top of page
220712092620-04-james-webb-telescope-first-images-0712-carina-nebula (1).jpg

Past Projects and Papers

Several past projects and papers that SSPOC has completed over the years. We are open to new project/paper ideas and invite members to join our current projects/papers.

01

SSTAR-HAB

Stratospheric Science to measure Acceleration and Radiation - High Altitude Balloon​

  • A payload that will travel to the upper Stratosphere (Around 80,000-100,000ft) to measure atmospheric forces and solar radiation levels

  • Controlled by a Raspberry Pi

  • Includes a camera and various sensors to collect data from the Stratosphere

SSTAR HAB Project Logo (1).png

02

SATLASS

Autonomous Satellite Launch Assembly

  • A single expandable space station module that can autonomously assemble and launch CubeSats

  • SATLASS' goal is to write a comprehensive design paper based on previously established plans as well as refocus the project towards designing and building a real-life CubeSat deployer

03

Aether

The Prevention and Removal of Orbital Debris

  • Aimed to address the orbital debris problem through a multifaceted approach

  • Project Aether's goal was to look at both the technical and nontechnical side of the issue of orbital space debris

Project Aether Patch_edited.png

04

Valhalla design.png

VALHALLA

Vertically Air Lifted High Altitude Light Launch Apparatus

  • A high altitude rocket launch platform with the objective of providing a cost efficient option for collegiate rocket organizations to perform high altitude research

  • Consisted of a platform that will be lifted to 100,000 feet using several clusters of high altitude balloons that was inflated using Helium

  • From 100,000 feet, the rocket launched and the platform then descended to the ground by retrieving the helium and absorbing it back into storage tanks while pressurizing it

05

CubeSat

  • The CubeSat team submitted a proposal for a chance to win a fully-funded launch opportunity through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative

  • The team acquired both flight and ground hardware

  • Possible payloads included an ion probe, an Earth-observation camera, or a miniature radiation monitor

  • The team also installed a ground station on campus for communications with the satellite

  • First satellite sent into orbit by ERAU’s Daytona Beach campus

Libertas-on-orbit-render.png

06

07517-New-Shepard.jpg

AEON

The Acceleration, Environment, Optics, and Noise payload

  • Designed to take environmental readings of the crew capsule on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket

  • This 2U (10cm X 10cm X 20cm) payload was designed to interface with and draw power from the Nanoracks payload locker on-board the crew capsule of the New Shepard

  • The payload’s sensors measured temperature, humidity, pressure, angular/linear acceleration, light emissions, and sound emissions.

  • The payload successfully reached microgravity on May 2, 2019 during the suborbital flight of the P8 mission

07

SPIDER-HAB

  • High altitude balloon with a cloud chamber - used to detect radiation particles by saturating the chamber with vaporized alcohol and cooling it with dry ice

  • When the radiation particles pass through the cloud chamber, they create contrails - depending on shape of contrail (observed visually with camera) you can determine what kind of particle it was

  • Secondary payload - radiosonde (weather balloon) records pressure/ temperature

  • Geiger counter (counts radiation particles coming through/ detects radiation) in conjunction with cloud chamber

  • Target altitude > 60,000 feet

Capsule-Balloon_241012-scaled.jpg

08

A.I..jpg

A.I. Policy Paper

Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Human Space Operations

  • Analyzed the relationships humans have with current and future AI systems in Space Operations

  • Also analyzed the attachments humans form with non-human creatures, such as animals, and determined whether that same attachment can form with AI

  • This paper raised many moral and ethical questions ranging from the ethics surrounding the use of AI in space travel to the very basic questions of what is an AI

  • Accepted for presentation at the 2019 International Astronautical Congress in the Human and Robotic Partnerships in Exploration category

09

Space Force Policy Paper

A Three-Pronged Analysis of the Proposal for a United States Space Force

  • Analyzed the U.S. proposal for a Space Force from three perspectives: legal, military, and political

  • The paper concluded that a Space Force operating as an independent military branch of the armed forces is financially and logistically feasible 

  • Proposal also raised moral and ethical questions such as how a Space Force would contribute to international peace and security

  • The paper was accepted for publication in the International Journal of Security Studies

  • First SSPOC project to be completed

Seal_of_the_United_States_Space_Force.svg.png
bottom of page