
Today many nations play their part in the space industry. Norway is a
member of the European Space Association (ESA). We launch space rockets
from Andøya, and Norwegian industry supplies goods to a steadily
growing space sector. Norwegian research centres have long been planning
to construct and launch their own satellite in order to carry out scientific
measurements, but it has not been realized until now – and it happens
as a student project.
Small, light, and cheap
Launching a satellite weighing as much as several hundred kilos once used
to be an ambitious and costly project, but this is no longer the case.
Electronic components are steadily becoming smaller and more compact,
and modern satellites can thus be made smaller and lighter than their
predecessors.
At Stanford University in California, scientists involved in the so-called
CubeSat project are making use of the possibilities inherent in miniaturized
satellites, and they have invited other educational establishments to
participate in the project. Several universities from all over the world
are involved in the construction of student satellites, and Norway is
about to join forces with them. So far three Norwegian educational institutions
are taking part in the project: Narvik University College (which has its
own space technology programme), the Agricultural University of Norway,
and NTNU.
‘Charter flights’ in space
The small, cube-shaped satellites that have been constructed at Stanford
are known as pico-satellites. Inside a cube measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm,
there are advanced measuring equipment, batteries, and solar panels –
everything that is needed to ensure that the satellite can perform its
tasks in the upper layers of the atmosphere. A cube satellite should,
ideally, weigh no more than one kilogram, and consequently it is considerably
simpler and cheaper to launch such a satellite into space. The Russians
are specializing in the business of cheap ‘charter flights’
for student satellites. The Kosmotras Dnepr rocket, which is launched
from a base in Kazakhstan, allows the Russians to send up as many as 18
satellites in a single launch.
The standardized cube satellites can be placed in what can be called a
blowpipe, from which they can be ejected into space once the rocket reaches
the desired location.
A satellite ticket to outer space with this company costs about USD 30,000,
which makes it possible to carry out the Norwegian satellite project within
a total budget of NOK 1.5 to 2 million.
Division of labour
The project is a collaboration between Andøya Rocket Range, Narom
(National Centre of Space-Related Education), and the Norwegian Space
Centre, and its initial phase involves these three study centres. The
work is divided so that Narvik takes care of operational aspects –
launching, construction, and testing of payloads (6 to 10 students). The
payload is being developed at the Agricultural University of Norway (12
students), and NTNU is in charge of the construction and testing of the
satellite (35 students). The contribution of the NTNU students will cover
structure, power supplies, navigation systems, communication, processing
of data, and the payload specifications.
Experts at institutions such as the Norwegian Defence and Research Establishment,
Telenor, and Nammo Raufoss will assist the students in their work. The
aim is to make the satellite ready for launching in the year 2003.
Monitoring reindeer, snow, and oil
The Agricultural University of Norway is primarily responsible for deciding
which tasks the satellite is to carry out. So far the following areas
have been suggested:
• Monitoring snowmelt in reindeer pasture areas
• Classification of forest areas
• Measurements in the ionosphere related to climate research
• Monitoring oil spills in the North Sea
• Monitoring ocean-going vessels
• Monitoring reindeer
This satellite project will contribute to a strengthening of Norwegian
expertise within space technology, and it will also stimulate interdisciplinary
collaboration. Several subject areas are involved here, including those
of mechanics, electronics, regulation techniques, physics, communication,
computing, and project administration.
Another important aim of the project is to encourage recruitment to the
study of applied science subjects and to space-related industries. The
project will be presented on special web pages, giving pupils in secondary
schools and sixth-form colleges all over the country the opportunity to
follow the development of the mini-satellite.
Internet references:
|
|
