Project Info
Distributed spacecraft network
Qi Han | qhan@mines.edu and Chris Dreyer | Mechanical Engineering
This project aims to develop a framework for tight integration of communication and controls as an enabling technology for NASA to effectively deploy swarms of small spacecraft. This framework will make it possible for a network of self-organizing small spacecraft to be highly collaborative among themselves for the monitoring of time-varying and geographically distributed phenomena.
Elucidate the interdisciplinary nature of the project
This is a joint project between computer science and mechanical engineering.
More Information
Grand Engineering Challenge: Engineer the tools of scientific discovery
Student Preparation
Qualifications
Student #1-Good programming skills.
Student #2- good hands-on skills on integrating hardware pieces
Time Commitment
20 hours/month
Skills/Techniques Gained
Student #1 – Wireless ad-hoc networking communication; working with embedded systems
Student #2 – integrated hardware and software systems for distributed network of autonomous systems
Mentoring Plan
Weekly meetings with students who are also mentored by grad students, also weekly research group meetings