SEDSAT-2 Meeting Transcript 20061126

From SEDSWiki

• Anbarasan (11:10:25 AM): nice.
• Aaron (11:10:47 AM): Hi guys
• Amrut (11:11:05 AM): Hi
• Anbarasan (11:11:12 AM): hi, so where are you from?
• Anbarasan (11:11:22 AM): myself and Amrut are from India.
• Aaron (11:11:42 AM): I just moved to Phoenix Arizona
• Aaron (11:11:47 AM): Nice to meet you
• Amrut (11:11:52 AM): ur good name?
• Aaron (11:12:11 AM): My full name is Aaron
• Amrut (11:12:24 AM): ok
• Aaron (11:12:58 AM): Anbu and Amrut, those are your real names?
• Anbarasan (11:13:20 AM): Yes.
• Aaron (11:13:22 AM): I was a member of the University of Arizona SEDS chapter for many years
• Anbarasan (11:13:26 AM): i'm Anbu.
• Amrut (11:13:52 AM): Amrut:- Amrut
• Anbarasan (11:13:52 AM): nice to hear that. had experience in satellite or instrument development?
• Aaron (11:14:20 AM): I have been working in the space field for three years now.
• Anbarasan (11:14:45 AM): space field?
• Aaron (11:15:13 AM): Building and testing satellites
• Anbarasan (11:15:20 AM): GREAT.
• Kirk (11:15:26 AM): oh, that is really great
• Aaron (11:15:29 AM): But my main expertise is computer programming
• Anbarasan (11:15:51 AM): what are all the projects you are worked so far? (sorry for asking more questions, just curious)
• Amrut (11:16:20 AM): nice to know
• Aaron (11:16:28 AM): Mostly I have worked on proprietary programs so I can't talk about them
• Anbarasan (11:17:02 AM): nice, so Kirk, can you share the agenda with us?
• Aaron (11:17:15 AM): but I have worked on the Orbital Space Plane and a little bit on Orbital Express which are prorams folks might recognize
• Kirk (11:17:58 AM): sure -- just a few things on the agenda today
• Anbarasan (11:17:58 AM): ok i will be back in 10 min.
• Kirk (11:19:26 AM): two major things: preliminary milestones and defining subsystems
• Kirk (11:19:58 AM): subsystems -- for dividing the work among groups
• Amrut (11:20:26 AM): Kirk, Can u put some basic concepts?
• Kirk (11:20:38 AM): yes, have some notes written down
• Kirk (11:21:28 AM): a typical subsystem arrangement for cubesats goes like this:
• Kirk (11:22:06 AM): * Structure
• Kirk (11:22:57 AM): * Power
• Payload
• Communications
• Command and Data Handling
• Attitude control
• Structure
• Ground
• Amrut (11:23:08 AM): cool
• Kirk (11:23:51 AM): Aaron, did you work on the first SEDSAT?
• Amrut (11:24:07 AM): have you placed these information in SEDS web?
• Aaron (11:24:11 AM): I didn't work on the satellite itself
• Aaron (11:24:21 AM): but I helped with the groundstation
• Kirk (11:25:04 AM): ok, that's good
• Kirk (11:25:20 AM): I helped a little with the U of Illinois CubeSat a few years ago
• Aaron (11:25:22 AM): Are we planning to communicate with SEDSAT-2?
• Kirk (11:25:51 AM): I think so
• Kirk (11:25:54 AM): yes
• Aaron (11:26:06 AM): OK
• Kirk (11:26:12 AM): that would be important to write down as a requirement...
• Amrut (11:26:22 AM): ya
• Kirk (11:26:31 AM): Amrut, Anbarasan -- what kind of help can you and your universities provide?
• Aaron (11:26:34 AM): I am not totally up to speed on cubesats
• Kirk (11:26:42 AM): do you have a specialty?
• Aaron (11:26:44 AM): Do we know what some of the other cubesat functions are
• Kirk (11:27:07 AM): no -- need to define the functions
• Kirk (11:27:19 AM): you're coming in at the ground floor ;)
• Aaron (11:27:30 AM): OK
• Aaron (11:27:34 AM): :)
• Amrut (11:27:38 AM): with structure
• Aaron (11:28:08 AM): How about we research other cubesats?
• Kirk (11:28:17 AM): exactly
• Amrut (11:28:25 AM): like?
• Kirk (11:28:30 AM): that was going to be the task at the end of the mtg
• Amrut (11:28:41 AM): ok
• Aaron (11:28:43 AM): excellent
• Aaron (11:28:53 AM): where willl we share our results?
• Kirk (11:28:59 AM): on the wiki
• Amrut (11:28:59 AM): ya
• Kirk (11:29:07 AM): is that good?
• Amrut (11:29:13 AM): link?
• Aaron (11:29:16 AM): Sounds good to me
• Amrut (11:29:32 AM): yes
• Kirk (11:29:34 AM): should we start a section for research?
• Amrut (11:29:47 AM): just wait fr * Anbarasan
• Amrut (11:29:52 AM): he will be right back
• Kirk (11:30:02 AM): ok, no problem
• Aaron (11:30:12 AM): http://wiki.seds.org/index.php/SEDSAT-2
• Amrut (11:30:50 AM): who is Purvesh?
• Kirk (11:31:02 AM): he is from my university -- he was the leader of our CubeSat team
• Amrut (11:31:12 AM): good
• Kirk (11:31:13 AM): I think the link is... http://cubesat.ece.uiuc.edu
• Kirk (11:33:15 AM): perhaps we can start organizing our research on one page: http://wiki.seds.org/index.php/SEDSAT-2:Research
• Kirk (11:34:05 AM): there are two important things to find first: (1) info about previous CubeSats and (2) launch info
• Amrut (11:34:26 AM): who gona do that?
• Kirk (11:35:03 AM): typically, now, CubeSats fly on the Dnepr rocket in Russia with the CubeSat program organized by CalPloy: www.cubesat.org
• Kirk (11:35:27 AM): CalPoly
• Kirk (11:35:49 AM): CalPoly - California Politechnic State University, www.calpoly.edu
• Kirk (11:36:19 AM): they have a standard system for launching, so your CubeSat must fit the dimensions of their launch system
• Amrut (11:36:55 AM): i see
• Kirk (11:37:05 AM): however, someone told me that SpaceX (www.spacex.com) is going to launch student payloads when their rocket becomes available
• Kirk (11:37:21 AM): and in the past, other satellites have launched as secondary payloads on larger missions
• Kirk (11:37:33 AM): SEDSAT-1 launched aboard the Deep Space 1 mission
• Amrut (11:38:25 AM): payload?
• Kirk (11:39:18 AM): Aaron?
• Aaron (11:39:45 AM): I hardly remember myself...  :0
• Aaron (11:39:46 AM): http://www.seds.org/sedsat/info/
• Aaron (11:40:31 AM): I was not involved with the satellite too much
• Aaron (11:40:35 AM): just trying to talk to it
• Kirk (11:41:18 AM): it looks like, basically, they had a type of camera on board
• Kirk (11:41:37 AM): a former member once told me that the batteries on the satellite were very unique also
• Kirk (11:42:06 AM): and that the battery data from the old mission could probably support a masters thesis even today
• Amrut (11:42:24 AM): sorry dis con..
• Kirk (11:42:34 AM): no problem -- what was the last thing you read?
• Amrut (11:42:47 AM): Aaron?
• Kirk (11:43:25 AM): ok, posted in your other window
• Amrut (11:43:39 AM): ok
• Kirk (11:44:36 AM): ok, I change what I said earlier -- there are three important things in the beginning: (1) research on existing cubesats, (2) launch system, and (3) finding a potential payload
• Amrut (11:45:32 AM): ok, let me know how many of them ar in SEDSAT2 team?
• Kirk (11:46:36 AM): sorry, what do you mean?
• Aaron (11:47:05 AM): Something that folks are trying to do nowadays is integrate electrical subsystems with structure
• Aaron (11:47:31 AM): for example, putting your antena in carbon fiber skin
• Amrut (11:47:40 AM): ummm
• Anbarasan (11:48:04 AM): sorry guys responsiblities.
• Anbarasan (11:48:09 AM): so...
• Kirk (11:48:40 AM): gotta go now?
• Anbarasan (11:48:42 AM): give me couple of min to read what had happened.
• Anbarasan (11:48:57 AM): no i'm back totally.
• Kirk (11:49:14 AM): ok
• Kirk (11:51:02 AM): let me know when you read everything
• Amrut (11:52:35 AM): wht would be the maximum size of payload?
• Kirk (11:53:35 AM): max 10cm x 10cm x 10cm for entire satellite
• Kirk (11:54:09 AM): so we will have to trade the size of the payload w/ other subsystems
• Anbarasan (11:54:25 AM): ok back.
• Anbarasan (11:54:39 AM): do any one have any idea about its application.
• Anbarasan (11:54:44 AM): ?
• Kirk (11:54:56 AM): no, that is still an open issue
• Amrut (11:54:57 AM): payload power and Pointing accuracy?
• Kirk (11:55:09 AM): yes
• Kirk (11:56:07 AM): can we agree on a potential application? a very general application?
• Anbarasan (11:56:20 AM): better we can start from there, there are many who launch students sat. Application decided the altitude, orbit, so data care, after decided the instrument we decided the structure.
• Amrut (11:56:47 AM): i hope so
• Anbarasan (11:57:02 AM): ok.
• Anbarasan (11:57:11 AM): let me say about the status in India.
• Anbarasan (11:57:35 AM): HERE there are very few Univ., who might be interested in it,
• Kirk (11:57:56 AM): ok
• Anbarasan (11:58:29 AM): it is true the Univ., Sat instrument fly with ISRO sats.
• Kirk (11:59:10 AM): perhaps we do not need very many universities to participate
• Kirk (11:59:35 AM): if there are seven subsystems, maybe we only need 4 to 7 different universities
• Anbarasan (11:59:39 AM): but still i'm not seeing any unniv developing a satellite.
• Anbarasan (11:59:46 AM): recently i tryied to convince VIT.
• Anbarasan (11:59:51 AM): as you know.
• Kirk (11:59:55 AM): yes, I talked to Pranav about that
• Anbarasan (12:00:48 PM): but they DO NOT have any facility to develop any thing.
• Amrut (12:01:00 PM): ok, how u gona start this ?
• Kirk (12:01:03 PM): I think that if we begin to define the applications of a satellite, and define the requirements, more groups to join
• Kirk (12:01:10 PM): very few want to do the initial work
• Anbarasan (12:01:24 PM): as for as the students the Administration will give permission to develop but facilities should be funded by some one.
• Kirk (12:01:36 PM): but if there are requirements, they can show their professors and maybe get university credit for the work
• Anbarasan (12:02:05 PM): yes you are right.
• Kirk (12:02:26 PM): the key is the initial work... which is not as fun as building the satellite
• Anbarasan (12:02:42 PM): but my point is this. One Univ., is having good facility which is 3 hrs drive from here but it is impossible to penetrate them.
• Kirk (12:03:01 PM): hmmmm
• Anbarasan (12:03:17 PM): that univ is a monster with 40,000 students with 30 colleges and it is a gov., univ.
• Kirk (12:03:25 PM): an IIT or an NIT or something?
• Anbarasan (12:03:45 PM): i even tried thorugh the gov., they are not interested they have commitment atlest for 5 years.
• Amrut (12:04:22 PM): IIT fellow ar not involved with any cubesat project right now
• Kirk (12:04:46 PM): here is an idea: maybe we do not define our entire team at the start -- maybe we complete the definition of the satellite and initial research, then we recruit people to build the satellite during the IAC in Hyderabad
• Anbarasan (12:04:49 PM): according to me no IIT is interested in developing the facilities. If some one is funding for the facilities i can assure a good sat from India. We have great technical people.
• Kirk (12:05:05 PM): yes, that would be a problem.... hmmm....
• Amrut (12:05:59 PM): during IAC!! then lots of stuffs need to be covered :-SS
• Anbarasan (12:06:03 PM): ok we can do initial study and framing the project. but sat should be developed practically. I just discussing the practical difficulties.
• Anbarasan (12:06:22 PM): And did you heared from those VIT people?
• Anbarasan (12:07:01 PM): we can study and frame but it should not stop there.
• Kirk (12:07:02 PM): I received a message from Pranav this week, but it was not in regards to the satellite
• Kirk (12:07:07 PM): I agree
• Anbarasan (12:07:22 PM): can i have his number please?
• Anbarasan (12:07:34 PM): i will call him some time.
• Kirk (12:07:35 PM): hmmm, I don't know if I have his number, only his email
• Anbarasan (12:08:27 PM): those people did not replied to any of my mails, may be they thought i might not be a right guy.
• Anbarasan (12:08:37 PM): ok.
• Amrut (12:08:56 PM): Kirk, i am bit confused.. can u tell me how u gona start this?
• Kirk (12:08:56 PM): mmm, ok
• Kirk (12:09:00 PM): i will email him and ask
• Kirk (12:09:41 PM): yes, here is how to start
• Kirk (12:09:50 PM): (please criticize my ideas)
• Anbarasan (12:09:50 PM): so this is it technical strength in electronics, communication, integration, testing, programming, ground station.- i can.
• Anbarasan (12:10:19 PM): but i dont have any ideas where and how to develop, still i'm searching for a good place in India.
• Amrut (12:10:19 PM): ok
• Kirk (12:10:42 PM): ok
• Kirk (12:10:59 PM): first, we research the existing ideas
• Anbarasan (12:11:06 PM): nice.
• Anbarasan (12:11:10 PM): sure.
• Amrut (12:11:12 PM): k
• Kirk (12:11:19 PM): that will help us understand what technologies are available to us
• Anbarasan (12:11:31 PM): then after having a good idea we can take the next step. right.
• Kirk (12:11:32 PM): and how to build it
• Anbarasan (12:11:49 PM): and how about the funding?
• Kirk (12:12:00 PM): the funding.... not sure, I have some idea
• Kirk (12:12:02 PM): s
• Kirk (12:12:53 PM): and we do research on launch providers
• Aaron (12:13:21 PM): Sorry I've been so quiet
• Amrut (12:13:23 PM): it would be on remote sensin or oberservation type?
• Aaron (12:13:26 PM): Kirk I think has the right idea
• Aaron (12:13:33 PM): we need to start with an idea
• Anbarasan (12:13:43 PM): atlest 14,000$ will be needed for a low level imaging sat, for research, development and flight model.
• Aaron (12:13:46 PM): and get others interested
• Aaron (12:14:05 PM): if people are and some initial work is done
• Kirk (12:14:06 PM): I agree -- I know Peter Diamandis has some money he is going to give to SEDS
• Aaron (12:14:09 PM): the funding will follow
• Aaron (12:14:35 PM): worrying about the funding now will only be counter productive
• Anbarasan (12:14:43 PM): yes.
• Anbarasan (12:15:19 PM): so we research.
• Aaron (12:15:38 PM): yes
• Kirk (12:15:40 PM): first, we find the websites and papers for other satellites
• Anbarasan (12:16:07 PM): first we study about other cubesats, and gathering their developers contacts. then study the applciation and a rough model with structure and all.
• Aaron (12:16:17 PM): Then we discuss what we would want to do and what we think others would be interested in doing
• Aaron (12:16:34 PM): And start designing the satellite on paper
• Anbarasan (12:16:48 PM): Yes.
• Kirk (12:16:59 PM): can we set a deadline for next weekend to find all of the cubesat links and post them on the wiki?
• Aaron (12:17:03 PM): Then we have something to show to universities and others for funding
• Anbarasan (12:17:12 PM): as well said we either need to research on launchers.
• Aaron (12:17:40 PM): Sounds good
• Kirk (12:18:10 PM): we will research launchers the following week
• Kirk (12:18:19 PM): we will need to make some phone calls on that
• Anbarasan (12:18:52 PM): Kirk only we four? or some one might come?
• Aaron (12:18:57 PM): * Kirk, you are going to summarize this and post to the sedsat-2 list?
• Anbarasan (12:18:58 PM): will they?
• Anbarasan (12:19:24 PM): how many are in the list * Kirk?
• Aaron (12:19:29 PM): If we do some work this week and meet again next week more folks may join us
• Anbarasan (12:19:38 PM): yes.

• Kirk (12:19:47 PM): yes, I think so
• Kirk (12:19:51 PM): one more is coming now
• Kirk (12:20:08 PM): I think we have approximately 8 active people
• Anbarasan (12:20:09 PM): and Kirk we need to find as much as CUBESAT creaters and add them in to the list.
• Kirk (12:20:16 PM): but, I have not sent an announcement to the SEDS email list yet
• Lavina (12:20:18 PM): Hi :)
• Kirk (12:20:24 PM): doh
• Kirk (12:20:26 PM): wrong window
• Kirk (12:20:28 PM): just a second
• Lavina (12:20:30 PM): hehe
• Anbarasan (12:20:33 PM): nice number. let us see.
• Lavina (12:20:52 PM): Hi
• Aaron (12:21:02 PM): Hi
• Kirk (12:21:05 PM): now we have 5 :)
• Amrut (12:21:15 PM): ;)
• Lavina (12:21:17 PM): :)
• Kirk (12:21:18 PM): hey Lavina, now you are in the right window
• Anbarasan (12:21:19 PM): so who is gogin to gather about launches and who for other sats and creaters contacts?
• Kirk (12:21:31 PM): let
• Kirk (12:21:41 PM): let's decide at the next meeting -- can you meet next weekend?
• Anbarasan (12:21:41 PM): Hi Lavina.
• Anbarasan (12:21:49 PM): sure.
• Lavina (12:21:57 PM): Hi, there. Um...do I know everyone here?
• Anbarasan (12:22:22 PM): but this SHOULD NOT stop only with papers.
• Aaron (12:22:34 PM): Where are you from Lavina?
• Anbarasan (12:22:37 PM): THis is Anbarasan and Amrut from India.
• Anbarasan (12:22:46 PM): and you?
• Lavina (12:23:05 PM): I'm Lavina, from the Philippines :)
• Amrut (12:23:13 PM): his,, this is Amrut from India
• Lavina (12:23:16 PM): Hi :)
• Aaron (12:23:28 PM): I am Aaron in Arizona USA
• Lavina (12:23:29 PM): Amrut, Anbarasan, and I know Kirk
• Aaron (12:23:32 PM): Nice to meet you
• Lavina (12:23:35 PM): Hi, Aaron :)
• Lavina (12:23:35 PM): You too
• Kirk (12:23:49 PM): I agree, Anbarasan, it will not stop with paper -- but first we need the paper
• Kirk (12:24:04 PM): to recruit other members, sponsors, mentors, etc.
• Kirk (12:24:10 PM): but I do not want to make a paper satellite
• Anbarasan (12:24:15 PM): Yes indeep.
• Kirk (12:24:16 PM): they do not do anything ;)
• Amrut (12:24:29 PM): yes, we need the paper with full detail information so that we can start up
• Lavina (12:24:31 PM): haha
• Kirk (12:24:58 PM): so this week, we find info for all of the existing cubesats and post it at http://wiki.seds.org/index.php/SEDSAT-2:Research
• Anbarasan (12:25:09 PM): ok.
• Kirk (12:25:10 PM): (it will be linked from the main SEDSAT-2 page after the meeting)
• Kirk (12:25:24 PM): when is a good time for next week to meet: Sat or Sunday?
• Amrut (12:25:35 PM): sunday fr me
• Lavina (12:25:39 PM): Can I vote for Saturday?
• Aaron (12:25:45 PM): I agree, nobody will pay attention to us if we do not have something to show and with a group spread across the globe the best way to show that we are together and working on something is with Paper (or electrons at least) :)
• Aaron (12:26:17 PM): Eeither day for me
• Aaron (12:26:40 PM): Same time?
• Kirk (12:27:05 PM): Amrut, are you not available Saturday? Lavina, not available Sunday?
• Amrut (12:27:17 PM): at wht time?
• Lavina (12:27:25 PM): same time works if it's a Saturday
• Anbarasan (12:27:34 PM): well sunday will be more confortable for me. but Sat is Ok.
• Anbarasan (12:27:49 PM): same time.
• Lavina (12:27:58 PM): It's past 1 AM here at the moment, and I have school in the morning, hehe.
• Kirk (12:28:01 PM): I am flexible with time
• Lavina (12:28:16 PM): But if everyone's happier with Sunday, I'm good with that
• Kirk (12:28:41 PM): and our group currently spans from Philippines to US to India, so we will all have our turns with bad meeting times ;)
• Anbarasan (12:28:42 PM): ok then sunday same time?
• Amrut (12:28:42 PM): ok i will
• Anbarasan (12:28:45 PM): 16GMT?
• Kirk (12:29:04 PM): Aaron, can you meet earlier to help with Lavina's schedule?
• Anbarasan (12:29:06 PM): UUmmm....
• Kirk (12:29:12 PM): or Anbarasan or Amrut?
• Amrut (12:29:27 PM): as u say
• Aaron (12:29:27 PM): Yes I could meet earlier
• Anbarasan (12:29:31 PM): yes if it is sunday i can come earlier.
• Aaron (12:29:39 PM): maybe 14 GMT
• Anbarasan (12:29:46 PM): ok for me.
• Lavina (12:29:46 PM): that might be good
• Lavina (12:29:49 PM): yeah
• Kirk (12:29:55 PM): that is OK for me
• Aaron (12:30:06 PM): Sounds good
• Aaron (12:30:18 PM): Very nice to meet everbody
• Anbarasan (12:30:34 PM): nice. ok it is great meeting you. We shall stedily start filling the site.
• Kirk (12:30:42 PM): in the next 15 minutes, I will send an email about our tasks
• Kirk (12:30:44 PM): and next meeting
• Lavina (12:30:53 PM): Alright :)
• Amrut (12:30:56 PM): ok
• Lavina (12:31:06 PM): Nice to meet you all too
• Kirk (12:31:09 PM): I'll explain it to you in a minute, Lavina :)
• Kirk (12:31:16 PM): good to talk to you
• Aaron (12:31:17 PM): See you all next week. SEDSAT-2 is born  :)
• Lavina (12:31:22 PM): Thanks, Kirk
• Anbarasan (12:31:22 PM): nice bye, good night, good after noon and so on.
• Kirk (12:31:22 PM): "see" you again next weekend
• Aaron (12:31:28 PM): bye
• Kirk (12:31:55 PM): bye :)