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Past Projects and Papers

SSPOC has completed several projects and papers over the years. Currently, we do not have any active projects, however, we are open to new project/paper ideas!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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