Space Education Opportunities Through International Partnership

Paper number

IAC-05-E1.1.01

Author

Mr. Christian Van der Velden, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia

Coauthor

Dr. Cees Bil, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia

Coauthor

Prof. Lachlan Thompson, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia

Coauthor

Ir Ron Noomen, Technical University of Delft (TUDelft), The Netherlands

Year

2005

Abstract

The scientific and engineering challenges involved in the exploration of deep space can provide excellent opportunities in education to encourage interest and development in this field and the wider space industry.  In 2004 an international design exercise was conducted between RMIT University in Australia and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands involving final year students from both universities.
	
The task description was to design a mission and hardware, which would return scientific data from the region up to and including the heliopause, which forms the boundary between our solar system and outside space, with mission duration and budgetary constraints.  The project has provided an opportunity for students to experience engineering in a global environment, across great distances and time zones, using various communication mediums, such as video conferencing. In addition, the students were responsible for project planning and management.

Throughout the project, students received technical assistance and feedback from simulated “clients” within the European Space Agency (ESA) Science Payloads and Advanced Concepts Office and had access to a number of experienced engineers and scientists and technical resources within the space industry. The design exercise provided an excellent opportunity for students to become involved in a realistic spacecraft design project, which has direct links to a similar mission currently in development at ESA. Discussion of similarities and differences in mission design and payload selection provided students a valuable insight into the industry and engineering practices.

The results of the project included a proposed mission profile and selected payload of instruments to measure interactions between our solar system and outside space as well as search for organic material in the outer limits of the solar system, which may provide clues to the origin of life on earth.  A preliminary design configuration was also given for the space vehicle to deliver the payload to a distance of 200 AU (approximately 30 billion kilometers). Configurations of power, communications, thermal and structural systems were given and two options for propulsion were proposed which include ion engine and solar sail. The paper will give a detailed description of the project and the final result of the spacecraft design, designated as Hyperion.

Abstract document

IAC-05-E1.1.01.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-05-E1.1.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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