ASTRO Lab Researcher Receives NASA Award for Satellite Testbed Research

Megan Michaud, undergraduate researcher in Clarkson’s Astronautics and Robotics Laboratory (ASTRO Lab) received the NASA New York Space Grant Women in STEM Fellowship to design a satellite testbed for emulation of small spacecraft orbital motion. This research project is overseen by Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of ASTRO Lab Michael Bazzocchi.

“I’m excited to have received the New York Space Grant Fellowship from NASA and we look forward to using the funds for my research, partially for equipment and some part to support presenting my research at an upcoming conference” says Michaud.

Various facilities and equipment have been designed to test satellite orbits; however, there are still limitations, such as, the challenge of emulating full satellite motion in a single system. Mobile robotic systems have the potential to be adapted into a single system capable of simulating all functions of satellite motion.

The goal of the satellite testbed is to simulate and experimentally test a 9 degree of freedom mobile manipulator system for emulation of a small spacecraft in a relative motion frame with attitude control capabilities. Once completed, this research will be integrated into research projects conducted by other students in ASTRO Lab who are looking at close-proximity operations in space such as debris capture as well as on-orbit object mapping.

This research is funded in part by New York Space Grant. Funds will be used primarily to purchase lab equipment that is essential to successfully completing the research project, with remaining funds used to present the results of this research at a future conference.