Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Students Take Summer Internship to New Heights
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This summer mechanical and electrical engineering students are hard at work designing a rover capable of withstanding a parachuted drop from the edge of space. Sponsored by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the DemoSat summer internship is designed to provide students hands-on experience while generating interest in the space field and robotics industry.
Equivalent to a two-story free fall, the rover will be deployed from 100,000 feet, the edge of space. During its ascent the rover will be subjected to extreme conditions such as -40ºC and almost 0 atmospheric pressure. During its rapid descent, the rover will reach speeds equal to those of sound.
A redesign challenge, a protective foam carrier outfitted with a series of sensors will determine the flight status of the rover and deploy it upon landing. Equipped with GPS, the vehicle will follow a preprogrammed path away from the parachute and other payloads. Designed and constructed using injection molding, the tracks of the rover will be capable of conquering variable terrain and changing form while driving.
Although working under the direction of project director and Professor Paul Wilbur and Instructor Steven Schaeffer, students have had much autonomy in every phase of the project.
"These are very devoted and capable students," said Wilbur. "I am extremely proud of them and the work they have done."
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Unlike other internships, the team designed and constructed the rover from the ground up...to space.
"With other internships you don't have control over what you do; here we have all the control," said Ellis.
"Engineers come to school because they love it, this is where we get to finally be creative. It's what we have been working toward," added teammate Jonathon Cox.
The upcoming launch is scheduled for August 4th, from Deer Trail, Colorado.
For more information on DemoSat and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium please visit http://www-sgc.colorado.edu/.
To view Paul Wilbur's video please visit http://www.engr.colostate.edu/comm/media/videos/infopage.cfm?id=48.