Success Stories
CSC Supports Groundbreaking Satellite Mission
Client:
U.S. Naval AcademyChallenge:
- Work with the Naval Academy to design, build and launch a low-cost satellite.
- Serve as a flexible platform for scientific experiments.
Solution:
- Use off-the-shelf technology, a Linux-based operating system and communications based on Internet protocols.
- Construct a no-frills satellite.
Results:
- The MidSTAR-1 satellite has hosted several successful experiments.
- Includes the first application of nanotechnology in space.
A small satellite built by college students with our support carries big hopes for the use of nanotechnology in space. We’re playing a key role in the success of the MidSTAR-1 satellite program, a U.S. Naval Academy project that is producing some significant space milestones. Groundbreaking experiments include the first application of nanotechnology in space.
Building on experience
CSC used its long legacy of aerospace experience to help design and build the technical core of MidSTAR-1, and the satellite's technical set-up is remarkably simple. MidSTAR-1's Linux-based operating system communicates with a router on a ground station at the Naval Academy that picks up IP packets as if it were on a standard Internet-based network. The simplicity of the standards-based design has also made the satellite a desirable platform for conducting space experiments.
Groundbreaking experiments
MidSTAR-1 has hosted a number of successful experiments that have provided significant breakthroughs in space technology. Among these is the first-ever demonstration of applied nanotechnology in space. Developed by scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center, the Nano ChemSensor Unit operates like a smoke detector, sensing chemicals and contaminants that could be harmful to astronauts. In addition to providing significant breakthroughs in space technology, the program has allowed Naval Academy students to gain first-hand experience in the planning, building and launching of a space satellite.
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