Research Initiation Award: Magnetic Field Mapping of Pico/Nano/Micro-Satellites to Facilitate Refinement of their Guidance/Navigation Systems and Magnetic Cleanliness

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Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at his home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Tuskegee University has potential broader impact in a number of areas. The project seeks to investigate methods of mapping the electromagnetic field distribution of pico/nano/micro satellites (PNMSats) and aid in the refinement of their orbit determination and control capabilities. Undergraduate aerospace engineering students will gain research experiences by working on the project. The overall research goal is to develop a better understanding of the magnetic activity of PNMSats and investigate methods of modeling the magnetic map of such satellites. A Magnet Coil Test Facility, designed around a 3-axes Helmholtz coil (HHC) cage and precision fluxgate magnetometers, will be used for carrying out the research. The PNMSat specimens will be subject to relevant on-orbit control modes inside the HHC cage. Using the magnetometer measurements taken during the emulation of these control modes, a harmonic understanding of the magnetic activity will be investigated. The research will aid in the refinement of the various subsystems of a PNMSat - particularly the operation of attitude determination and control systems, as well as electro-magnetically sensitive instrumentation. It will further aid in designing magnetic booms for PNMSats. This research is a stepping stone to founding a PNMSat program at Tuskegee University and provides an opportunity for collaboration with other Historically Black Colleges and Universities.