Page 1Mihaly Horanyi SDC
Page 2 March 6, M. McGrath The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC) A Presentation to the National Council of Space Grant Directors Michael T. McGrath Engineering Director Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) The University of Colorado at Boulder
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Page 4 March 6, M. McGrath EPO Goal: Give students a chance to design, build, operate, & study data from a planetary flight experiment Objective: Students have the primary responsibility for the design and development of the SDC Science Goal: Make the first dust density & size spectrum observations beyond 18 AU Suggested by New Horizon’s PI Dr. Alan Stern PI Mihaly Horanyi Invited from POSSE team Premier Opportunity on a NASA Mission –Performance Bar Incredibly High –High Visibility For Students: –Extraordinary Education and Training Opportunity –“Once in a Lifetime” Experience SDC Project -- A New Kind of EPO
Page 5 March 6, M. McGrath Student Instruments on NASA Missions Risk –Technical Interface to Spacecraft System Benign Failure Mode Limited Interaction i.e. Power On –Programmatic Fixed Launch Date Academic Calendar
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Page 7 March 6, M. McGrath Not Business As Usual Educational Process –Allowance for Trial and Error Learning Status Meetings –Cross Disciplinary Classroom Maturing Process –Implications for Outcome –Emotional Commitment No Tests or Grades Extraordinary Teaching Environment –Continual Transfer of Information –Professional Staff as Teachers Not Efficient
Page 8 March 6, M. McGrath What is SDC? Active Area of 0.1 m 2 Detector Assembly (18’’ x 12’’) Electronics Box (5’’x8’’x2’’) Intra-Harness 2 Kg 5 Watts
Page 9 March 6, M. McGrath How It Works Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Polarized Pyroelectric Response Impact Removes Material –Change in Potential –Understand Mass and Size Difficult Measurement –Impact Event: 0.1 Nanosecond –Realistic: 0.1 Microsecond Compromises
Page 10 March 6, M. McGrath The First Students Anselm Fernandez, Flemming Christiansen, Chelsea Bryant, Gene Holland
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Page 12 March 6, M. McGrath Professional Support and SDC Organization Chart Color Key Professional Graduate Student Undergraduate Thermal Subsystem PVDF Detector Development Bret LamprechtGinger Drake Gene HollandChelsey Bryant Mike Neeland Nick Bunch EPO Fran Bagenal Cori Krauss Principal Investigator Dr. Mihaly Horanyi Electrical Subsystem Neil White Tim Chanthawanich Tom Reese Vaughn Hoxie Anselm Fernandez Mechanical Subsystem Heather Reed Ervin Krauss Otto Krauss James Mack Software Subsystem Gail Tate Anselm Fernandez Matt Colgan Beth Grogan Program Manager Gene Holland At Least One LASP Professional Oversees Each Subsystem At Least One LASP Professional Oversees Each Subsystem
Page 13Mihaly Horanyi PDR 6/2003 Heidelberg tests 7/2003 CDR 10/2003 PER 6/2004 PSR 8/2004 Ship 9/2004 Milestones
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Page 15Mihaly Horanyi Electronics Box Digital Board Analog Board
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Page 17Mihaly Horanyi University of Chicago LASP MPI-K Heidelberg, Germany Testing
Page 18 March 6, M. McGrath New Horizons Spacecraft at JHU/APL
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Page 21 March 6, M. McGrath Why Dust and This Mission? Interplanetary and Interstellar Dust Knowledge Ends at Saturn –Pioneer, Cassini, Ulysses, Galileo New Horizons Mission and Spacecraft Ideal –Stable Thermal Environment –Mission Design -- Quiet Due to Hibernation Periods –Past Experience with Project Staff
Page 22 March 6, M. McGrath When and Where
Page 23 March 6, M. McGrath Results: lasp.colorado.edu/sdc
Page 24 March 6, M. McGrath Looking Back Professional Mentorship Model Validated –Initial Student-Directed Team Experienced Frustration Students Excel Given Direction and Support Technical Interface Was Quickly Developed –Concerns Were Minimized Programmatic Interface Was Challenging –Perception of Risk Remained –New Horizons Essentially a Class A Mission –Full NASA Oversight and Reviews Strong Emotional Commitment to Success –Passion Institutional Commitment to Program –Financial and Programmatic Resources –Time, Attention and Direction