DRAGONSat
Encyclopedia
DRAGONSatDRAGONSat (Dual RF Astrodynamic GPS Orbital Navigator Satellite is a pair of picosatellites
that will be demonstrating autonomous rendezvous and docking (ARD) in low Earth
orbit (LEO) for NASA
. It will be gathering flight data with a global positioning system
(GPS) receiver strictly designed for space applications to gather flight data in the space environment. ARD is the capability of two independent spacecraft to rendezvous in orbit and dock without crew intervention. One DRAGONSat was built by the University of Texas and the other one was built by Texas A and M University, the Space Shuttle Payload Launcher (SSPL), These satellite projects will rendezvous and dock with each other in space without the benefit of human intervention.
DRAGONSat is planned to be an eight-year program with a launch of the satellites approximately every two years. The first three missions will test individual components and subsystems while the final mission will culminate with the successful docking of two satellites. Each mission builds upon the previous mission culminating in a fully autonomous rendezvous and docking mission. Both universities are required to use GPS receivers designed by NASA in order to determine its functionality. One of the objectives is to demonstrate precision real-time navigation
capability as well as precision relative navigation between the two satellites.
orbiter payload bay. Both satellites are built of aluminum with a mass of approximately 7.5 kg. Each picosatellite is covered with photo-voltaic cell
s and will enable a longer active life in orbit. Each satellite also has a dipole antenna
and two antennas for the GPS receiver. The satellites are ejected from the SSPL which is located on the payload bay sidewall.
DRAGONSat-1 "BEVO-1"
DRAGONSat-2 "AggieSat-2"
On July 30, 2009 STS-127 Flight Day 16 the first pair of DRAGONSats were inserted into orbit. Shuttle Endeavour placed them in orbit at 8:35 am EDT. for their multiyear mission to study automatic dockings in space. Deployment occurred over central South American at an altitude of 218 miles.
Miniaturized satellite
Miniaturized satellites or small satellites are artificial satellites of unusually low weights and small sizes, usually under . While all such satellites can be referred to as small satellites, different classifications are used to categorize them based on mass .One reason for miniaturizing...
that will be demonstrating autonomous rendezvous and docking (ARD) in low Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
orbit (LEO) for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. It will be gathering flight data with a global positioning system
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
(GPS) receiver strictly designed for space applications to gather flight data in the space environment. ARD is the capability of two independent spacecraft to rendezvous in orbit and dock without crew intervention. One DRAGONSat was built by the University of Texas and the other one was built by Texas A and M University, the Space Shuttle Payload Launcher (SSPL), These satellite projects will rendezvous and dock with each other in space without the benefit of human intervention.
DRAGONSat is planned to be an eight-year program with a launch of the satellites approximately every two years. The first three missions will test individual components and subsystems while the final mission will culminate with the successful docking of two satellites. Each mission builds upon the previous mission culminating in a fully autonomous rendezvous and docking mission. Both universities are required to use GPS receivers designed by NASA in order to determine its functionality. One of the objectives is to demonstrate precision real-time navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
capability as well as precision relative navigation between the two satellites.
Operations
DRAGONSat is a pair of two 5 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches satellites which are launched from the ShuttleSpace Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
orbiter payload bay. Both satellites are built of aluminum with a mass of approximately 7.5 kg. Each picosatellite is covered with photo-voltaic cell
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
s and will enable a longer active life in orbit. Each satellite also has a dipole antenna
Dipole antenna
A dipole antenna is a radio antenna that can be made of a simple wire, with a center-fed driven element. It consists of two metal conductors of rod or wire, oriented parallel and collinear with each other , with a small space between them. The radio frequency voltage is applied to the antenna at...
and two antennas for the GPS receiver. The satellites are ejected from the SSPL which is located on the payload bay sidewall.
Protocols
Both DRAGONSat are launched together in the Space Shuttle Payload Launcher (SSPL) from the side walls of the orbiter payload bay. They are ejected as a pair and once they are at a safe distance from the Space Shuttle, they will separate and begin the experiment. Data collection will be downlinked to ground stations for as long as the satellites are able to transmit.Specifications
- Section source'
DRAGONSat-1 "BEVO-1"
- Country: USA
- Application: Spacecraft docking technology
- Operator: University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
- Contractors: University of Texas at Austin
- Equipment: DRAGON GPS Receiver
- Configuration: 5" cube
- Propulsion: none
- Lifetime: 3.5 kg
- Mass: 5 kg
DRAGONSat-2 "AggieSat-2"
- Country: USA
- Application: Spacecraft docking technology
- Operator: Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
- Contractors: Texas A&M University
- Equipment: DRAGON GPS Receiver
- Configuration: 5" cube
- Propulsion: None
- Lifetime: 3.5 kg
- Mass: 3.5 kg
Launches
- STS-127STS-127STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility , and the Exposed Section of the...
Shuttle
On July 30, 2009 STS-127 Flight Day 16 the first pair of DRAGONSats were inserted into orbit. Shuttle Endeavour placed them in orbit at 8:35 am EDT. for their multiyear mission to study automatic dockings in space. Deployment occurred over central South American at an altitude of 218 miles.