AggieSat 2
AggieSat Lab, in conjunction with the University of Texas at Austin (UT), will be developing a series of 4 pairs of satellites for the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Low earth Orbiting Navigation Experiment for Spacecraft Testing Autonomous Rendevous and docking (LONESTAR) program. The LONESTAR program is scheduled to be an eight year program, with the final (4th) pair of satellites in this series (LONESTAR 4) demonstrating Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D) capabilities. The first three satellite pairs (LONESTAR 1-3) will demonstrate technologies required to attain the AR&D demonstration. This means the first three satellites will be required to test the sensors, computers, navigation system, control system, communications system, GPS system, etc., that will need to fly on Mission 4.
AggieSat2 is the first of the 4 pairs of satellites, and its mission will be to test the crosslink communications system and GPS system necessary to accomplish the AR&D demonstration.
AggieSat2 Facts:
- AggieSat2 will be one of two satellites developed for LONESTAR 1. The other satellite of the pair will be named PARADIGM, and it will be designed at UT. Each of the two satellites will have identical capabilities, but will not necessarily be identical in design.
- AggieSat2 will be a picosatellite (much smaller than AggieSat1). It will be a 5 inch cube, and it will weigh less than 8 pounds (<3.5kg).
- AggieSat2 will be testing a GPS device designed and developed by Johnson Space Center.
- AggieSat2 began its preliminary design phase in February 2006.
- AggieSat2 has a short development timeline, with the final product to be delivered around August 2007 (~18 months).
- AggieSat2 will be managed, designed, tested, constructed, and operated by both undergraduate and graduate students.