Georgia Tech Students Make Contact with Satellite
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech students recently made initial contact with a satellite launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to test next-gen space propulsion systems.
Student Satellite Operations
- Atlanta Campus Control: A team of student operators sent their first command—“Go Jackets!”—to the ASCENT Propulsion Dual Mode spacecraft on Thursday at 6:21 p.m. Operating from the Space Systems Design Laboratory Mission Operations Center, these students will run daily shifts to track and control the spacecraft during a nine-month demonstration. The satellite orbits at approximately 500 kilometers, higher than the International Space Station.
Spacecraft Propulsion Testing
- Dual-Mode Fuel System: This NASA-supported mission tests a propulsion system using a single fuel source, allowing operators to switch between high-thrust chemical maneuvers and efficient electric thrust. It runs on a less-toxic propellant called ASCENT, offering a safer alternative to hydrazine. Students plan to conduct over 1,000 hours of propulsion testing, adjusting the spacecraft’s altitude within a 5-kilometer range.
Student Flight Readiness
- The project marks three years of collaboration between Georgia Tech students, faculty, and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Students completed flight-certification training in ground station operations and telemetry analysis. Master’s student Ryan McKee leads the mission team, which includes Ph.D. student Andrew Basin. Previously, Georgia Tech students contributed to NASA’s Lunar Flashlight CubeSat Mission in 2021.
Unknowns
- Officials have not disclosed the exact final date for mission completion or specific milestones within the nine-month flight timeline.
Source: Information gathered from Georgia Tech, detailing the launch, satellite contact times, and student flight operations, as well as NASA.
Tags: Georgia Tech, Air and Space, News
