MANUFACTURERS OF CUSTOM, HIGH PRECISION INSTRUMENTATION AND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
Projects
- Lidar and Directed Energy Components
- Complete Lidar/Active Instruments
- Raman Airborne Spectroscopic Lidar (RASL)
- LVIS
- Micro-Pulse Lidar
- THOR Lidar
- Phasers - Prototype Holographic Atmospheric Scanner for Environmental Remote Sensing
- HARLIE (Holographic Airborne Rotating Lidar Instrument Experiment) Hemisphere Scanning Stage
- High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL)
- GOLD
- 2-micron CO2 Lidar
- DAWN AIR1
- Support Equipment
- Aircraft Installations
- ER-2 Doppler Radar Data System Enclosure
- Cloud Radar System Data System Enclosure
- King Air Rear Cargo Area Riser plate and electronics racks
- King Air 4-bay electronics rack with shock isolation
- RSP Instrument installation in King Air
- HSRL instrument installation
- 400mm aperture window port for King Air HSRL-247-X
- Raman Airborne Spectroscopic Lidar (RASL)
- RASL segmented window and external heat exchanger
- LVIS installation in King Air
- MASTER installation in King Air
- HiWRAP in WB-57
- Complete Passive Optical Instruments
- RF Instruments
- Single Point Diamond Turning
- Space-based Instruments
Simplesat Optical Microsatellite
Height: ~25.5 inches
Width across octagon: ~19 inches
Time Period
September 1996 to January 2002
Project Description
The Simplesat optical microsatellite is an engineering experiment. The experiment will determine if a small spacecraft can be deployed in space at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems of similar capabilities. The payload is a 12-inch (30.5-centimeter) diameter astronomical telescope. The satellite is carried aboard the space shuttle and, once in orbit, it is ejected and operates completely independently. The spacecraft has its own power, communications, and attitude control systems.
The satellite passed environmental testing and was loaded into a Get-Away-Special (GAS) canister early in 2001. Simplesat was carried into orbit aboard the Orbiter Discovery on August 10, 2001. Simplesat had a flawless ejection and began orbiting Earth.
(Click to see a scaled drawing in Acrobat PDF format with component labels)
Unfortunately, the ground station was never able to make radio contact with Simplesat after seperation from the Orbiter Discovery. Because of radio frequency overlap issues, the spacecraft was not allowed to broadcast a signal; Simplesat could only send a return signal after it had received a signal from the ground station. This issue was not resolved and Simplesat reentered the atmosphere in January 2002.
For more information on Simplesat, check its Web site by clicking here.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
While designing the mechanical hardware for Simplesat, we had our first experiences with systems engineering. Learning how subsystems interact and affect one another and how to balance design compromises through an entire system has been very useful in subsequent projects.
Optical Microsatellite loaded into GAS cannister and being cleaned prior to launch
Optical Microsatellite in the Space Shuttle waiting for launch