NASA CubeSats to Test Laser Communication, Tandem Orbit
Hello reader!
It follows
an article published day (10/02), in the website www.spacedaily.com, noting that NASA is preparing to launch a
CubeSat to test laser communications.
Duda Falcão
MICROSAT BLITZ
NASA CubeSats to Test Laser
Communication, Tandem Orbit
By Brooks Hays
Lompoc, Calif. (UPI) Oct 2, 2015
disclaimer: image is for illustration
purposes only.
|
NASA
is preparing to launch a CubeSat to test laser communications, a departure from
radio wave-based satellite communication technologies.
"Laser
communications is very important, not just for NASA but for other U.S.
government agencies as well," NASA scientist Andres Martinez said in a
press release. "This little mission is a huge achievement for STMD and for
small satellites in general."
Martinez,
who serves as deputy program manager for Small Spacecraft Technology at NASA's
Ames Research Center, and his colleagues expect the satellites laser
communication technology to be 100 times faster than traditional data-transfer
rates.
CubeSats
are quite small, roughly the size of a toaster. Without a robotic arm, the
entire satellite will have to be maneuvered to properly aim its laser.
"There's
no auxiliary steering system," added Richard Welle, director of the
Microsatellite Systems Department at The Aerospace Corporation. "You just
point the whole spacecraft at the target on the ground."
The
laser data will be received by a download station perched atop California's Mt.
Wilson.
The
initial CubeSat is scheduled to launch aboard an Atlas rocket from California's
Vandenberg Air Force Base on October 8.
In
early 2016, the first CubeSat will be joined by its twin. Engineers at NASA
want to attempt to orbit the two small satellite in close proximity. The tandem
satellites will communicate with each other and coordinate positioning.
Researchers hope their experiment will pave the way for in-orbit monitoring or
servicing of other satellites.
"The
whole concept of being able to fly small satellites in close proximity and in a
controlled fashion is a big deal too," said Martinez.
Small,
mass-produced satellites like the CubeSat -- the basic out-of-the-box satellite
used by scientists the world over -- are perfect for experimentation.
"I
think the key value of small satellites is the way it encourages very rapid
turnover of technology," Welle said. "It's kind of like the
electronics revolution where you achieve next generation technology in a few
months, instead of years."
Fonte: Site http://www.spacedaily.com
Comentário: Outra notícia que pode ser do interesse dos
grupos que trabalham com esses pequenos satélites no Brasil e na América
Latina.
Comentários
Postar um comentário