Hardware Test

Background
The SLAM team plans to perform a hardware test to demonstrate the proposed mission communication architecture. This test will be performed as part of a launch to approximately 85,000-100,000 feet from a launch vehicle developed through the Fredericksburg (TX) High School AeroScience Program (FHASP). The hardware verification will take place in mid May, 2006 at White Sands, NM.

Mission Statement
Our hardware test mission is to eject three CubeSats from the nose cone of the launch vehicle, one of which acts as the "carrier" satellite by linking the remaining CubeSats to the ground, with the goal of demonstrating the proposed communication architecture.

Mission Objectives
Specific mission objectives include:
- Demonstrating CubeSat to "carrier" and "carrier" to ground communication lines
- Acquiring real-time data and photographs through an on-board sensor suite
- Deploying parachutes to allow each CubeSat to be fully recoverable

Milestones
Some of the major tasks associated with a successful hardware test include:
- Design of the CubeSats (power sources, camera, sensors, etc.)
- Integration with nose cone
- Design of payload deployment system (performed by a separate team in Australia)
- Telemetry
- Fabrication and assembly
- Recovery (parachute design and wind analysis)
Testing will also be a critical component in this process.

Hardware Team
In our work to test the communication architecture, some new members join our team. They include the following Stanford students, who also work in industry:
- Nia Jetter, Boeing Satellite Systems
- Joey Brown, NASA JPL
- Ron Moore, Northrop Grumman Co.
We are also working with Brett Williams and his students at Fredericksburg High School, who are providing us with a payload spot on their rocket.