Space
Scholars Program Topics
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Don’t see what you are looking for? More opportunities for summer research
projects can be found on the Scholars Programs Page.
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Of interest is the ability to rapidly reduce spacecraft imagery to detailed observations of space objects. Current methods employ the use of empirically selected thresholds, as well as models of expected observations. A Contrario methods do not require thresholds to be preset or accurate observation models, but instead use information theory to evaluate image data with respect to an a priori assumption...
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On-orbit performance of power generation systems is critical to the mission success. Coupled with the demands for increased power generation, it is important to develop and investigate advanced technologies capable of meeting these mission requirements. Advances in single crystal multi-junction, thin-film, and nano-technology based photovoltaics are important to achieving improved on-orbit performance...
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The performance and reliability demands on spacecraft power systems are continually increasing as increased capabilities are sought from on-orbit payloads. The Advanced Space Power Group is seeking to meet these demands, in part, by developing, characterizing, and reducing operational risks of new solar array technologies that enable: (1) large areas to be deployed from small stowed volumes (kW/m3) with high specific power (W/kg), (2) increased on-orbit reliability, and (3) lower costs...
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This project is to study electric fields in the equatorial ionosphere. A model of ionospheric electric fields driven by measured field aligned currents will be used to investigate how penetration electric fields vary with solar wind/IMF conditions, longitude, and local time. The electric fields/plasma drifts calculated by this model will be compared with the measurements of the Jicamarca radar and DMSP and C/NOFS satellites...
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Various efforts under investigation include: theoretical models of adversarial behavior; novel mathematical constructs for individual values and team goals; and analysis and decision making under uncertain and contested environments. Specific research areas are: 1) Performance Analysis and Decision Strategies for Stochastic Multi-Player Pursuit-Evasion that provide admissible decision strategies employed by competing players who are in turn subject to different asymmetric information structure patterns for open-loop, perfect-state, and noisy output feedbacks; 2) Decision Solutions for Multi-Resolution Performance Robustness in Stochastic Differential Games with Mixed Players that explore decision solution concepts enabling multiple major and minor players interested in social decision optimization problems that in turn ensure best responses for individual and/or team values and goals while being subject to different information structure patterns...
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Cryocoolers are required for many technical areas including the cooling of infrared sensors for surveillance and atmospheric studies and superconducting electronics and magnets. In this project the method of entropy generation minimization will be used for analysis and optimization of different components of the pulse tube and Stirling cryocoolers...
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This topic focuses on the application of estimation theory and techniques to spacecraft system identification. One problem of interest is passive anomaly detection. For example, real-time monitoring of the attitude determination and control system for degredation, faults or failures of related hardware components...
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Characteristics of long-period acoustic signals, or infrasound, depend on the sound velocity structure of the atmosphere. Temporal and spatial variations in the velocity of sound in the atmosphere at scales much finer than is resolved by current atmospheric models cause unpredictable variations in the amplitude and frequency of infrasonic signals...
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Memristors, non-volatile, voltage-controlled, resistors, have potential application in non-volatile memory, threshold logic, and more advanced, neuromorphic applications. The physics of these materials is unsettled. The phyics of ion transport, of growth of conducting filaments, the role of interfaces and even of novel metal-chalcogenide layers, and the effects of ionizing radiation all require atomistic modeling...
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Communication with satellites may not always be available based on orbital position or some forms of anomallies such as SEU or even impact damage. In the event of communication loss all system updating decisions will have to be made autonomously or based on preprogrammed commands. This operation requires inputs from the system that can be used to make control deciscions...
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Potential research areas will support the needs for onboard automation and autonomy with particular emphases on "correct-by-design" performance reliability enabled by performance information analysis, measures of risk-prone and aversion in statistical optimal control design, within which self-correcting and risk-averse attributes to autonomous systems will be considered for emerging situations wherein human response time is insufficient and severe faults happen...
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Energy storage is of significant interest for many applications from power tools to electric vehicles to satellites. Improvements in energy density, power density, charge/discharge rates, and cycle life are necessary to meet the demanding requirements of both commercial and military needs. The space environment can be particularly harsh for batteries with extreme temperatures, pulsed discharge, and ten's of thousands of charge/discharge cycles seen during spacecraft lifetime...
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This topic looks at thermally driven pulsating Taylor bubble flows. While traditional unidirectional Taylor bubble flow is fairly well understood, very little research has been done to investigate pulsating/oscillating Taylor bubble flow, a common flow regime for many emerging mini/micro scale two-phase heat transfer devices...
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This project consists of a cloud of laser-cooled Rubidium atoms that free-fall in the region of an optical standing wave. This system allows us to measure the acceleration of gravity interferometrically. This project will explore optimization and stabilization techniques to increase the precision of the atom-interferometer as well as build its immunity to enviromental pertubations...
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Cold atoms are used to make precision measurements of rotation, acceleration, time (think atomic clocks), etc. Atoms are typically cooled using laser cooling techniques to temperatures less than 100 micro Kelvin to reduce thermal noise and increase measurement time. We are investigating new cold atoms sources that either reduce the size, weight, and power (SWAP) requirements of laser cooled sources or that can cool atoms without lasers...
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The goal of this project is to develop a vision based approach to rapidly determining relative pose information of an unknown object using the Xbox Kinect sensor, while simultaneously modeling the object by registering successive measurements. The Xbox Kinect sensor is capable of limited range, limited resolution 3D detection for use in interactive video games...
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Memristors show promise for a variety of applications, including non-volatile memory, threshold logic, and even replacement of current CMOS circuits. There are several, purely empirical circuit models, along with a few simple, physics-based circuit models for these devices. We are interested in a more sophisticated, physics-based device model to be used in smaller circuit simulations, but capable of predicting trends as a function of device geometry, stoiciometry, and temperature...
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AFRL maintains a world class composite structure engineering and fabrication center. We develop new structures, laminates and fabrication methods and have made flight carbon and glass fiber composite deployable booms, iso-therm panels, tape-springs, slit tubes and overlapped tubes (STEMs). We are a leading center for the development of thin laminates for deployable space structures...
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Relative navigation is the process by which one satellite determines its state (position, velocity and/or attitude) relative to another object using various sensors and algorithms. Relative navigation can be achieved using either active (e.g. LIDAR) or passive (e.g. optical) sensors. Additionally, relative navigation can be performed between two cooperative satellites (e...
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Long-term objectives are to establish potential principles necessary to precisely identify the current states of a cyber-physical system, which is consisted of geographically diverse systems; being interconnected through heterogeneous digital control networks and thus provide the constructive methods and analysis tools to evaluate the aggregate performance...
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This project will involve the investigation of control and estimation approaches suitable for systems that involve delays which are of random length (with a given probability density function) between the sensor and the control processor as well as the control processor and the actuator. Students will develop a mathematical model of the spacecraft control problem including the network elements that introduce the delay; survey the current literature on control and estimation methodologies applicable to these problems; implement promising approaches and/or develop improved approaches (depending on the students experience and capability) in simulations; and potentially implement the in laboratory hardware to experimentally validate their work...
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Currently, software-defined radios (SDR) and cognitive radio technologies, which allow the reconfiguration of radio parameters that have historically been "hard-wired" into communication devices, is being investigated by the research community for several applications, including approaches for real-time allocation or sharing of frequency spectrum...
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Accurate knowledge of the state of the solar corona and wind is critical for reliably predicting, days in advance, geomagnetic disturbance events. These events are produced by high speed streams emerging from coronal holes and Corona Mass Ejections (CMEs), which are large eruptions of solar plasma and field...
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Cybersecurity has become one of the most significant challenges facing the development of complex systems. The goal of this effort is to examine the approaches to improve the ability of distributed embedded processes to detect, protect, and respond to prospective cyber-attacks with the eventual goal of rendering future cybersecurity threats obsolete...
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The goal of this effort is to improve upon several aspects of the space object tracking, orbit determination, and cataloging process. One focus of this effort is the correct assignment of measurements to a particular space object. If two or more objects are in close proximity, this increases the probability that a measurement obtained for one space object might be incorrectly assigned to another object in the cluster...
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Deployable antenna reflectors and instrument booms have been successfully used on spacecraft for decades. Reflectors provide a means to focus RF energy for a wide range of purposes including communications, ground imaging, and moving target tracking. State-of-the-art mesh reflectors have a strong record of reliable operations...
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With the advent of the CubeSat, a new wave of research in deployable structures has been established to enable more capabilities outside of their unique volume and size constraints, such as increased power with larger solar arrays, high gain, multi-band antennas, and deployable sensor booms. In many cases, traditional deployable structure concepts and their mechanisms are not volumetrically efficient and would take up too much volume in a NanoSat...
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The Space Vehicles Directorate is actively investigating new vectors to introduce capabilities to space platforms. One promising approach is through the use of ionic liquids. These liquids are of interest since their negligible volatility allows them to tolerate the vacuum of space without risk of evaporation, their fundamental properties can be significantly altered by dissolving a solute or modifying the functional groups of its ions, and they can be employed as the electrolyte in an electrochemical cell...
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Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) testing is used to support the development of guidance and navigation technologies, including missile guidance platforms, satellite Guidance/Navigation/Control (GNC) systems, ground vehicle Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), launch vehicle guidance algorithms, aircraft Inertial Navigation System (INS) platforms, and more...
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Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) testing is used to support the development of guidance and navigation technologies, including missile guidance platforms, satellite Guidance/Navigation/Control (GNC) systems, ground vehicle Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), launch vehicle guidance algorithms, aircraft Inertial Navigation System (INS) platforms, and more...
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Individual with analog and digital electronics experience needed to map zeros and poles of the transfer function of some diode lasers as a function of frequency. If there is time, the individual would also then begin design of a gigahertz frequency heterodyne receiver to mix a signal down to megahertz...
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First, the objectives of this topic are bifurcated into investigating constrained translational and rotational maneuver solutions. Optimal control theory has been the default approach for determining solutions to these problems. However, obtaining an optimal control solution requires a lot of computation (depending on the complexity of the problem)...
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The Spacecraft Charging and Instrument Calibration Laboratory (SCICL) is engaged in research involving the complex interactions between the ambient energetic space environment and the materials used in spacecraft construction. These interactions often lead to electric potentials accumulating on surface materials and eventually damaging arcing events...
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Often because of limitations in telemetry, size, weight, or power high energy particle sensors used for providing awareness of the space environment have limited channels in energy and angle. The goal of this topic is to continue evaluations of various techniques used to analyze this data from prior Space Scholar work...
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Underground nuclear explosions and shallow earthquakes both generate seismic waves. Our researches include the understanding of the amount and type of seismic energy radiation by nuclear explosions, shallow earthquakes and industrial explosions. The effects of propagation and attenuation through the solid Earth is also of great interest because they control the travel times and amplitudes of seismic waves...
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Spacecraft undergo months of testing before they are launched to single out parameters, and possible faults. However, in spite of all of the testing, their anomalies still occur on-orbit. These anomalies may degrade significantly, mission performance and their origins are typically hard to address...
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We are currently studying the spectroscopy and structure of novel gas-phase ionic liquid pairs, which are being pursued as next-generation propellants for space vehicles. Unfortunately current theoretical models of ionic liquids are not accurate enough to be predictive in their physical and chemical properties...
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Individual needed to design holograms for imparting orbital angular momentum on a CW lasers. Perform free space modulation, propagation, and demodulation tests on laser beam. In addition, the individual will develop holograms to impart unconventional polarization states on light. These will then be tested on their ability to suspend small dielectric particles...
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Energetic ion populations create spacecraft hazards that can range from simple bit-flips in memory to permanent satellite and/or payload damage. They can be categorized into 3 groups: trapped belts, transient belts and solar energetic particles (SEPs). SEP populations, energized by solar eruptions, can be significant hazards as they pass through regions of geospace unshielded by the geomagnetic field...
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This problem addresses the global discrete optimization of a slewing spacecraft with multiple pointing objectives. That is, given a spacecraft that must point at multiple objects in a fixed amount of time, find the optimal sequence to maximize the number of objects the spacecraft points to...
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Modeling the global solar magnetic field is critical for forecasting space weather events. Individuals interested in working with the input data used to drive solar wind models are encourged to apply for this oppertunity. The project involves working with a variety of ground and space based solar disk observations, as well as in-situ data from multiple spacecraft...
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The goal of this topic is to better understand and utilize the dynamics of relative satellite motion (i.e., the motion of one satellite with respect to one or more other satellites). This topic encompasses both close-proximity scenarios (i.e. cluster/formation missions and rendezvous/proximity operations missions) and scenarios where the satellites are not necessarily on closely neighboring orbits...
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Studies of alkali-rare gas complexes are being conducted both experimentally and theoretically for a variety of reasons, including laser development and validation of high level ab initio calculations. This project will involve developing a cold molecular beam apparatus to produce the weakly bound molecules and conducting high resolution spectroscopy to probe the vibrational and rotational structure of these species...
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This goal of this topic is to experiment with various options for distributing bulk simulation runs across a network of diverse CPU and GPU resources to quantify the performance of the different approaches, and streamline tools and documentation to improve usability. This project will leverage an existent M&S toolset consisting of 3 parts: DAKOTA, a Sandia National Labs developed code that incorporates a wide array of metaheuristic optimization algorithms; SEAS, an agent-based military utility simulation tool; and Python code, which allows DAKOTA and SEAS to interface in a distributed fashion...
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The ability of spacecraft to implement high-level reasoning and decision-making approaches is key to achieving several Air Force capability goals for future space systems. Benefits of on-board autonomy for spacecraft include reduced manpower requirements for mission operations, allows greater span of control for human operators and decision makers, and enables spacecraft to accomplish missions and respond to changing conditions that are un-achievable under ground-control due to communication link un-availability or latency...
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Neural networks have shown promise for a variety of computational problems, including image recognition and data filtering. Recently Cognimem has developed a neural chip with 1024 neurons that exploits several classification algorithms. We have recently acquired the cognimem chip, along with a software development kit, motherboard board and USB interface...
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Recent advances in infrared (IR) sensors has enabled thermometry of space objects (SOs). New techniques for obtaining high dynamic range temperature maps of RSOs will be implemented to determine optimum techniques for rapid calibration of IR sensors. Usage of in-house infrared sensors will be used to validate various thermometry techniques and their applicability to RSO temperature mapping...
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AFRL will develop a process to discover and document innovation in typical everyday technical projects. AFRL wants to host innovation discovery events where techincal projects are reviewed by an external panel. From these projects, potenitial inventions and commercial applications may be identified...
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Learn how the government and industry cooperate with allies through science and technology development. Student will learn rules & regulations of international agreements, monitor current RV agreement documents, and participate in the development of proposed agreements. **There is NO travel with this project...
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Currently, the design, integration, and testing of the thermal control system (TCS) requires years to complete and is a leading contributor to satellite development time. The design time for an average small satellite is one to three years. Because of the long design cycle time and the rapid evolution of technology, satellites are obsolete before they are even launched...
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Laser communication systems have several potential advantages over longer wavelength communication technology. However, significant challenges remain in developing this high data rate and low size, weight, and power communication technology. This topic is to develop and test new approaches for extremely small, robust, high-rate laser communication...
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Laser communications-based spacecraft ground stations have characteristics of both a traditional radio frequency spacecraft ground station and an astronomical observatory. This topic is to develop techniques for robust operations of a laser communications ground station. Development of custom software and incorporation of commercial software will be required...
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Our research centers on the chemistry of space vehicles: the reactions involved in hypergolic ignition and the subsequent interactions between the thruster plume and the near-space environment. We are currently interested in the spectroscopy, structure, and reactivity of novel ionic liquid propellants, which are being pursued as a next-generation, "green" alternative to the toxic hydrazine-based systems currently in use...
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Most free space optical links through the atmosphere utilize some form of forward error correction (FEC) and interleaving to reduce hardware requirements and maintain high data throughput even in the event of burst errors. Several standard families of FEC and interleaver algorithms exist, yet specially tailored versions are typically desired to provide the best performance for a given link (i...
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Laser communication links transition through several stages of behavior throughout the link process, including: beam acquisition, tracking, clock synchronization, data transfer, data rate adjustment, and link closure. Each operational mode has unique algorithms, processes, disturbances, and noise, yet link operation requires a smooth between modes, or even simultaneous execution of more than one mode...
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With recent interest in the 70-90GHz region being considered for high bandwidth RF communications. AFRL is investigating technologies that can be used at this new frequency region. Of particular interest are reconfigurable techniques. LC have shown some capability at these higher frequencies, but many questions still remain unanswered regarding the suitablity of these materials for space and the range of physical capabilities and stability of EM properties at this frequency range...
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Space Situational Awareness requires the tracking, identifying, and predicting of future intentions, actions, and positions of Space Objects with known accuracy and precision. It has been shown that optimal (minimum-fuel) control techniques provide metrics for solving data association problems...
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Future high-power components require higher cooling rates to improve performance and to improve reliability. There are many new and emerging components that have heat production rates exceeding 100W/cm2, and some can be as high as 1000W/cm2. In many applications, the ability to remove heat from the component is the limiting factor...
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This topic investigates atmospheric propagation physics at 70 GHz – 90 GHz for satellite communication applications.
In this work, radiometry will be used to better understand atmospheric absorption, scintillation, and meteorological effects at these frequencies.
Radiometers are commonly used for remote monitoring of the earth environment...
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The Infrastructure Management Branch (RVOI) of AFRL administers the RV directorate's facilities needs, through planning, programming, design, and construction including providing architectural solutions. This includes the development of graphic studies in the areas of sustainable design (identifying and implementing energy cost strategies to existing facilities), new facility projects, facility remodeling projects, facility condition inspections (ICI program), and other misc architecture and engineering design solutions including developing Antiterrorism Force Protection for AFRL's campus...
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A critical aspect of any relative motion or formation flying mission is mission safety. While on orbit, maintaining mission safety is an ongoing iterative process along with trajectory planning. The goal of this research topic is to develop and implement techniques for evaluating mission safety given a desired trajectory and sequence of maneuvers...
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This topic considers the multi-resolution analysis of space-based observations. When considering space imagery of objects one could describe an observation as unresolved, partially resolved, or fully resoved. The main factor in this designation is the angular scale of the observed object...
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This topic focuses on the development of guidance and control techniques for multi-spacecraft formation, or cluster, control. Of special interest is assessing the applicability of multi-vehicle guidance techniques developed for the aircraft; e.g., UAV, domain to the space domain and associated unique dynamics...
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The purpose of this exercise is to develop a N wavelength free space system capable of transmitting high rate data through simulated distances approaching of terrestrial systems.
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In the MAPM/SATTRACK lab we are setting up an experimental test bed for novel satellite tracking sensors. The test bed consists of a telescope where a sensor head may be installed. The telescope and facility are in place but there is much work to integrate various components and automate the set-up...
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This topic focuses on application of continuous thrust guidance and control to the problem of a LEO to GEO orbit transfer. Traditionally, LEO to GEO transfers are performed through a series of impulsive thrusting maneuvers via a GTO, or GEO transfer orbit, followed by a final impulsive thrust maneuver to circularize at GEO...
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Surveillance satellites use infrared (IR) sensors to detect and observe a range of objects. IR sensors require cryogenic cooling (temperatures below 120 K) in order to observe relatively cool objects. Pulse tube refrigerators are one type of compact “cryocoolers” used to cool space based IR sensors. Pulse tubes operate on a variation of the Stirling cycle where, instead of a mechanical displacer or expander, a gas column in the pulse tube acts as the displacer...
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The technical goals of the project are to develop safe and passive means of de-tumbling for current launch upper vehicle stages using magnetic hysteresis and eddy currents. Currently, upper stages must carry additional propellant in order to de-spin and/or de-tumble high-speed (i.e., > 1 rpm) in order to currently account for a major part of the orbital debris in LEO...
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The nano- and pico-satellite platforms (e.g. CubeSats) continue to surprise the space community with usefulness and capability previously considered impossible from such a small volume. But launch volume remains a primary limitation and methods to unfold or deploy large structures (sensors, antennas, arrays, booms, shades, telescopes, etc...
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Our group studies a wide array of plasma chemistry in fast flow tubes. Our goal is to improve chemistry models of plasmas of interest to the Air Force and DoD. Typical examples include the natural ionosphere, high speed combustion, reentry, solar, and trace gas detection. There are four separate apparatuses in the laboratory for studying reactions at extreme temperatures and pressures as well as a variety of processes including ion-molecule, electron-molecule, ion-electron, and ion-ion...
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(1) Explore novel methods for the efficient calculation of single scatter amplitude coefficients for homogeneous and/or multi-layer spheres and/or non-spherical particles with complex refractive indices. (2) Determine the angular-dependent phase functions, polarization ratios, and scattering and extinction cross-sections associated with particle number densities and polydispersions representative of the lower and middle atmosphere...
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The Pulsating Heat Pipe (PHP) is a simply formed, wickless heat pipe that relies on the phase change induced motion of a contained working fluid to transport heat between the evaporator and condenser. The improved heat transfer capability, simplicity, and reduced mass of embedded PHPs make them ideal for some spacecraft thermal control applications...
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Modern electronics are increasingly susceptible to the effects of radiation both on the ground and in the space environment. Additionally the reliability of modern electronics is decreasing when targeted for the space environment. This topic will look to investigate radiation effects on and the reliability of modern electronics...
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Memristors hold great promise for non-volitile memory, including multi-state memory, for threshold logic, and for more advanced neuromorphic computation. There are questions about their utility in a radiation environment. In this project, we plan to study total dose, dose-rate and, possibly, single event effects on memristor circuits...
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The AF and DOD as a whole would like to increase the operating temperature of VIS-LWIR detectors. The goal of this topic is to better understand the fundamental mechanisms that drive the overall dark current in III-V based barrier architecture detectors such as, but not limited to, nBn, pBp, complementary barriers, etc...
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Presently, rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) in space is becoming a significant area of research for reasons such as active orbital debris removal, close inspection, autonomous rendezvous and docking (e.g., Orbital Express). For safety and mission performance reasons, RPO requires accurate attitude and translational knowledge and control...
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In this work, we propose a paradigm change for logic applications using spintronics, which possess fundamental advantages over CMOS in chip area and power consumption. Realization of such a device should lead to a technology demonstration of a 3.2-Mbit spintronic search engine with 25K words of 128 bits...
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Due to the high cost of space systems, the ability to inspect, service, and repair/refuel these systems on-orbit is highly desirable. Such missions require precise control of spacecraft motion to ensure mission objectives are met (e.g., imaging parameters, relative velocity constraints for docking, etc...
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Atomic clocks not only provide the time base for the Global Positioning System, their stability and accuracy is being required by more and more processes used in everyday life. Significant efforts have been made in recent years to develop Chip Scale Atomic Clocks. However, these clocks tend to have lower stability than some applications require...
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In our image enhancement work we have several algorithms that need development and testing. This work is likely to result in co-authorship of publications in collaboration with SOST scientists.
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Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) requirements are increasing. This effort will investigate methods to reduce cost and improve efficiency of the satellite components.
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Topic will be refined depending on expertise of student. Basic premise is researching means of continuing operations of remote, autonomous systems operating faulty control software, preferably through early detection and repair.
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This project seeks to develop approaches for the management of sensor networks spanning global and super-global distances that are responsible for the tracking, identification, and characterization of space objects, producing the so-called “space catalog” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Surveillance_Network)...
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The capabilities of small satellites (microsats, nanosats, Cubesats, et al.) have greatly increased in recent times, and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. As such, the utility of these platforms for space applications is of great interest to the Space Situation Awareness (SSA) mission: the ability to locate and characterize these objects will grow in importance, and their utility as sensing platforms may fill valuable niches in the overall mission space...
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To enhance system resillience and provodie inputs for autonomous decission making Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has been adopted as a potential enabler for intelligent systems. This topic will require a student to help the mentor develop a flight experiment currently 2 years in the making to capture change on a satellite that may occur on orbit and localiz / characterize the event...
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Simulation of surveillance satellites is complicated by many issues. Infrared (IR) sensors detect reflected and emitted photons from space objects. The emitted photons from a space object are a function of the objects physical properties, including temperature. Thermal simulation of space objects has its own level of complexity, much less simulating the functionality of the sensor...
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Future satellite command and control architectures will involve the use of lightly- or un-manned ground stations that will operate as an integrated network, with the assignment of tasks to specific ground stations being assigned remotely over networks by autonomous algorithms that optimize network efficiency and user task satisfaction...
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Solar flares filament eruptions and related phenomena are a cause of violent space weather. Understanding their physical properties is imperitive to model and predict large solar flares. During this summer research we will examine and explore the parametric space of potential factors leading to solar flares and filament eruptions...
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Cryocoolers are required for many technical areas including the cooling of infrared sensors for surveillance and atmospheric studies and superconducting electronics and magnets. Solid state cooling for space applications has recently garnered high interest as a quantum leap technology to significantly reduce size, weight, and power (SWAP) of the cryocooler required for a surveillance payload...
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In the MAPM/SATTRACK lab we have an experimental test bed for testing of image enhancement techniques for infrared and visible sensors. This work is likely to result in co-authorship of publications in collaboration with SOST scientists.
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Develop techniques for modeling the signal produced by and extracting useful information from various types of space-based sensors
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Deployable space structures prove to be crucial in the advancement of space based missions performed by the Air Force. Advantages of these structures include the ability to be stowed in a significantly compact configuration prior to launch and deploy into a larger functional state once in orbit. The current technology relies heavily on mechanisms to drive means of deployment of structures such as antennas, telescopes, and solar arrays...
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Examine the impacts of new technologies on spacecraft performance through benchmarking studies of a suite of representative space missions captured in simulated models. The goal is a tool that facilitates down-selection of competing technologies through day-in-life, medium-fidelity simulation of total spacecraft that takes into account specific orbital and mission parameters...
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Traditional satellite thermal design is a very detailed process that results in a highly optimized design for a particular satellite, but cannot be easily adapted to other spacecraft. As a result, thermal design tends to be a costly and time-consuming process. These shortcomings can be mitigated through the incorporation of robust thermal control, in which high conductivity materials are used in conjunction with heat transfer modulating devices and efficient insulation to create a thermal control system that can handle a wide range of component locations and heat loads...
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Current off-the-shelf attitude control system simulators do not scale to actual AF relevant satellites. In addition, with the large size of such test-beds, pendulum dynamics and aerodynamic drag become significant perturbations. The goal of this work is to help in the development of a world-class attitude control system simulator at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate...
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To support responsive schedules and reduces Assembly, Integration&Testing (AI&T) costs, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has been adopted as a potential enabler of real time characterization of structural anomallies both pre- and post-launch. Of particular interest for this topic is investigating how the SHM analysis of structural interfaces can be correlated with thermal conductance across those interfaces...
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This project is to study equatorial ionospheric irregularities that can lead to errors in communications and malfunctions of GPS systems. The summer space scholars will analyze data obtained by C/NOFS (Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System), a low-inclination satellite that can fly along the magnetic equator over a very large longitudinal range...
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memristors, non-volitile, voltage-controlled resistors, promise to revolutionize neuromorphic computation. To date, the physics of these devices is unclear. We have active research efforts in atomistic simulation, in finite-element, device modeling (TCAD), and in compact (spice) model development...
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Surveillance satellites use infrared (IR) sensors to detect and observe a range of objects. IR sensors require cryogenic cooling (temperatures below 120 K) in order to observe relatively cool objects. Pulse tube refrigerators are one type of compact “cryocoolers” used to cool space based IR sensors. Conventional thermodynamic analyses of pulse tubes assume uniform compression and expansion; however, preliminary CFD studies indicate a non-uniform distribution of temperature and pressure in developed flow...
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This topic is focused on the utilization of these protocols to increase efficiency, interoperability, flexibility, and scalability of a representative system.
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Large space structures that use material stiffness and structural depth to achieve dimensional stability can be very complex and costly. An alternate approach is to use tension mechanics to achieve the necessary static and dynamic structural stiffness and dimensional stability needed for a precision antenna...
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Due to the high cost of space systems, the ability to inspect, service, and repair/refuel these systems on-orbit is highly desirable. Such missions require precise control of spacecraft motion to ensure mission objectives are met (e.g., imaging parameters, relative velocity constraints for docking, etc...
See Entire Description
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Traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) are pervasive in the Bottomside ionosphere. These are typically understood as gravity waves and have a number of sources such as topology, neutral winds, the terminator, convective uplift, and explosions. They can be the limiting factor on understanding the propagation characteristics of RF electromagnetic radiation across the ionosphere or within the earth-ionosphere waveguide...
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